Focusrite // The Story of the Focusrite Studio Console

[@rakibmahmudovee5544]

I didn't know till watching this that Rupert Neve started and built Focusrite..What a genius he was..Rest In Peace

[@johnemmerson2640]

Wow, quite a bit of nostalgia for me here. I helped to commission console number 9 at Beartracks with Rob Jenkins, in I think, February "94. Dredging the memory banks here. I do remember lots of deep snow, and Rob and I sitting in an Italian restaurant after a long days work somewhere in upstate New York on Valentines day - everyone else was having a romantic evening with roses on the table! Nice to see the guys at SST are keeping number 9 going as a hybrid of 2 consoles after the flood wrecked it. The sort of madness I admire. Watching this video makes me feel like I was part of something very significant, and it's good to see people still care so much about those old consoles. I know in my time at Focusrite we were definitely striving to do something different and better "the way it should be done". Perhaps sadly - as far as consoles are concerned anyway, it was near the end of an era. I'm still an analogue guy through and through tho. I took a marker pen and left a message on the console frame back at Beartracks for anyone who took it apart in future to see, something like "Commissioned by John Emmerson and Rob Jenkins February 1994", I wonder if that message survived. John

[@jimlassen9422]

I made that console frame and all the wiring in it. Have been in touch with Rob Jenkins a while back to catch up and FAE are based near me here in Marlow, UK.

[@loubennett9849]

This doco has given me another level of appreciation for my Focusrite equipment, thanks Focusrite!

[@FocusriteTV]

Great to hear!

[@ernestbuckley8671]

Todays Focusrite is not the same as their gear when Rupert Neve designed it.

[@douglasbatley]

Nah. You can't fault Behringer. My Xenyx qx 1222 is amazing.

[@forgivenonline]

Love the focusrite sound for recording! I produced an album at console number 2 when it was at Paramount studios in .LA. A complete wonderful experience! Thanks for sharing all this history. Great video👍 Lot’s of great memories. Mike Rosario

[@xntricity6446]

Thats a big achievement, well done ❤

[@mikedeanellis]

Oceanway’s Focusrite #4 was ‘my console’ too, from 1994 to 97. It was the first large format console I have worked on, and it was love at first sight. I just loved the bus routing and design! So cool to see this video, a blast from my past for sure!

[@billbradleymusic]

Nice

[@RealHomeRecording]

Very cool, indeed. What were some songs that you recorded on it if you can recall?

[@BenneWill]

Is it analog or solid state?

[@mikedeanellis]

@@RealHomeRecording one of my favorite memories was Toni Braxton unchained my heart we did orchestra overdubs in this room for that song. I was second engineer, basically handling the orchestra, the mic placement, the headphones running the patchbay, etc..

[@mikedeanellis]

@@RealHomeRecording the first day I worked there “the doors” were recording on it. They had some poetry by Jim and we’re trying to create a track to go with it I recall.

[@dpinskey]

What a wonderful documentation of a the Rupert Neve/Focusrite heritage and why it is so important to preserve for future generations to come to love and appreciate. RIP Rupert Neve. We love you.

[@leroymillermusic]

I fortunately had the opportunity to work a lot with JJP and Alan Sides on console #4 at Ocean Way in Hollywood CA on my first solo record (Leroy) for Hollywood Records. I was alway blown away by the sound that console produced. JJP had a lot to do with it as well! Those were great times!!! After seeing this doc I feel like I've been a part of something really special. Thanks for making and sharing this doc!

[@MrCacciLLo]

JJP was the most important piece of equipment in the studio!

[@dianevrules]

Got this channel strip from Plugin Alliance. Love this documentary.

[@nicolasblanckaert2035]

I'm amazed by the resurrection of the flooded one. And deeply thankful to Rupert Neve for what he'd done.

