THE ALMIGHTY STUDIO'S

[The Almighty Crew]

This will be like a foreign language to many of you!

The Almighty studios are having a makeover.

Our new studio computers – (super powerful MAC PRO’s) have arrived, plus a plethora of new soft synths to join our classic Almighty keyboards. These include vintage – Juno’s, Patrick Cowley’s actual ‘Prophet 5’ (which has been on loan to us for a number of years), and of course Almighty’s favorite, the Super Jupiter - MKS 80. We also continue to use our actual hard synths the Nord Lead, Virus, 2080, and M1.

And another mix to finish this weekend!

[crownprinceofdisco]

Take a picture!

[Pokeymoke]

I've frequently wondered what the studio setup was like over there @ Almighty. Any chance Almighty would be willing to share more about their setup? (i.e. - Logic? Ableton? What mic's for recording vocals etc.)

[The Almighty Crew]

The young Almighty Studio Boys, (just for your information they are under 23, and they are both like wizards with the software)! And computers!

They have been given a challenging ‘pre’-production plot. They are starting work on one of the up and coming tracks that will be on NRG Anthems 3.

They are not quite sure what to make of 80’s HI NRG. In fact they look pretty gob smacked, to say the very least! We have been able to sweeten the pill, by pulling out the Roland 909 drum machine which we rarely use, but it made their eyes light up. For them it is like a fine antique.

By the way we use Logic 9 mainly, but Ableton gets a look in also and we like to utilize all our old vintage keyboards whenever their needed to give some nice analogue flavours But we have some outstanding new soft synths.

The Almighty Crew

[Kris]

They are not quite sure what to make of 80’s HI NRG

LOL

[djrio2003]

Wow
Now I'm beginning to feel old

[The Almighty Crew]

Yes it is quite an odd feeling, we were playing a well known hit from 1993 that we are considering for a makeoever. One of them was only 4 when it came out! Plus the track which was killed on the radio. Is now quite obscure for them.

[Cudsie]

Hmm - do they "get it" tho?

are they working to a brief or being given free rein?

The beauty of NRG Anthems 1 & 2 was the updates were just the right balance of respect for the originals yet fresh enough for today.

Anything too hip-hop or dirty electro (although undeniably fascinating on an experimental level) isn't going to really appeal to the Almighty fan base (unless you're going off on a completely different marketing direction??)

watching with cautious optimism...

[The Almighty Crew]

Unfortunately for them no free rein!

You are quite right trip hop and break break maybe an option! But that is not what we are about, or looking for.

However the current Almighty production style is on how it is based and they cannot get away from that template, as far as the rhythm and drums, it has already been programmed for them.

At the moment it is just pre-production before it is moved back upstairs - so no fears on that account!




The Almighty Crew

[Kris]

I wanna wish the new Almighty "puppies" good luck with this extraordinary challenge

[Celine]

This will be like a foreign language to many of you!

The Almighty studios are having a makeover.

Our new studio computers – (super powerful MAC PRO’s) have arrived, plus a plethora of new soft synths to join our classic Almighty keyboards. These include vintage – Juno’s, Patrick Cowley’s actual ‘Prophet 5’ (which has been on loan to us for a number of years), and of course Almighty’s favorite, the Super Jupiter - MKS 80. We also continue to use our actual hard synths the Nord Lead, Virus, 2080, and M1.

And another mix to finish this weekend!

Seems as most artists, of all sorts, are running mac. Mac, the Bentley of computers, hands down! Must have cost you all a pretty pound! Eegads!

[The Almighty Crew]

The Power Macs are very expensive especially when you add in all the extras, but what they can now do is truly amazing. If someone wants to recall a mix, it is back in about 10 mins and you can make the adjustments that you want. - As opposed to starting again

We work now in Logic 9 with additional outboard gear. We are also converting many of our old Cubase files from many years ago, and backing them up in Logic.

The Almighty Crew

[The Almighty Crew]

For anybody that maybe interested we have 6 Akai samplers for sale that were the work horses of our old studio set up. The first Akai 3000 that we ever had cost a staggering £4000GBP. We have 3 of these and 3 Akai 5000's. Offers gratefully received!!

We also have two antique pieces of outboard gear that we would like to move on. At the time we hunted high and low to obtain these gems. We first discovered this item at the old PWL studios in the Vineyard in Borough. The are called Spanners and they move a sound like a bell, or an arpeggio from left to right. So when you were in a night club this is what moved a particular sound from one side of the room to the other.



The Almighty Crew

[Pokeymoke]

Well, just think... when you guys get rid of all that gear you're going to have a ton of extra space!

My how things have changed!

[Cudsie]

We are also converting many of our old Cubase files from many years ago, and backing them up in Logic.

The Almighty Crew

hmm interesting...would this mean that in theory you could rebuild some mixes that you no longer have the working DAT masters for?

I guess it would have the structure but all the analogue sounds would have to be re-sampled...do you hold all the vox tracks separately? or have many of those been lost over time as well? How many "effects" and tweaks were done "on the fly" I wonder?

Good luck with getting rid of the old gear...someone may be setting up a museum for things like that - you never know! - Maybe ask Porl Young?!