RSR387 - Paul Wolff - Designing Immersive Analog Consoles and Studio Gear [API, Tonelux, FIX]

Recording Studio Rockstars

"Does it go to eleven?" Paul talked about why level matching sucks for a real studio session, Recreating classic doubler and flanger plugins, designing immersive analog consoles, and why you should mix in 7.4.1.

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My guest today is Paul Wolff.

In his own words - “In 1972, I was hanging out at a local TV shop, a guy comes in with a Strat with "no sound". The shop owner had no clue, I pulled the jack out and fixed it, the guitar player said "from now on, your name will be FIX…". That was the beginning of my course on the road to the studio to designing. Both parents were in Big Bands during the 40’s, and later my Father was a civil engineer and my mother was a custom jeweler.

A club in Washington DC called the Bayou, I did FOH for such bands as Foreigner, Dire Straits, Pat Benatar, etc. I was the FOH for many showcase bands attempting to get signed.

In June of 1985, I was offered API at a very low price because the current owners wanted to trim the assets so sell the whole company. I purchased the company and opened in a 20X30 foot office, and received a phone call from a guy named Shelly Yakus, looking for API 560 equalizers. Shelly was my first customer and has remained a good friend since. We were a company that grew without any kind of credit line, as we were self funded. Later I sold API and In 2005 I started Tonelux and then in 2012 started FIX Audio Designs, LLC, to make consoles again….

The current product line includes a Stereo input module, a 5.1 input module and an Immersive input module with Object Sends. I am currently the only company in the world making analog Immersive consoles. The console can be fitted with any op-amp/transformer combination to get any console tone you desire. The Stereo input module allows you to choose 3 different tones, and each of the 3 mix busses can have any op amp transformer. The stereo module also has a DAW monitor loop, much like an inline console.

I have also designed products like the Tony Shepperd/A-Designs MIX Factory, The Sunset Sound Tutti Mic Pre, A Lindell input module with EQ and a compressor, Analog Alien EPI universal pedal interface, the Slate VMS1 Mic Pre, the Slate Control monitor system, The new Slate Audio Monitor system, and was involved in the new Slate Audio VSX headphone system.”

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Listen to this guest's discography on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0U3xwZZqeCHTo8pckGLoXF?si=ba14d6aa77f4485a

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