[@katkarantbb]

I absolutely love the passion in this documentary . That alone will make me buy some focusrite gears

[@michaeldulsky8492]

I love this Console! I have the ISA 430MKII it's my favorite channel strip

[@KarlMiller-DjKarl]

Loved this story of these old Focusrite consoles…The ISA-110 vocal preamp, and equalizer epic… ☮🔥

[@Architectureguy]

Wow! I had no idea about the history of this company when I bought my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface for doing my podcast! I love the way it works!

[@gregbester3855]

So honoured to be a part of it! Well done to all involved!

[@glenesis]

Great doc. We lost our house in Long Beach to hurricane Sandy. I'm actually more saddened to hear about the damage to the console at SST Studios. God Bless em for restoring it!

[@electronmagazine4149]

Thanks Focusrite for this wonderful and well made documentary. Also, thanks for keeping quality audio alive.

[@ChrstnSmrvllMsc]

I think this is my third(?) time watching this doc, and I'm here this time bc of the ISA channel strip plugin I just got last week. I don't remember the last time I was so excited about a plugin! I've only had the chance to use it on one little project so far as I'm sort of between living arrangements again, but I can already tell it's going to be my new go-to channel strip! I've got others I love for various things, but I can just tell, even in plugin form, the ISA sounds good on *EVERYTHING*. Congrats and thank you to Focusrite (and Brainworx), and keep up the great work!

[@FocusriteTV]

Thanks for your support! We appreciate you taking the time to share this feedback, it's great to hear that you're enjoying the ISA sound! 🙌

[@chunkhutchinson]

love the Spanish Guy that saved all his money up from engineering and snagged one second hand, only to put it in his house. that's amazing well done that man. I'm Jealous.

[@tobiaszfic8025]

Yes but why would he need 72 inputs in a HOUSE? That's kind of like buying a bus to drive your kid to school. Huge, complicated and cumbersome.

[@horowizard]

It doesn't say exactly how much he paid for it. He also looks a little young to be able to earn enough money to buy one from engineering alone. By the looks of the dad's house I would say that he came from money and had help.

[@oysteinsoreide4323]

@@horowizard He said he was saving and saving until he could afford something that could last a lifetime. I guess he worked hard to get that console even if he lives in the same house as his parents.

[@danielgaudet6114]

@@oysteinsoreide4323 Not to mention that he said he didn't need to pay rent either :)

[@MrCacciLLo]

@@horowizard Yes, no way he got the sum needed to buy the console, shipping and handling and instalation from his Engineering jobs. Thats just bullshit. No way he will ever pay that amount plus the yearly electricity bills and maintenance from his future engineering jobs also.

[@179shaun]

I'm a small (but proud) shareholder in Focusrite (LON:TUNE). Watching this makes me happy.

[@melvinvasquez8518]

As a budding engineer and overall gear nut I really enjoyed this doc. I respect the people that put the work into maintaining/repairing these consoles and I feel it is definitely not in vain. At the end of the day it is all about the sound and striving to make the best impression on our listeners. Analog is definitely better for archiving and playback on high fidelity systems. I am now planning on purchasing a Focusrite ISA430 MK II producer pack channel strip, lol. If only Focusrite could make a stereo version of the producer pack for home studio types that can't afford to buy two channel strips. I guess I'll have to tell my mono stems to fall in line!

[@G-RDY]

This is actually one of the best videos I ever saw on KZbin. Thank you.

[@FocusriteTV]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙌🙏

[@markhofland1898]

Great video! This is amazing. The fact that engineers, people, specialists, and others are capable to design and build such an enormous, complicated desk. Deep respect for al those people who build it, designed it, ownded it recorded with it and mainitained it, and still do.

[@uriel-heavensguardian8949]

This was an awesome video!!! Rupert was involved in a lot of things. I'm very happy with my Clarett 8pre purchase. Just have to get all the right components so my computer will run it. I felt this video. Loved the journey. Focusrite I'm officially a fan and user. First it was Chris and Tom Lord-alge using Big Red Focusrite on their Mix bus that made me a fan. But then to find out in this video Mr. Rupert Neve was involved. Its a no brainer for me. I'm all in.

