"I used ASP880 on drums for the pre-production for the real-time session, and I'm now mixing the live tracks for the video with the Audient unit. One of the reasons I chose the ASP880 was because of the digital inserts," he explains, particularly impressed by the quality of the Audient ADC converters. "I'm using it as a way of adding eight analogue outboard legacy effects such as the H3000 (which bands really love) or my AMS Phaser, both when recording and mixing. I can just plug them into the ASP880's inserts and they come into my desk digitally. It's as simple as that."
Levine continues, "As I have a rather large patchbay, I liked the idea that the AD-DAs are on D-subs. I have one or two legacy synthesizers and in order to start 'fiddling around' with those, I can just use the ASP880 as a stand-alone converter and patch them in digitally."
A self-professed 'pioneer of digital recording techniques' it's no surprise that his Liverpool-based studio, Steve Levine Recording is centred around a digital desk; an ideal set-up for the Audient ASP880. "Another great thing about the Audient is that it gives me eight more high quality mic inputs via ADAT, allowing me to increase the number of inputs I have available - in addition to my console - which is useful for those big sessions."
With Levine's close ties to Liverpool Institute of Perfoming Arts (LIPA), students are also regular visitors to Steve Levine Recording to see how he works. "I want the students to be able to see, hear and compare an array of different mic pres, and the fact that the Audient has the variable impedance and variable high pass filter, that's definitely something worth showing."
(Jim Evans)
