In the early years of this century, it seemed as though a different major studio was closing down every week. It was also a lean time for the manufacturers of high-end mixers and rackmounting gear. The ‘project studios’ that were pushing aside traditional recording spaces didn’t need or want large-format consoles, or racks of hardware effects.
The expectation in many quarters was that this trend would continue more or less indefinitely. Big studios would go the way of the dinosaur, and software would eventually replace outboard completely. Yet, strangely, neither of those things has happened. Having reached rock bottom around 2010 or so, the market for commercial studios has bounced back, partly thanks to new business models that are turning the recording process into an Instagrammable experience. And although software…
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Sound On Sound USA (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025