{"id":39543,"date":"2022-03-31T14:26:54","date_gmt":"2022-03-31T13:26:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/?p=39543"},"modified":"2022-04-28T11:11:49","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T10:11:49","slug":"rme-12mic-home-recording-studio-strange-pill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/2022\/03\/31\/rme-12mic-home-recording-studio-strange-pill\/","title":{"rendered":"RME 12Mic: Turning a house into a Recording Studio with Strange Pill"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Strange-Pill-Ben-Zahara.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-39574\" title=\"Ben and Zahara of Strange Pill\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Strange-Pill-Ben-Zahara.jpg\" alt=\"Ben and Zahara of Strange Pill\" width=\"376\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Strange-Pill-Ben-Zahara.jpg 1070w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Strange-Pill-Ben-Zahara-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Strange-Pill-Ben-Zahara-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Strange-Pill-Ben-Zahara-1024x580.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 376px) 100vw, 376px\" \/><\/a>We chat to Audio-Visual artists Strange Pill about turning their London home into a recording studio with RME and Ferrofish!<\/h3>\n<p>Audio-Visual artists Ben Hardy and Zahara Mu\u00f1oz-Vicens have been embracing the analogue and digital realms together since 2009.<\/p>\n<p>Primarily working under the name Strange Pill, the duo combines music and field recordings with video and other technologies to create experimental mixed-media collages, blurring the lines between musical performance and interactive art show.<\/p>\n<p>Exploring and documenting the stories behind recorded material, their work incorporates looping and live performance cut-ups, video projections, holograms, &#8216;moving paintings&#8217;, and interactive elements via touch-screen.<\/p>\n<p>As recording engineers and music producers, Strange Pill have collaborated with hundreds of vocalists, musicians and spoken word artists, alongside international names like Trevor Horn and the New York Philharmonic orchestra, and have exhibited at galleries and performing arts centres including the Barbican Centre, York Art Gallery, Richmix, The Vaults, Cairo Palace of Arts and Joldwynds.<\/p>\n<p>We caught up with Strange Pill in their London home to find out more about their latest project &#8211; turning their entire house into a recording studio &#8211; with a recording setup that includes the <a title=\"RME 12Mic - Product Page - Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/mic-preamps\/rme-12mic\/\">RME 12Mic<\/a> and the <a title=\"Ferrofish ADDA Converters - Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/ferrofish\/ferrofish-ad-da-converters\/\">Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; justify-content: center;\">\n<div>\n<h4>RME 12Mic: Turning a House into a Recording Studio with Strange Pill (video)<\/h4>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"RME 12Mic: Turning a House into a Recording Studio with Strange Pill\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pQgY9lDE-z0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">See more videos at <a title=\"Subscribe to the SynthaxTV YouTube channel\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/subscription_center?add_user=synthaxtv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Synthax TV<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-OctaMic-XTC-Kitchen-Strange-Pill.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-1\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-39579\" title=\"RME OctaMic XTC in the Mashroom kitchen\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-OctaMic-XTC-Kitchen-Strange-Pill.jpg\" alt=\"RME OctaMic XTC in the Mashroom kitchen\" width=\"412.5\" height=\"232.1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-OctaMic-XTC-Kitchen-Strange-Pill.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-OctaMic-XTC-Kitchen-Strange-Pill-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-OctaMic-XTC-Kitchen-Strange-Pill-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-OctaMic-XTC-Kitchen-Strange-Pill-1024x576.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a>Turning a house into a recording studio<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cWe wanted to create a new space that feels like home,\u201d Ben tells us, when asked about the inspiration behind the newly dubbed <strong>Mashroom Studios<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Like recording a jam session at your friend\u2019s house, but with the properly isolated, high-quality multi-tracking you get in a professional recording studio.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;d previously received backing from the Barbican to create an interactive piece with the New York Philharmonic, where we ended up projecting all of the musicians onto the walls of the gallery. Then using touch-screens, the audience could solo each member of the orchestra, whilst also being able to see them. And then we created an interactive piece online which did the same thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Zahara found a studio on the Lower East Side which had different booths, and we could record up to six musicians at a time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And as we filmed these musicians in this space, we realised there was a real cohesion to the performance. There was something different to the more traditional recording processes we\u2019d been doing before \u2013 they were interacting with each other, there was a warmth and an excitement about it. And we just thought &#8216;wow, imagine if we could do this regularly in realtime, without needing to do all kinds of editing after \u2013 cutting, mixing, post-production etc.