Who:Dave Hagen

What:Staff Engineer

Where:Franklin, TN

API Gear:1608 console, [2] 3124+, lunchbox®, [4] 312s, [4] 550A, [2] 560

"I recently ran a session through a new API 1608 and my fingers felt all tingly when I left. It's such a sweet desk to use! Of course it sounds as good as I would expect from API, but the flexibility of its modular design, not to mention the look and feel of the whole thing made it a blast to work on and a very successful session."

"API is punchy and huge sounding. It's my first choice when I'm looking for a hard-hitting sound with a great low end 'whump'. It's also great for quiet and delicate recordings, when I need to crank a large amount of gain. I can expect to hear microphone or ambient noise before I start to hear the pre."

"I love all the API gear we have. It's consistently in use in my tracking sessions; the low-mid clarity and low end extension make the 312 a no-brainer for bass guitar and kick sounds. Its open top end and clean gain make it excellent for even very quiet acoustic guitar and vocals on any sort of mic."

"The 550A is my go-to EQ for electric guitar when I want it to slap me in the face without getting harsh. I pass nearly every electric track through it for a little love."

Dark Horse Recording began in 1994 as a dream to create a refuge for recording artists, producers and engineers—a place where artists or writers could escape from their day-to-day distractions and focus on the creative process. Dark Horse features two studios: The Lodge and The Barefoot Room. The Lodge is the larger of the studios with a grand control room and 33-foot cathedral ceilings, boasting a glorious countryside view. The Barefoot Room is extremely flexible in that not one piece of equipment is bolted down.

More: Website; facebook
Contact: 615-791-5030; dave@darkhorserecording.com