[@zwwwz1226]

I have to admid this is the best documentary/storytelling I have ever seen about a high end audio product. Anmazingly well done guys! Make some more of this very educatting and informing studio stuff reports.

[@RealHomeRecording]

It will be interesting to see one day documentaries be made about little audio interfaces from companies like Focusrite talking about how musicians of today got their start using that humble equipment.

[@estebandavidjr.7223]

This was beautiful! . These consoles are a work of art and in the future will probably be in museums!!! Beautiful and emotional story!

[@hulkslayer626]

Masashi Yanagisawa at Studio Jive was so soft spoken and it was so calming... that need to make him a plug in! Lol

[@kurt10002]

It is a beautiful documentary with very nice details. Analog still gives a better sound than digital.

[@EnochGitongaKimathi]

Sound recording both art and science! This is a mind blowing, must watch, documentary of when synergy between the two! Thanks for sharing this bit of history!

[@therealdjap]

Such a powerful story. It really touched my heart. Especially the Sandy story and the devastation in Hoboken, etc. I remember that time well. I learned alot from this. Thank you.

[@justscooters9821]

wow..so unfortunate

[@antbell_313_abmg]

Grand documentary. definitely saving this doc for future reference. Shout out to Rupert Neve!! Next Level Brain!!

[@FintanMoloney]

Really enjoyed that - great documentary, never knew they only made 10 of these.

[@PreVaylMusic]

All I can say is wow and I wish to one day hear the sounds flowing through that console.

[@CaldoHits]

Beautiful documentary. Man, I never thought watching the part about the water damaged Focusrite console🖤🖤🖤

[@lleonsands7009]

Brought tears of joy and then tears of pain, then joy again. Thank you!

[@JMLRecording]

9:48 Hugh and Wauter's description of subtly and the analytics of emotion were beautiful ... and TRUE. "It's what you feel, what you dream maybe... what you want to hear." I just watched a Rupert Neve interview when he said the same thing about EQ distortion and harmonics. Specs aside, what you hear is what's most important, even when in contrast of specs. I cant believe there's a seperate PSU for each bucket of 8 channels! Sheesh what a beast.

[@tonka383able]

What a legendary console blown away I like classic music equipment but this is something else

[@THDLabs]

Check out the #5 - Botswana console.. NOW in Mesa, Arizona in The Platinum Undergroud Studio… totally revamped with Tangerine Automation driving the GML faders

[@Sujimon1]

Oh God! It was an amazing video where I could see huge consoles...where brilliant people worked.

[@HowardEllisonUKVoice]

Well, we can hug our little Scarletts and still feel proud! Excellent filming of an audio legend.

[@Bennerscrap]

This is great. Thank you all for your time, and dedication, to share this wonderful video with us all. I wish this documentary was available for download.

[@SheridanVoysey]

What a brilliant piece of documentary making.

[@FloridaManRacer]

shocker. another set of boards that are damn near perfect and who's fingers are all over them? Rupert Neve. Man is a damn genius.

[@MrCacciLLo]

There were only 2 consoles built with Rupert, and those were full of problems. Later consoles, the ones in this film were developed after Rupert sold the company

[@commiezombie2477]

Damn. RIP #9. Hope you make it through surgery 😇😇😇

[@Loudflowerproductionstampa]

Much love for the crew that made this video and the focusrite dev team. Something this special should have a special history and a great story; thanks for telling it!!

[@gcc420]

What a brilliant documentary! Right I'm going to re-mix my recordings with a totally new perspective on things. Thank you!

[@DavidDiMuzio]

Great documentary. Happy that Focusrite put this together for us to learn from.

[@MOSHAEMUSIC]

A must watch for any Audio Engineer!

[@fusion-music]

Always good to watch this again. A story well worth documenting. I did a lot a writing when digital started, but I believe that as good as the revolution is, an analogue desk in the mix makes things a whole lot better.

[@jamesthebookseller]

gotta love the Spanish guy, tracking a single acoustic guitar with the Focusrite crammed into a space the size of my bathroom...looks impressive though

[@lfox02]

That's a fucking huge bathroom you've got...

