Recording and Production in the News

Prism Sound's ADA-8XR Inspires Confidence For Youki Yamamoto

Buckinghamshire, UK - November 2006: A classic in the making - that is how composer and arranger Youki Yamamoto describes the Prism Sound ADA-8XR multichannel converter and processor that he recently installed in his private facility at Pinewood Film Studios.

Youki Yamamoto and a pair of new ADA-8XRs

Yamamoto, whose credits appear on numerous American and British films including Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire, Nanny McPhee and Comeback Season, recently established his own studio in a converted theatre at Pinewood. He is using his ADA-8XR in conjunction with a 1970s 24-channel Neve 5315 console for recording and with Logic Pro and Pro Tools for mixing.

I don't have much outboard equipment in my studio, but I do like using lots of different mic pres," he explains. "My collection includes several vintage Neve, TAB V72, Amek and SSL 5000 pre-amps, which I use all the time when I record, because I like their sound - and the most important place to get the sound right is at the point where it comes into your system. That's also true of the ADA-8XR. It sounds really good, and I know I'll be using it for years and years because, just like my vintage Neve console and my collection of vintage pre-amps, the build quality is exceptional and the hardware concept is one that will last."

Youki Yamamoto's decision to invest in a Prism Sound ADA-8XR was based on the unit's reputation for pure, crystal-clear sound. However, this wasn't the only reason - Yamamoto was also inspired by the fact that the ADA-8XR could work seamlessly with whatever software or computer programme he chose to run.

He explains: "As a composer, I don't always use the same software or computer for an entire project - especially when I'm working on a film, which by its very nature is a long process. I tend to use Logic Pro on a Mac and GIGA Studio on a PC when I'm writing, then I orchestrate and copy parts on Sibelius and recording/mixing on Pro-Tools. The ADA-8XR's ability to handle any of these softwares will be invaluable when I'm working on a big project that might take place in several studios and could well involve other programmers, engineers and music editors who all use different sorts of equipment. Equally, I can see it being valid when I'm doing small to medium-sized projects, where I have to everything from writing to mixing in one studio."

Since installing his ADA-8XR, Yamamoto has started work on a score for a German film and has also completed the score for a film clip that will be used to promote Pinewood Studio's 70th anniversary. This was shown during the Britannia Awards at BAFTA in Los Angeles earlier this month.

"I wanted the start of the music to reflect the atmosphere of the 1930s and 1940s when Pinewood was inaugurated," he explains. "The engineer, Matt Howe, suggested using RCA-type ribbon microphones and AKG C12's to record the strings. The ADA-8XR really came into its own by bringing out the characteristics of these microphones in the most brilliant way."

Yamamoto adds that since installing his ADA-8XR he feels much more confident about the sound he is creating and is happy to 'abuse' the unit for long hours every day, safe in the knowledge that Prism Sound's technical staff are readily on hand should he need them.

"The best thing about Prism Sound team is that they react really quickly and, because they are UK-based, they can sort out any queries I might have very fast so I don't have to wait days or even weeks for advice or spare parts," he says.