Copenhagen, Denmark - Aug. 2008:
Studie73, in Copenhagen, was not built, rather, it evolved. Over the course of twelve long years, owner and chief engineer, Johan Lei Gellett slowly amassed a truly awe-inspiring collection of top-of-the-heap analog equipment and traded up smaller spaces for ever-larger and more acoustically-inspiring sites. Over a decade, since he started out scheduling recording time around the neighbors' schedules in his cramped flat, Lei Gellett recently replaced what used to be a Pro Tools mixing situation with a brand new analog API 1608 small-frame mixing console. The 1608 joins Neve, Gyratech, TLA, Universal Audio, NTP, and ADAM outboard gear in creating Studie73's organic, vital sound.

"My demands for a console were that it should be of an extremely high quality," said Lei Gellett. "I would rather have fewer high-quality channels than a lot of mediocre ones. I looked everywhere and finally stumbled over the API 1608! It seemed to fit right into my idea of a perfect console." The API 1608 incorporates the company's discrete electronics topology and is built to the same exacting standards as their flagship Vision and Legacy series consoles. The standard 1608, with sixteen input channels, eight buses, eight aux sends, eight reverb returns and full center section facilities, includes a dozen 550A three-band equalizers and four 560 ten-band graphic EQ modules with space available for eight additional 500 series modules.

Although the features and reviews seemed perfect, Lei Gellett wanted to experience the API sound before committing to the purchase. He contacted Cyber Farm, high-end audio retailers in Copenhagen, who lent him an API lunchbox® loaded with 500 series mic pres, EQs, and compressors. Lei Gellett gushed, "I was instantly hooked! API has a fantastic open sound with great warmth and, if you gain the preamps enough, a perfect edge; exactly the things I was looking for. The sound is a bit like if Neve were built in the American heat and dust."

In the three months since he's had it, Lei Gellett has been able to book a wider spectrum of jobs, everything from garage rock to delicate pop and even 5.1 film mixes! His next move will truly round things out and put Studie73 at the vanguard of Copenhagen's analog revolution: Lei Gellett is searching for a used 16-channel, two-inch Studer tape machine. He laughed, "If you have one for sale, please contact me!"