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That was really the origin of this idea,&#8221; says Zahara. &#8220;The recording of multiple people in one studio at the same time, all working together simultaneously. And then we said \u2018why don\u2019t we try to recreate this at home?'&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery room in the house is linked up with video and audio,&#8221; continues Ben. &#8220;You don\u2019t see anything at first \u2013 everything is hidden, even the mixing console which folds away into an old clavichord which we\u2019ve re-purposed, and with a motorized screen that rises up from behind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe wanted an intuitive way to keep the visual aspect of performance,\u201d adds Zahara. \u201cSo we have monitors and cameras, with feeds going in and out of every room, and every musician can see all of the other artists performing at any time. So that creates a communication which is quite unique, and really quite extraordinary once everyone is in full swing. It really feels like you are all working together in the same space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time we didn\u2019t want it to feel intrusive &#8211; like a Big Brother kind of thing &#8211; for either the musicians who record here, or ourselves too. This is our home after all! So we started concealing everything. All of the monitors and cameras can be hidden \u2013 we have old broken radios where the front flips down to reveal the camera, and hollowed out furniture that we can use to hide everything when we\u2019re not recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/RME-12Mic-Perspective-SOS-Award-Synthax-Audio-UK.png\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-2\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-36700\" title=\"RME 12Mic perspective render with Sound On Sound Award Logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/RME-12Mic-Perspective-SOS-Award-Synthax-Audio-UK.png\" alt=\"RME 12Mic perspective render with Sound On Sound Award Logo\" width=\"501\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/RME-12Mic-Perspective-SOS-Award-Synthax-Audio-UK.png 1132w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/RME-12Mic-Perspective-SOS-Award-Synthax-Audio-UK-300x108.png 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/RME-12Mic-Perspective-SOS-Award-Synthax-Audio-UK-768x275.png 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/RME-12Mic-Perspective-SOS-Award-Synthax-Audio-UK-1024x367.png 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>The <a title=\"RME 12Mic - Product Page - Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/mic-preamps\/rme-12mic\/\">RME 12Mic<\/a> is a high-end, 12-channel microphone preamplifier with ADAT, MADI and AVB connectivity.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s also microphones, speakers and headphones in every room,\u201d Ben explains. \u201cAll of the audio is sent via MADI optical, which is immediate and incredibly reliable. And the video is going through different cameras using SDI, also optical. All of which is fed back to the control room, and then going out to the different rooms so everyone can see and hear each other in real time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd in a very short amount of time, everyone feels like they\u2019re in the same room. It\u2019s a really lovely, inspirational space. Because you can play and perform together, you really get that live energy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it\u2019s designed to capture the live band feel. And then we&#8217;ll be taking that a step further as well, in terms of live-streaming and fan interaction, with a web app that allows audiences to click on each artist, and hear them on their own in isolation, or any combination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of people love recording live, but what happens live is that you\u2019ll often get these little mistakes, little moments that you may never be able to recreate. And if you listen to recordings that were done live, as opposed to extremely clean multi-track recordings, it\u2019s a different sound. I mean you can get great results with both methods of course. But sometimes with recording live, you can get something really special, and with this setup, the \u2018jam\u2019 can easily become the proper recording.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-12Mic-OctaMic-XTC-Strange-Pill.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-3\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-39578\" title=\"RME 12Mic and OctaMic XTC preamps\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-12Mic-OctaMic-XTC-Strange-Pill.jpg\" alt=\"RME 12Mic and OctaMic XTC preamps\" width=\"375\" height=\"211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-12Mic-OctaMic-XTC-Strange-Pill.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-12Mic-OctaMic-XTC-Strange-Pill-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-12Mic-OctaMic-XTC-Strange-Pill-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-12Mic-OctaMic-XTC-Strange-Pill-1024x576.