Genesys is a “dream come true” for Award-Winning Producer, Bob Bradley
“After owning and using various AMS Neve outboard over the years, my dream was eventually to have my own Neve console. I’ve recorded through their desks countless times at Abbey Road, Britannia Row, the old Maison Rouge, La Fabrique and many others. Now at last I have one of my own”, Bob Bradley co-founder of The Firm.
The award-winning music production company specialises in original compositions and sound design for television and for commercials, operating from its Black Lodge recording studio in Leeds, part of the Miloco roster.
Their newly-installed Neve Genesys G64 is now at the heart of what they do. Bob has just finished mixing Above & Beyond Acoustic ll, which he also produced, recording through the new Genesys and the 88RS in Abbey Road Studio 1. He confesses he’s been in love with the sound of the preamps for years. “They have that classic Neve smoothness, clarity and warmth”, he said
“I plugged my beloved Fender Telecaster bass into the console for the first time and it sounded so good: round, deep and pure. I’m a huge fan of the EQs and Dynamics on our G64. We configured it with 8 channels of classic 1084 EQ which have a subtle mellowness with a tough and solid bottom end and 8 channels of the 88R style EQ, which have a sharper, modern edge. This is all complemented with 16 channels of VCA style dynamics which are extremely silky. I also really love the DAW control”.
Bob said he wanted to get into stem mixing and the new console made that easier. He explained: “Now what I do for final mixes is route tracks to the first 16 channels of the desk (8 stereo channels) and then use these as my core mix. I can add another bank of 16 if necessary and then link each stereo pair and add the lovely digitally-controlled EQs and dynamics of the desk”.
AMS Neve designers came up with some custom-made touches which have sped up the process of recording and mixing. He said: “We needed quick session recall because we jump through so many projects in a typical normal day. The Genesys was the only medium format console that has full digitally-controlled gain, EQ, Comps and Flying Faders™. The bonus of this is instant recall. The days of slow, lengthy recalls are in the past”.
The Firm is looking to expand further at Black Lodge. They’re awaiting planning permission to convert their large basement into a vaulted drum room, enclosed amp room and mastering suite and are planning to add two more production rooms with vocal/instrument booths in the attic.
For information about the Neve Genesys console, please get in touch with the AMS Neve team at info@ams-neve.com
