NEW YORK, NEW YORK: As the recording business continues to transition to a fully digital paradigm there are still those who prefer to maintain an
analog signal chain in the studio. One such diehard analog fan is engineer and musician Jack McKeever, who installed Geoffrey Daking's 1112 Custom Console at his project facility in Manhattan's lower east side after hearing
about the designer and manufacturer.
"I think what drew me to this console was that in this group there was so little to choose from," McKeever explains. "The nice thing was that the audio dealer told me about Geoff Daking. I had no idea who he was. I called
Geoff and out of the blue he sent me a couple of mic pres and said, 'Try them for a while and see what you think.'"McKeever was impressed. "They sounded so good," says the engineer, who notes that he uses analog whenever he can.
He continues, "Originally I was going to get a much smaller console, but time went by and I was able to borrow more money than I anticipated, so I ended up with the larger one." McKeever's Daking 1112 Custom Console is configured with 32 inputs, the standard eight busses, and is outfitted with
Daking's multi-track monitor mixer, which returns 24 tracks into the desk.
With only a limited choice of small format analog consoles still being
manufactured, McKeever considered acquiring an older, classic console, but
was put off by the experiences of his friends. "I had a couple of friends
who had bought Neves and ended up putting more money into them than they had
spent to purchase them. So I was frightened about that concept."
Daking's 1112 combines classic audio designs with modern manufacturing
methods to recreate the much sought after analog sound quality and
performance of vintage consoles, such as Neve and Trident, yet without the
maintenance headaches. The 1112 features class "A" discrete topology
and
Jensen transformers, and also shares elements of Daking's highly regarded
Mic/Pre EQ circuitry.
In the end, the Daking 1112 console fit a number
of McKeever's criteria perfectly. "This is a small studio and the footprint
of this console is very small," he says. "It's got everything that
I like about a Neve, but it's infinitely quieter than a Neve. It sounds great.
I've had three or four people who have said that this is the best console they've
worked on, bar none."
The biggest project at the studio so far has been Rufus Wainwright's "Want
One" album, on which McKeever worked for three months. Wainwright and his
team were quickly won over by the quality of the Daking console's microphone
preamplifiers, the engineer reports. "They originally rented some other
mic pres, then sent them all back, one by one."
Producer/composer Jack McKeever at the custom Daking 32x8x2
console at "The Maid's Room," his facility in New York City.
Commenting about the console manufacturer, he says, "Geoff's just the
consummate professional and a perfectionist and, as far as I can see in the
two-and-a-half years of dealing with him, more interested in being involved
with a great piece of audio equipment than he is in making money. It's
refreshing to see someone so passionate."
That's an attitude that struck a chord with McKeever who, like many small
studio owners, lives from project to project. "I barely subsist off of
running a studio," he admits. "It's definitely a labor of love. I've
put so
much love and attention into the studio and, when people start noticing it,
they keep coming back." McKeever also has a full Pro Tools HD setup and
notes that "a fair amount of my business is warming up to Pro Tools mixes
through the console on their way to the half-inch tape recorder. And while I
use analog whenever I can, I enjoy hybrid analog-digital setups."
Although he never advertises, plenty of recording projects arrive at the
studio as word gets around New York's tight-knit community of musicians.
"Patty Smith was here for a week - her engineer told me about my studio
when
I first met him! There's a lot of commercial work that gets done here, but
it's all word of mouth and low key."
Currently, he reveals, "I'm working on the new Anita O'Day record. She's
84
years old and she still swings." Although McKeever's friends, Frank Bango
and Johnny Dowd might be visiting the studio soon, he's not too worried that
he doesn't know what his next project will be. "That used to make me
nervous. But now," he says, "I'm happy to say I don't know."
All Daking gear can now be ordered directly from TransAudio Group by either
calling (702) 365-5155 or going to www.transaudioelite.com the direct-sales
website for TransAudio Group.
TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become
the premier U.S. importer/distributor for high-end audio. Success hinges on
specialized service to the Recording Industry far beyond the norm.
TransAudio Recording's product lines include AEA ribbon microphones (USA),
ATC Loudspeakers (UK), Brauner (Germany), Drawmer (UK), Geoffrey Daking &
Co. (USA), George Massenburg Labs (GML) (USA), Soundelux (USA), SoundField
(UK), and Z-Systems (USA).
www.transaudioelite.com
www.daking.com
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