New Toys @ The Playground
The Playground Recording & Mastering Studio is the home of Keith Cleversley, producer of a plethora of innovative alternative bands such as the Flaming Lips, Spiritualized, Mercury Rev, Hum, Flickerstick, Verve, Posies, Urge Overkill and many other others. The Playground is also a provider of high quality mastering.
After being out of the studio for some time, (Keith had been touring around the planet to try to help raise consciousness about the conservation of the knowledge and use entheogens and ethno botanicals) it turned out he couldn't stay away from the studio forever. So, the Amek "Big" and the Control-24 in His studios have been retired, and the Solid State Logic Matrix, and a Pro Tools HD3 Accel System are now at the helm in the newly-designed, and completely re-wired and upgraded studio. Although completely capable of tracking in the recording spaces, Keith is focusing more on mixing and mastering with the same extraordinary ears and skills but with all of the equipment he always wished was at his fingertips. We asked him a few questions about his purchase.
"This console has actually managed to help re-ignite my passion for making music and for being in the studio again"
SSL: Why did you choose the Matrix?
KC: Knowing that the Matrix was an SSL was more than enough to peak my interest, but as I started to look through feature set this console had I knew that the console I always wished to tie our studio together into one seamless control surface had arrived. Our studio has morphed into a complex array of preamps, sound modules, favourite external boxes and effects, DAW sends and returns, and a seemingly endless array of gear that didn't have an easy way of interfacing and/or talking with each other, and simple tracking or mixing can get quite complicated. Having been repeatedly disappointed with a Control-24 and even after demoing other small consoles, the Matrix was clearly the console I always wished existed. It seamlessly integrated both our analogue and digital studio worlds.
With features like Total Recall, being capable of controlling multiple DAW's at once, while having the same elegance, richness, and clarity that I've come to expect from something with the SSL name on it, and at such an unexpected price point - the choice was truly a simple one!
SSL: What do you like most about it?
KC: The elegance and sheer intuitiveness of the Matrix is single-handedly responsible for making me remember what it's like to mix with my ears again! Instead of obsessing over numbers and mouse clicks (seemingly inevitable when working with any DAW), I found myself reaching for a fader, pan pot, a soft-key, or a soft-knob that could control virtually any parameter I chose instead, freeing me to simply listen again! I've worked with a number of control surfaces before, but the Matrix is the first one that makes working with a DAW feel the way analogue recording and my analogue console felt like. So, it feels great to mix on sound and emotion again rather than by what number a fader or pan or other parameter was at. In fact after personalizing a few of the Default Settings, I found that I barely touch my keyboard and mouse during mixing anymore! That's a joy truly difficult to explain.
SSL: What kind of work do you do?
KC: For many years, I recorded and/or produced mostly alternative rock bands like Flaming Lips, Hum, Mercury Rev, Urge Overkill, Verve, Flickerstick, and others. I took a break from the music industry for a while but realized I couldn't stay out of the studio forever, and came back to it with the luxury of choosing gear to upgrade with that would most suit our vision for the future of the studio, rather than focusing on "what we could afford".
That being said; the Matrix was the clear winner at any price point. We are still quite capable of tracking, but have been focusing more on mixing and mastering. The Matrix gives us the flexibility to accomplish any of those tasks by simply loading any one of the saved profiles that instantly sets the entire signal flow and operation of the console to each individual situation, effortlessly and flawlessly.
SSL: What impact has the sound of the console had on your work?
KC: The beauty of this console for me is the complete transparency it provides me with. It never gets in the way sonically or intuitively, giving me the freedom to colour, shape, and sculpt my sound to my heart's content, without ever having to work around the "sound" of the console. I can easily mix and match every piece of gear that helps the sounds constantly trying to escape my brain take tangible form, all thanks to the Matrix.
This again frees me to concentrate on making music again, to sink deep inside mixes rather than staring at screens, while knowing that every aspect of the process from start to finish is organized in one place where every detail of the process can be instantly recalled.
SSL: Are there any aspects of the console which have made life better for you?
KC: The Matrix allows us to focus in on making music again, and that manifests in so many ways. Besides reaching for faders and knobs, it has made our workflow way more intuitive and efficient, and as a result has truly become the heart of our studio. It interfaces all of the seemingly non-connectable parts of the studio together, allowing for far less charting, documenting, connecting, and remembering, and far more music-making -just as it should be!
SSL: Are you happy with your purchase?
KC: This console has actually managed to help re-ignite my passion for making music and for being in the studio again. With so many options and boxes and gadgets available today, things can get extremely complicated quite quickly, and the Matrix seamlessly pulls it all together efficiently and intuitively. I was also so reluctant to make the switch to a DAW (Pro Tools is our personal choice), working with digital plugins with effects, processing and sound modules, instead of external boxes - instantly making me miss all that I loved in the analogue music production world (especially all those faders and knobs), but the Matrix makes my DAW feel much more analogue and tactile, making working with any DAW a joy now.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase, especially knowing that it's backed by SSL's proven unparalleled performance and customer service. So, from me:- an honest and sincere thanks!
The Playground's Matrix was purchased through Vintage King in Chicago http://www.vintageking.com. Please check our dealer locator for your local SSL Matrix dealer near you. You can find out more about The Playground at http://www.playgroundstudio.com