"Now It Sounds Like A Record:" Sockit Studio's API 1608-II

Although founded in 1999, Sockit Studio in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was flooded with over three feet of water in August of 2016. Most of the equipment was saved, but it was during the rebuilding process that owner and head engineer Devon Kirkpatrick took the opportunity to reimagine the studio's look, feel, and work flow. He decided he wanted the best both worlds with an analog and digital console and began looking at API's 1608 console.

"I've been researching analog consoles for years and looking at vintage as well as new from all the major manufactures," says Kirkpatrick. "I needed a console with a solid analog front end as well as expanded analog summing and mixing features. A lot of our clients have digitized tracks and analog summing would allow them another choice of production styles. The API 1608-II was the only logical choice."

Kirkpatrick adds, "Expandable, 100 percent analog, fantastic pre amps, and top-of-the-line summing and mixing options were all things that were missing before we got our 1608-II. The console is definitely designed for a high-end hybrid work flow and has excellent signal flow options. The sound, in a word, is fantastic. Every client has heard a difference between just playing a two track song through the API vs. the digital console. The head room is enormous, and the transient response is phenomenal. The analog saturation value when mixing through the 1608-II is a full factor level of wow; now it sounds like a record."