Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer/mixer Chris Lord-Alge is in the midst of what, for him, is a sea change to an all-digital nonlinear workflow.
He stayed with the Sony 48-track tape format for over two decades, interfacing it with his vintage workhorse SSL 4000 E/G+ analog console as well as mostly vintage outboard gear. His recent change comes with the implementation of Focusrite RedNet audio interfaces.
“Yeah, the DASH format, it’s been over for a while, period,” Lord-Alge acknowledges. “I mean, they stopped making the tape in ’07, so I can’t hold onto it for very much longer. I have to go into something that’s not running off the tape. In order to make the switch [to a completely nonlinear workflow] I needed to hear something that met my standards and worked with my other studio equipment.
“So when [Focusrite President] Phil Wagner asked me to audition the RedNet interfaces for my Pro Tools rig, I listened, I gave it a thorough test drive and I liked what I heard. It sounds very similar to what I already have, which I don’t really want to change. So this will be the cornerstone of my new workflow.“
According to Wagner, “Chris has a particular workflow which has proved to be very effective. Now using the RedNet 5 and RedNet 2 interfaces, he is connecting directly to the workstation as opposed to transferring to the open-reel DASH formats. This requires a very high-quality converter, providing the hit making sound quality Chris is accustomed to.
“When we did the original RedNet demo at his Mix LA studio,” Wagner continues. “Chris was pleased enough with the sound that he decided to use RedNet to make that transition from the open-reel. He’s now using the full RedNet I/O complement to feed the SSL console. We’re very pleased that Chris has chosen the RedNet system to make this workflow transition.”
Lord-Alge, who’s resume includes recordings for Muse, Pink, Foo Fighters, Avril Lavigne, Green Day, Daughtry, Paramore and Black Eyed Peas, to name a few, adds, “I’ve been using a Focusrite Red 3 Classic dual-channel compressor/limiter on my two-channel mastering part of the process forever, and I’ve always been pleased with the audio quality. So now to be able to have Focusrite from the multi-track playback side forward is quite a big step for me.
“I put faith in Focusrite, as they have a track record of over 20 years of making high-quality, bulletproof audio products,” he concludes. “Add to that my personal relationship with key members of their team, and the fact that I know they will be there with the right support if I need them, and it’s clearly the right choice moving forward.”
