The new compact console from Audient has landed in the US, and the first Stateside owner has been bowled over by the desk.

“I have yet to feel like something was lacking, and I have a feeling I never will.”

Mississippi, July 2012 – For studio owner Derek W Pardoe, quality is paramount, so when it came to finding himself a new, compact recording console, he wasn’t looking to compromise. Luckily he didn’t need to with the Audient ASP4816 that was delivered to his Mississippi studio just a few weeks ago. “There are no options in this price range that have this much functionally and quality,” he enthuses.

“I’m not really sure where to start,” says Pardoe when asked about his first impressions. “The console is an absolute dream. Sound aside, the functionality of this console almost makes me feel like you guys don’t charge enough. This console really has all the functionality of a large format desk with a smaller footprint, and I love it.”

Located on the Gulf Cost in Mississippi, Pardoe takes the role of ‘artist development guy’. He works closely with Kvest Management to help develop artists, using his studio space to help musicians write songs, arrange tracks and create demos which are distributed to major labels.

When it comes to sound, Pardoe originally had reservations about the small desk. “I was nervous that I was going to be heavily relying on outboard pres to ‘color’ the audio, but this hasn’t been the case at all. The pres [on the Audient desk] have such a fantastic character, I can only describe it as clear and warm. They have a really fast response, they excel on everything you put through them. I have yet to feel like something was lacking, and I have a feeling I never will.

“The EQs are extremely natural sounding, they don’t sound like they apply to the track, it

just simply sounds like the track, they can be very surgical, they can be very subtle. Very flexible units,” he adds.

After his original studio was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, Pardoe has had to build the current construction himself. The addition of the Audient console has been the icing on the cake. “I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot with the ASP4816. You guys have done something fantastic here. I feel completely blessed to be a part of something so great.