London, England, March 2008:
API, the world's premier manufacturer of high-end analog pro audio gear, is enjoying a resurgence around the world and in Europe in particular, where sales of the company's outboard signal processors are brisk. Now, following the lead of the numerous U.S. facilities that have installed API consoles, Fishfactory Studios in north London is enjoying the distinction of being one of the premiere studios in the UK to purchase an API console — in this case a 32-channel API Legacy Plus.

This may be the digital age, but analog audio aficionados, such as Antonio Feola, chief engineer and owner of Fishfactory Studios, still value the quality of sound that can only be achieved with a discrete input path through the mixing console to a tape machine. "I needed something that was reliable with a great analog sound," said Feola, who purchased the Legacy Plus to replace an aging and increasingly unreliable console. "API is at the top of a very short list of manufacturers who still build their equipment with discrete analog circuitry. API's reputation is unrivaled, and the Legacy Plus is quite affordable."

A drummer and avid recordist since the tender age of 13, Feola brings a wealth of experience and know-how to his passion, recording live jazz, rock, and other music, in his spacious live room, which has a layout reminiscent of Abbey Road's legendary Studio 2. A die-hard fan of analog audio, he commented, "I have Studer cassette decks and I listen to my music on tape cassettes. It has only been a couple of months since the Legacy Plus was commissioned but I have had time to put it through its paces, he added. "The API sounds lovely with my Studer two-inch tape machine. The sound is beautiful."

A number of sessions have already been recorded through the desk, he shared: "We did some recording with Zero 7 and I've done two jazz albums. Right now I'm doing some piano recording. Now that the word is out we've had artists such as Beverly Knight, Lily Allen, Brand New Heavies, Kate Nash, Kula Shaker, Pino Palladino, Some Velvet Morning, Ian Thomas, and Bob Martin, and top producers Johnny Dollar (Massive Attack), Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys), Mike Pelanconi (Graham Coxon and Rik Simpson (Coldplay)) in the studio to try the desk and see what it can do."