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a>Multi-tracking live jam sessions<\/h4>\n<p>The synergy of a live performance can be notoriously difficult to capture in a traditional multi-tracked studio. Having experienced a noticeably different vibe with the booth-style rooms in New York, Strange Pill felt compelled to try and recreate this environment back in their home studio in London.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cProbably the biggest compliment so far is seeing how people relax, and forget that really they\u2019re in a recording studio,&#8221; continues Ben. &#8220;For example, we had a band in recording the other day, and the drummer said his sticks were damaged and he needed a new pair. And the guitarist said no problem I\u2019ll pass you some, and he went to the door thinking he could just pass them to the next room. And it took him a second to realise that the drummer was all the way out in the shed, at the back of the garden.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it just has that feeling of a jam session, and it really seems to create something unique. You have that live element and yet you have that ability to mix properly, with proper separation. So seeing that in action, that\u2019s been very exciting.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Usually when you record in a studio, of course it\u2019s a fantastic experience,&#8221; notes Zahara. &#8220;But when you listen back, everyone is looking at this screen and these waveforms. Which seems such a strange way to listen to a song \u2013 why not actually see the performers as you are listening to the music? I think it\u2019s beautiful. The moment you start having all of the visual narratives incorporated into the experience of music, you\u2019re entering further layers of experience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Audio is extraordinary, you can enter many worlds. But then to be able to also see what is happening visually with the performer, during the moment it\u2019s recorded? I think this has a character of its own, and which you lose if you are only capturing the sound.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So what we\u2019re capturing here is the band fully in the moment, and which any other bands who record here can watch back and witness as well, or their fans online.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s also a very hands-on mixing experience \u2013 because you can see everyone playing visually. Usually when you\u2019re producing music, you\u2019re using your ears going \u2018that drum needs to go up, that guitar is too loud\u2019. But because here you can see the performance of each musician, it can actually influence how you mix as well, because you can see the way each performer is acting as they play. It&#8217;s all part of the experience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-TotalMix-FX-Strange-Pill.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-4\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-39580\" title=\"RME TotalMix FX in the Mashroom control room\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-TotalMix-FX-Strange-Pill.jpg\" alt=\"RME TotalMix FX in the Mashroom control room\" width=\"375\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-TotalMix-FX-Strange-Pill.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-TotalMix-FX-Strange-Pill-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-TotalMix-FX-Strange-Pill-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/RME-TotalMix-FX-Strange-Pill-1024x683.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a>On the gear &#8211; RME 12Mic and MADIface XT<\/h4>\n<p>After speaking with a number of &#8220;leading audio and video companies&#8221; about the project, Strange Pill settled on a MADI-based recording setup, and a selection of gear from RME and Ferrofish.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe studio is made up of a combination of analogue and very cutting-edge equipment, because we want it warm, but at the same time really high-quality. And of course it has to be really reliable,\u201d Ben tells us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo we started experimenting with different gear, but the RME gear has become a staple for us in our work. It\u2019s saved us really, and just has allowed us to do everything we\u2019ve wanted to do. We spoke to a number of different suppliers, including Synthax UK\u2019s MD Martin Warr, and to be honest he was leagues ahead of everyone else, in the way that he spoke and his understanding. And he really just got what we were trying to do from the start.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo that really cemented our decision to go with RME, and we now have an <a title=\"RME MADIface XT - Product Page - Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/firewire-usb\/rme-madiface-xt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RME MADIface XT<\/a> as our main interface. In terms of mic pres we have four OctaMic XTCs, as well as the latest one, the RME 12Mic, which is a fantastic new offering. It also has the inputs on the front, which is perfect for our live room, and allows us to just swap all the inputs around whenever we need to, we don\u2019t need a patchbay or anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverything is connected via MADI optical, which is pretty much zero latency, and which of course is what we need with the displays and everything. And the great thing about MADI is that you can hook everything up in series with these little optical cables, and once you turn on all the machines everything just works. It\u2019s that simple.