Karel De Backer : "The Rupert Neve Design 5088 offers a more natural feel"

With a new RND 5088 console, Belgian engineer Karel De Backer returns to analogue, after having used the brand when working as a freelance engineer. "That, plus the fact that I've always known Neve's outboard gear and its excellent reputation, made me decide on the Rupert Neve Design 5088 desk," he says. "The console is exactly what I was looking for: thanks to its high-voltage technology, it stands out with a big, open and neutral sound and a dynamic range I've never seen before in a mixing desk. Because of its neutral sound the desk preserves the unique character of each piece of outboard equipment. I think it's the ideal choice for people who have put built up a collection of analogue gear over the years." De Backer has made his way as an independent engineer in the Belgian soundscape - having worked with innovative artists such as Zita Swoon, An Pierlé and Think of One. He prefers to record artists on location instead of in a studio. "I started out as a live engineer in the mid-1980s.

Later on, I began working as a recording engineer using analogue equipment, and despite the ‘digital age' I always remained loyal to some analogue hardware, such as Summit, Urei, Teletronix and Manley, outboard compressors and EQs, which I used via inserts rather than plug-ins." De Backer's main criticism of digital sound processing is that "the result tends to sound thinner" - he points to the disadvantages involved with digital summing. "I decided not to work like that and bought an analogue Tube-Tech SSA2B summing-amp, keeping the sound more ‘upright' throughout the process," he says. "I'm also distracted by the fact that, when mixing on a computer display instead of a traditional console, you have this combination of visual and audio data - they sometimes exclude each other, I think."De Backer adds that he's very happy with the RND 5088 because it offers a more natural feel. "The console makes use of high-quality components, is fully Class A and discrete. Each of the I/Os is featured with a transformer for which Rupert Neve enjoys an excellent reputation. This, together with its highvoltage (up to 90V) operation results in a high-quality sound." With the new desk installed in his studio, De Backer is using what he calls ‘shortcuts': microphones directly linked to D-A converter via preamps when recording artists on location. "The signal is routed by Apogee AD 8000 converters, specially customised for Pro Tools HD and synced by Apogee BigBen and Lavry gold connectors to a Pro Tools HD2 and/or a SADiE PCM8," explains De Backer. "And each preamp and microphone has its own colour - it's the combination that results in a specific sound and enhances the audio quality." It's exactly that formula that creates Karel De Backer's trademark and attracts artists looking for a more creative approach. "I'm a creative producer," he says, "and I believe that adding atmosphere makes songs stand out. I'm not what they call a neutral mixing engineer, I can imagine that a pop band would not have me behind their desk. But many leading alternative artists appreciate the way I work, and the Rupert Neve console is an essential instrument here."

De Backer continues his working relationship with Apex after the company consulted him in his quest for top-range analogue audio gear, with brands such as Manley and Avalon. "Rather than expanding my current client range, this new console is a further step in my search for a good sound, lifting an artist's performance to a higher level," De Backer concludes.