[@cl9826]

Electrical bill is off the charts.

[@MrCacciLLo]

Or he is just a crazy spoiled child

[@IIMANIXII]

may i just say your customer service guys are awesome.. :) lifetime member.

[@matthewthomas3328]

Makes me happy to be a focusrite user. Good sounds.

[@pete5534]

Wow! The most unexpected, and worthwhile documentaries I've seen. Thank you.

[@E.R.U.42]

Very nice! I have some focusrite gear in my home studio and I love them. The voicemaster pro platinium and saffire pro 14.

[@livefreefearless]

This video was great. Takes me back. Miss consoles like that. I finally went digital when I got tired of fixing analog parts.

[@nebstaism]

I wish I could mix on this big Old beast of a console

[@tekis0]

I've worked on the Focusrite at Oceanway and the one that was at Beartracks. They were both great consoles!! I'm thinking about doing a project at IIWI in NJ. Love this documentary and Focusrite! Thanks.

[@jimlassen9422]

I built those two frames and all the console, rack and most of the centre section wiring for Ocean Way and Beartracks. I think Ocean Way had more than one console? Anyway, I made ALL the FAE console frames, wiring and a lot of the parts, apart from the channel modules.

[@01jeffb]

I think the focusrite console 'add on ' that arrived at AIR studio 1 was the first of it's kind. It was to complement the Neve 8068 . Desperately trying to remember the session that we needed it for.....anyway, I was a little engineer back then, '87 , and it was a wonderful sounding set of channels!

[@thechannelitrollwith1645]

This is just an amazing documentary. The story literally had my emotions going hahaha. Thanks for this!

[@kennethmcgee9628]

Great job. Being from NJ, the SST story really weighs heavy for me... wishing all the best to them bringing that console back.

[@BojanBojovic]

Many of us simply do not understand what people talk about when they mention noise floor, or open high end, today when everything sounds transparent and noise free it is difficult to appreciate this.

[@MrCacciLLo]

Love that Focusrite Console that CLA is using in mixing at the end.

[@papiblatino]

so much luv for recording. truly and art form.

[@exitplan2]

This is the third time I've watched this great job making this film.

[@danepaulstewart8464]

Unreal - how the absolute pinnacle of recording desk technology could rise so high and then fall so far… Consoles in storage garages?? Dear lord……

[@FrontRoomDigital]

This made me very, very happy. Thank you so much for putting this together!

[@HasanIsmailStudio]

What's in a mixer? Sonic life. Thanks for sharing the clarity.

[@sethderrick688]

How the hell did I not know that Rupert Neve started Focusrite?! Great documentary...thanks for this!!

[@ColeRees]

Seeing the flooded console and live room after the storm almost made me cry

[@markkillington3394]

Air Montserrat had the first Focusrite sub-mixer made up of 110's installed in their new SSL desk(1986), I went down to Air London with Rupert, Betty Watts, and Rupert's son Jonathan, Rupert and Betty with the Air engineers fired it up checking everything was fine before shipping to Montserrat. The Neve console that was in there, probably the greatest console ever built got bought by A&M in LA . You can see the Neve Air Montserrat console in the video for Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by the Police.

[@rypedub7973]

I'm currently in the journey into building my own sound and studio. I'm glad you made this KZbin channel and video. Thank you. I use your Scarlett Solo currently and am looking to upgrade to either an audio mixer or audio recorder as you keep motioning here in this video.

[@hiponicaudio7930]

Had no idea Focusrites root's were so deep.

[@juniperberry4295]

?

[@davidstride988]

This is epic. Very well put together, So awesome to be a part of it!

[@DiastroYT]

An incredible story, truly glad you guys are telling it.

[@242Savagery]

Reminds me of the story of the Bugatti EB110 or the Jaguar XJ220. A labor of love that was somehow both ahead of its time and behind the times.

[@carlsvensson6970]

I enjoyed this, being a sound buff myself. But I find it quite funny that the film doesn't seem to have been mixed at all. The radio mics are not filtered to sound good or natural and the sound clips are not faded in or out very beautifully, the sound suddenly poops in, kind of. Just saying concerning the topic of what I just watched...