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd then you can have this easy remote control as well down the same cable, for controlling your levels. And the sound quality from RME is quite simply amazing, really really good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRME\u2019s preamps, it was a game-changer for us. I mean the floor level \u2013 it\u2019s allowed us to work at different levels in a way we couldn\u2019t before, and with a lot less hiss. They say you can hear your heartbeat in a vacuum, and you hear this different kind of silence when you\u2019re recording with RME\u2019s preamps, all of them. They\u2019ve got such a big dynamic range, and it\u2019s so clear. There was no looking back for after we\u2019d used them.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8220;RME gear has become a staple for us in our work.&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/RME-MADIface-XT-Strange-Pill.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-5\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-39661\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/RME-MADIface-XT-Strange-Pill.jpg\" alt=\"RME MADIface XT audio interface - Perspective\" width=\"275\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/RME-MADIface-XT-Strange-Pill.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/RME-MADIface-XT-Strange-Pill-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/RME-MADIface-XT-Strange-Pill-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/RME-MADIface-XT-Strange-Pill-750x390.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 275px) 100vw, 275px\" \/><\/a>&#8220;MADI is so easy to work with,&#8221; says Zahara. &#8220;This would have been impossible with old-fashioned audio cabling. Not only the amount of cabling we\u2019d need to run all around the house, but problems with latency too. The moment you go beyond 15m you start getting problems, so for us to be connected from the mixing room here at the front of the house, then all throughout the house, and on to the live room at the back of the garden, it\u2019s been revolutionary really.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And as Ben said, Martin at Synthax UK has been absolutely wonderful throughout, with his knowledge and guidance.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4>On RME TotalMix FX<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cWhen TotalMix first came along I thought it looked like a lot to take on and learn,\u201d says Ben, when asked about RME\u2019s software mixing controller. \u201cBut the more you learn with TotalMix, and the more you use it, you quickly realise how brilliant it is. It\u2019s a patchbay, you\u2019ve got the effects, you can store and save your parameters, all in this one screen here. It\u2019s really like a massive desk in one. And you can use it remotely!\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s really helped our workflow, especially with all the inputs we have and needing to be on the ball all of the time. We use it for setting up all of the headphone mixes, adding effects to the monitoring, and for controlling all the different feeds and levels. Yeah it\u2019s been really useful, it\u2019s just really good for all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Strange-Pill.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-6\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-39577\" title=\"Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX in the Mashroom Studio\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Strange-Pill.jpg\" alt=\"Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX in the Mashroom Studio\" width=\"375\" height=\"211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Strange-Pill.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Strange-Pill-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Strange-Pill-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Strange-Pill-1024x576.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>On the Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX<\/h4>\n<p>Along with their RME audio interface and microphone preamps, Strange Pill&#8217;s studio also features a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/ferrofish\/ferrofish-ad-da-converters\/ferrofish-pulse16-mx\/\">Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX<\/a>, a 16 I\/O AD\/DA converter that Synthax UK regularly specs alongside RME.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We realised we needed a lot more inputs in the control room&#8221;, says Ben on the subject of Ferrofish. &#8220;We were looking for something that wasn\u2019t too expensive, but also had MADI, and would be as reliable as all of the RME gear we have here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And you guys at Synthax recommended the Ferrofish to us, and I\u2019ve been really impressed with it, and quite surprised by it actually. We\u2019re using it again like a little patchbay, and the user interface on it is just great, very easy to get your head around it. You can change everything really quickly from the front panel, as well as remotely via MIDI.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And the sound is fantastic again. Very little noise on the inputs, and really reliable as well. Not really that expensive in my opinion either for what you get, and very easy to use if you need to mix quickly on the fly. Just a really cost-effective solution for a lot of extra channels.