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The Six Senses studio team at the SSL ORIGIN analog console in the new facility in Ibiza.

Six Senses Ibiza Unveils New Recording Studio Anchored By SSL ORIGIN

32-channel analog mixing console facilitates hybrid production workflows in the new production facility at a spa and wellness resort in the Mediterranean Sea.

Global hospitality brand Six Senses has unveiled a recording studio equipped with a Solid State Logic ORIGIN 32-channel analog mixing console as part of a new extension to its Six Senses Ibiza resort, located in the Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea.

Six Senses Ibiza is a spa and wellness retreat that encompasses a collection of suites plus a restaurant, bar and live music venue that are the result of a collaboration between owner, architect and real estate developer Jonathan Leitersdorf and hospitality pioneer Ben Pundole. The new studio, which is also accessible via a private entrance from the 3,300-square-foot Cave Royale suite, is one of the first of its kind in Europe, according to Danny Ariel of retail and design firm D&D / AVARC, based in Israel.

Ariel was the principal designer of the new facility, supplied all the equipment and oversaw its integration. UK-based studio architect Roger D’Arcy provided the facility’s acoustic design.

Ariel made the decision to install the SSL ORIGIN desk in consultation with Asaf Busidan, who handled the technical integration of the console and ancillary equipment as well as the facility networking. “We wanted a world-class brand that was great value for money,” Ariel explains. “We knew that visiting artists would be happy to see the SSL brand. Plus, ORIGIN provides the pure sound quality and reliability of an SSL. On top of it all, it fitted the budget perfectly.

“We were thinking about the musicians who want to feel the vibes of Ibiza then access a studio at night. If you are a DJ, producer, artist, musician or singer, you can come with your family or partner to Ibiza for a vacation and during the night go to work in the studio.” ORIGIN’s signal flow and straightforward worksurface layout can help make it easier to operate, even for those who’ve spent limited time in front of a large-format console, but for those who prefer to focus on creating rather than operating the gear, Ariel says that there are options to bring in an engineer.

“You have the option to create, record and mix digitally ‘in-the-box’ or use the analogue SSL console,” he explains. ORIGIN, designed for hybrid production workflows, enables users to track into a DAW through its PureDrive mic preamps using the studio’s microphone collection, which includes models from Neumann, Schoeps and AKG. When mixing “in-the-box,” the operator engages “0 dB” on each long fader, setting unity gain through the channel strip and allowing summing though the desk’s new mix bus and mix amp architecture. The studio also includes an Apple Mac Pro computer hosting the latest production software together with a large selection of plugins.

Routing to a selection of outboard processors in the room is enabled via RME interfaces, converters and mic amps. Dynacord and Pioneer DJ equipment is also available. “We chose the specific brands and models that would be accepted by producers, DJs, artists and singers alike. From DJs, live instruments and vocals to post production and movie editing, it’s all plug-and-play. You just connect your laptop with one USB cable,” he says.

Roger Quested and Stuart Down provided monitoring system support for the installed Quested main monitors, subwoofer and amplification, while studio engineer Shai Sivan handled the computer, UX, software and plugins and recording, and Evyatar DietFried Shimoni looked after the digital audio side of the facility. “The D&D team that was with me are super professional and the best in recording studios,” Ariel says. “I chose the best, because each one of them is an expert in his field.”

The resort expects to attract film and TV professionals in addition to music production and commercial music experts with the new studio, he says. “Six Senses also wanted to support local musicians and bands by building these unique facilities on the island.” Local Ibiza artists Black Coffee and Red Axes as well as DJs Victor Calderon and Guy Matzur have used the new studio since it opened in the summer, he reports.

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TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik’s mission is to design and build iconic microphones and modern professional audio equipment that provides classic sound for recording, broadcast, studio, and stage . Our vision is to be a global leader in emitting good vibes through manufacturing and design, all while capturing the spark of the TELEFUNKEN legacy and transmitting it with uncompromising quality.