[@LowKeySoundSystem]

Kind of like brushing your teeth with chocolate syrup.

[@FlyingFishMusic]

Have just watched this for the first time and was thinking exactly the same. Strangely incongruous!

[@urbannpa]

This Video Never Gets Old.

[@tracksevenuk]

this is brilliant, absolutely fantastic to watch, gives inspiration to young *future* engineers!

[@adrvxx]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. Found out after I got a copy of the Brainworx plugin. Also found out the Bop Studio console now lives in a studio called Platinum Underground Studios in Arizona

[@BobbyGeneric145]

I was desperately lookin for this video a few months ago thrn stumbled back across it today!

[@bassinblue]

I'm from this new generation of producers/ sound engineers. I've always mixed and mastered in the box, but recently I'm swayed by mixing consoles, given a previous session in a studio where I got to use an SSL absolutely blew anything I'd ever done digitally out the water. Of course I can't afford them xD but I will be going hybrid soon, that's for certain.

[@benserv]

i feel happy about my little Scarlett 2i4

[@jgvtc559]

Until you try and plug a sm7b in noisefloor through the roof

[@SocietateaAscendenta]

Do not spoil people's fun. Still way better than most of the stuff out there.

[@iampeaking]

Don’t kid yourself

[@sharpshooter147]

same

[@LittleZdy]

lol

[@TheAudioAlchemists]

Great job Chris! Super excited to see myself in this! Great history of a great console!

[@billbradleymusic]

What a Lucky "barn find"! Wow... amazing.

[@nessrecords]

@37:44 Moog Voyager rack sighting! We've got the keyboard. Love it. My favorite synth of all time. Monster tones!

[@bilhep]

Fantastic production. I cried at the flood.

[@schwarzerrogen930]

IIWII still lives with the Franken console and still sounds fantastic.

[@justinterrellxl]

@Muso Snoop lmaooooooo

[@SamThredder]

me too

[@SamThredder]

@Muso Snoop you seem like a bit of a dick

[@orangeblue61]

What a great docu! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to the makers and poster.

[@Btvstudio]

I hope the Brainworx VST comes close to this, because that’s the only way I’d ever be able to come close to work with this.

[@bigdrums9905]

Thanks for sharing this - what a desk!

[@OfficialSwishaTV]

Man, JJP in with one of my mentors and heroes, Glen Ballard. That picture is surreal

[@shastriyasangeetinstituteo3142]

Brilliant to watch. i just have so much of respect now for the Focusrite Channel Strip plugin I have. It simply must be the only channel strip I will use.

[@ryantheliving]

I have had the plugin for 8 months from waves for something. Just started incorporating it. amazing history

[@nikcrosina]

I also met Rupert Neve, something I will always regret personally and professionally. Working in Singapore as a young man, I was asked if I wanted to join a dinner with some business associates of Rupert, stupidly I said no, because I was scheduled to teach my regular class this evening. I should have said YES, of course, and then told my students about it!

[@nikcrosina]

And have to add that the Neve VR is probably one of my favourite desk out there.

[@LafemmebearMusic]

I’ve been using this isa110 for a decade now. When I got my first decent check from music it’s the first thing I bought, period!

[@paulbangash4317]

I remember doing a session at master rock in the late 80’s. I don’t remember the tracks but I was playing guitar for Sam brown , so probably there with her. I recall Phil man Amera owned it at the time ( could be wrong). Bought a strat that day from Bryant’s , a music shop across the road.

[@paulbangash4317]

Phil manzanera. Bloody spell chicken !!

[@ernestbuckley8671]

This WAS the pinnacle of analog consoles. Did Master Rock ever receive their console?

