Music & Arts Production Studio (MAPS) in Fullerton, CA has launched a business model to attract engineers and producers who don’t have access to their own space to utilize the MAPS facility, a process that begins with an induction before moving along to thorough training on an Audient ASP4816 mixing console.
MAPS owner Mike Willson is offering autonomous access to the studio in a move designed not only to provide access but also to help keep costs down by removing the need for multiple full-time staff members. “All of our clients are freelancers that we’ve developed close relationships with,” he explains. “They just hop on our Producer Dashboard, book the session and let themselves in.
“Luckily, the Audient is so easy to navigate and I always feel confident that the console will add to their workflow rather than distract from it,” Willson continues. “We’re constantly getting great feedback about how much our producers love working on the console. We do have a Studio B that is set up for ‘in the box’ production, but I focus on making everybody comfortable on the console, because everything else falls into place once they feel good on the Audient.”
For the last four years, the analog recording console has been the center of the MAPS creative workflow. “The preamps are fantastic and it feels good to have console preamps that people aren’t afraid to use,” Willson states. “During mix, I love all of the routing options that help me get a mix to feel good so much quicker than when I’m working in the box.
“Honestly, my favorite thing about the Audient console is that it doesn’t break down. Ever. I’ve worked in so many beautiful studios that have legendary consoles, but as soon as you look at Channel 1 wrong, it goes down. Considering we’re providing a space for freelancers to elevate their craft, I could never have a console that needs to be repaired weekly.”
Looking to the future, he’s hoping other studios will get on board with the concept. “We are very excited to keep bringing on more freelancers and expand that model with other studios. Our team has put a lot of work into building a system to allow people autonomous access to our studio and would love to work with other studio owners to implement this idea at their spaces.”