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Barbican-nyphil-Strange-Pill.jpg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-7\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-39585\" title=\"Strange Pill at the Barbican\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Barbican-nyphil-Strange-Pill.jpg\" alt=\"Strange Pill at the Barbican\" width=\"376\" height=\"221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Barbican-nyphil-Strange-Pill.jpg 972w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Barbican-nyphil-Strange-Pill-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Barbican-nyphil-Strange-Pill-768x452.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 376px) 100vw, 376px\" \/><\/a>What\u2019s next for Strange Pill?<\/h4>\n<p>Having now completed the Mashroom Studio, we asked Strange Pill what&#8217;s next for them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe idea is that we\u2019re going to create a new music platform, an ecosystem where people can record, experiment, perform live together, and create proper quality recordings,\u201d says Ben. \u201cEach recording can then be shared online and will be interactive, with fans being able to listen to each performer solo&#8217;d, as well as to see video of the performance. Imagine being able to go back to Abbey Road or any other iconic studio, and be able to access all of this information about each artist and the recording methods, and hear and see all of the musicians in isolation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We work with many different fantastic musicians, so we want this space to not just be somewhere with really great kit, but somewhere that captures the full story behind a recorded performance, and with some really exciting music coming out of it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All of which is then documented and accessible for anyone online. So we\u2019re currently creating a platform that will allow us to incorporate longer pieces of music and video, so people can mix together both audio and visuals, and create new pieces from all of the material recorded here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You enter a relationship when you work with other musicians,&#8221; says Zahara. &#8220;It feels like a family, even if it\u2019s just for a moment. So we\u2019re just really looking forward to having all these people come and record, and share in amazing experiences. We actually had a guitarist in recently, who said the sound we&#8217;d captured here was his favourite! Despite it being first and foremost our home, and not being a perfect acoustically-treated space. And that was such a compliment to hear, that he loved the character of the space.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We see our house as a collage. Everything we do is a collage, it\u2019s how we create. Music is a collage. The equipment is a collage, whether it\u2019s digital, analogue or acoustic. And so is our recording space, it\u2019s all part of the journey.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Our thanks to Strange Pill. To find out more about their work, <a title=\"www.strangepill.co.uk\" href=\"https:\/\/www.strangepill.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">visit the Strange Pill website here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"RME 12Mic - Product Page - Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/rme\/mic-preamps\/rme-12mic\/\">Find out more about the RME 12Mic microphone preamp<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Ferrofish AD\/DA Converters - Full Range - Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/ferrofish\/ferrofish-ad-da-converters\/\">Find out more about the Ferrofish Pulse 16 MX<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr \/><footer>\n<div class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"footer-image alignleft\" title=\"RME Audio Logo\" alt=\"RME Audio Logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/RME-Logo.png\" alt=\"RME-Logo - Synthax Audio UK\" width=\"150\" height=\"29\" \/>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to know more about any of RME\u2019s audio interfaces, soundcards, AD\/DA Converters or microphone preamps, give us a call on <a>01727 821 870<\/a> to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo.<br \/>You can also <a title=\"Get in contact with Synthax Audio UK\" href=\"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/contact-us\/\">contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n\n\n\n<style>\n \n p {font-size: 110%;}\n hr {margin: 5px;}\n\n<\/style>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We chat to Audio-Visual artists Strange Pill about turning their London home into a recording studio with RME and Ferrofish! Audio-Visual artists Ben Hardy and Zahara Mu\u00f1oz-Vicens have been embracing the analogue and digital realms together since 2009. Primarily working under the name Strange Pill, the duo combines music and field recordings with video and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":39622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[4,494],"tags":[1611,1967,216,13,1969,616,857,564,5,1968,563,299,478,617,1970],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39543"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39543"}],"version-history":[{"count":106,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39543\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39671,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39543\/revisions\/39671"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.synthax.co.uk\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}