[@marcusdolby1]

I have worked on many consoles in my career, Neve, Quad Eight, Trident, API, SSL, Sony, MCI and yes for a tracking session the Focusrite , I have never worked on a Forte, there were only 2 made. This just seems kind of overblown to me, these desks are very tough to maintain, like the Neve VR series they get super hot and burn through caps. I just didn't hear the greatness these guys talk about during that tracking session at Ocean Way. I thought it was a very quiet console and had nice headroom. But then again the most quiet console I have worked on with the most headroom was without a doubt a Sony / MCI 3000 series with a beefed up power supply. That Sony was a dream to track with, also had hardy pres but it was THE most hifi console I have ever tracked on.

[@jimlassen9422]

I worked on those two Forte consoles Marcus and only Masterrock saved me as I was down GB£2000 from the original Focusrite owned by Rupert Neve. I went to the Creditors meeting when R Neve was there and Metropolis and Rockfield had their GB100k deposits lost. He didn't seem to give a damn then (about 1990?) and I was furious. That Forte console was a pig to work on and I remember changing some leds in a channel which took over an hour as it was a sandwich construction so you had to take one PCB off (involving loads of desoldering) to get to the led under that. My involvement was some centre section stuff plus the test jigs and I still have one of the prototype centre section PCB's here as I was never paid for it. There is a picture on my outdated website if you wish to see it (www.profcon.co.uk).

[@wisconsinmel]

Really Enjoyed watching this documentary! Very well done!!

[@FocusriteTV]

Awesome, thank you!

[@richlodato6679]

This is historical and a must for anyone who will learn audio.

[@ronaldboykin9755]

Great Video! A bit high end for me! Don't have any experience with these type of boards but I became interested in this because I use a Focusrite audio interface. I've been interested in audio engineering since high school and when I tried to intern at a big studio in the Bay Area years ago the studio owners and managers didn't let me go too far so I built my own home studio and taught myself engineering. I've made some really good demos! It's always good to look for second hand gear that is well maintained! Lots analog consoles are going for very cheap prices these days! I purchased a Soundcraft LXII 32 channel console (very compact) for my home studio for about $500 and it was well taken care of!! My first console was a Mackie console which got screwed up by a repair shop so I didn't record for awhile! I think I might have been a victim of BS here! Another repair guy that I took my Mackie console to had the nerve to tell me that I didn't know how to operated my own console instead of putting it on the bench to test it!! I wonder how these repair people would have treated me if I was white, I'm a Afro-American guy who has performed lead guitar with a few great entertainers! Charles Brown, who, before he died, played in Bonnie Raitt's band and Little Esther Phillips! There just aren't many reliable repair people around or least I don't know any now! I used know a few who were top notch guys who could keep my tape machines running great! Alway test your equipment before you leave any repair shop! My Soundcraft console, I think it might have been used in a church situation (sound reinforcement). Engineers are going digital nowadays because it is easier to recall settings of the console where before you would take pictures of your different settings or right them down on a console diagram! That's just too much work! I found it interesting that this video didn't show any black engineers that may have used these consoles! I know there are many black engineers because I hear their productions all the time!

[@wlaaaaaaaaaa123]

I love my plugin of this, would be a dream to actually touch this beast. Amazing doc! :)

[@mixc8]

It would be great in the near future to see a Focurite channel strip plug-in, I have the ISA 430 channel strip and just love it! I need to buy 7 more of them :)

[@nellyprotoolz6671]

Check Plugin Alliance....they just released one. That actually lead me here to check out this amazing doc

[@jimlassen9422]

As well as wiring all the Focusrite consoles, racks and a lot of the other stuff, (see my other recent posts) I also played drums at Air Studios in London (where it originally was) for Focusrite. The object was to compare a Neve channel strip with a Focusrite version so, I set my drums up in the studio there and played along to some songs whilst the engineers in the control room talked about eq and other stuff. I also did the same thing at SSL where I worked from 1980-87 (comparing the 242 with the new 292 eq whilst I played drums) and also at Oxford Digital where I played drums so they could suss out the delay in overdubs. I did various takes, one, did a 4/4 beat ... left a gap, then a fill, then some cymbal crashes etc and was asked if I heard any delay in my foldback headphones over all those takes. All interesting stuff.