1,295 Tracks and Climbing: Producer Barrie Gledden's Discusses API 1608
1,295 Tracks and Climbing: Producer Barrie Gledden Discusses API 1608
Barrie Gledden has recorded music for MTV, Disney, Nintendo, Nickelodeon, and award winning television, films, and video games—and those are just the highlights of his career. While his resume is extensive, his advice to those looking into buying API gear is decidedly more succinct: “Do it. Don’t even think about it.”
How did Gledden, an international producer and writer, become so decided on API gear? The answer to that is simple, too; he upgraded from modules to a console of his own. His dedication was not only complete, but immediate. “From day one, track one, it instantly transformed and enhanced my sound. Tracking through it is effortless. Everything is bigger both tonally and spatially.” His console has 48 channels, 32 of which are equipped with automation. The console is loaded with even more API gear: eight 550As and five 560s.
Gledden is a freelance composer, producer, guitarist and the owner of Studio B, which is the name of his permanent recording space. His studio is located in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, but Gledden also works in Nashville as a recording engineer. He says the process of choosing the 1608 was as simple as his advice. “I love the super fat transient rich sound and east of use; no complicated O.S. to learn. The clever, self-contained automation, the 500 series slots, and absolutely KILLER looks.”
Of course, Gledden needs that ease of use and reliable sound quality for his wide variety of jobs he performs. He has composed and recorded exclusively for Audio Network for fourteen years. As of this past spring, he has written and produced over 1,295 tracks. His job with Audio Network has him working for such high profile clients as those mentioned above, as well as BBC, NBC, and Warner Bros. He has contributed music to outstanding films such as “Her”, and television the caliber of “Orphan Black.” He’s contributed to thousands of TV programs, films, and trailers the world over.
This reputation, unlike Gledden’s positive opinion of the 1608, did not take hold immediately. He had already been working as a musician and composer for years when he was introduced to the world of production in 1998. The transition happened gradually, he says, as “I found myself increasingly behind the desk recording and mixing.” Gledden loves “…the freedom it gives me to explore different musical genres. I get to work with music for media, alternative, indie, rock, ambient, and experimental”—just as a sample of the variety in his catalog.
With the 1608, Gledden can continue expanding his repertoire, and he says he’s already begun. “My favorite console EQ is the 550b for its large choice of frequencies and solid, up front punch, especially on dirty guitars. I love the 560s on kick and snare—they’re so quick and easy to use. The 1608 ‘shapes’ the sound so beautifully it allows me to fully concentrate on the emotion of the mix.”
ABOUT API (AUTOMATED PROCESSES, INC.)
Established 45 years ago, Automated Processes, Inc. is the leader in analog recording gear with the Vision, Legacy Plus, 1608, and The BOX recording consoles, as well as its classic line of analog signal processing equipment.
