Guitarist Eric Johnson
Adds Euphonix to Studio Arsenal
System 5-MC DAW controller
and Steinberg Nuendo form nucleus of updated facility
Palo Alto, CA – Dec 5th, 2006
Guitarist, Eric Johnson (left) with engineer and co-producer
Richard Mullen with their System 5-MC DAW Controller
|
Lone Star State Pop/Rock instrumentalist – vocalist
Eric Johnson, whose guitar style carries a broad range of
musical influences and is, perhaps, best known for his Grammy-Award
winning song Cliffs of Dover as well as his latest Grammy-nominated
album Bloom, recently selected a Euphonix System 5-MC DAW
Controller for his updated studio’s control room. Paired
predominantly with Steinberg’s Nuendo DAW application,
Johnson’s System 5-MC is an 8-fader setup and was selected
for its ability to interface with a variety of music production
tools used by himself and his long-time engineer and co-producer
Richard Mullen.
Johnson’s System 5-MC was installed
in September 2006. With just a few months of experience under
their belts, Mullen,
who in addition to engineering Johnson’s music, serves
as his technical advisor, is extremely enthusiastic about
the new setup. “Originally,” says Mullen, “I
was looking at just the MC, but with Eric’s interest
in having some sort of console in the studio, it made sense
to expand the workstation into a System 5-MC, as this gives
us the flexibility of the control surface, but with the feel
of a more traditional console.”
“We had the opportunity to work with Steinberg’s
Nuendo,” continued
Mullen, “and were very impressed. We were using the
Euphonix AM713 24-bit Analog/MADI converters and, together,
this made a really great sounding recording system. When
I discovered the capabilities of the MC and the fact there
was a EuCon-aware version of Nuendo that integrates closely
with the control surface via Euphonix’ high-speed protocol,
I was convinced this was the way to go. Together, the Euphonix – Steinberg
setup creates a seamless system. We can still use Pro Tools
if we choose, and there are other EuCon-aware applications
such as Apple Computer’s Logic that appeal to us. With
the System 5-MC, we aren’t tied to any one format.”
Mullen
was also intent on transforming the studio from what was
primarily an analog production environment into a digital
facility so as to take advantage of the extensive editing
capabilities found in today’s DAW applications. “Eric
has a certain comfort factor with the sound and feel of analog,” notes
Mullen, “but we both wanted the editing capabilities
found in the current crop of digital recording applications.
By going with the System 5-MC, we remain entirely within
the digital realm—free from the possibility of any
induced sound coloration, with the added benefit of extensive
editing control.”
Johnson and Mullen had been working
with Pro Tools, but found the traditional computer keyboard
and mouse style of navigating
the application tedious. “We knew we really needed
to interface this type of application with a control surface
or console,” states Mullen, “but we were wary
of finding ourselves with obsolete hardware in just a few
years. Upon taking a close look at the Euphonix MC—with
its high level of customization and the ability to run any
application—we felt this approach made the most sense
for us.”
Mullen feels that the System 5-MC’s ability
to be easily configured will also make it easier for Johnson
to transition
to the digital domain. “While I’ll be the primary
operator of the system,” explains Mullen, “I
expect to configure a few different setups that will enable
Eric to cut tracks on his own and do some basic editing if
I’m not available. In the time I’ve been working
with the system, I’ve been very impressed with its
ability to be configured for a variety of uses and that at
the touch of a button, the entire control surface changes
personality. It’s much easier than I anticipated.” |
