Roulette Gives New Music a Voice Through the 5088

Founded in 1978 in Manhattan, but now based out of the YWCA Memorial Hall in downtown Brooklyn, Roulette provides a home for artists to perform new works that push the boundaries of modern classical, jazz, and experimental music.

Since the spring of 2012, Roulette has been using the Rupert Neve Designs 5088 to mix recordings of over 200 live performances a year, which are archived online at www.roulette.org and incorporated into the Roulette TV programs.

“We wanted a desk that could handle a hybrid workflow and maintain the pristine quality we need for the types of recordings that we do. These can range from orchestras, classical ensembles, jazz groups, noise bands and every thing in between…. We have an amazing collection of microphones, and when I run the microphones into the Neve it completely opens them up, it makes the microphones sound the way they should.” said Roulette production director Matt Mehlan.

For Mr. Mehlan, the difference has been significant, “My favorite thing about the console is the sound of the transformers when you push them, but with the mixes for Roulette, the massive headroom and low noise are probably the best parts. Sometimes I will end up just running the tracks from Pro Tools through it without doing anything on the board. It brings everything forward, the presence is greater and it’s an amazing workflow change. I’ve been staring at computers to make music for 15 years, and getting the chance to work with something that’s ergonomic and feels like a solid piece of equipment is a great change.”

The concert hall features a balcony and a proscenium stage, that can accommodate upwards of 600 people. The performances are captured to multi-track recorders with studio microphones, using minimal live re-enforcement. The multi-track files are then sent to the post-production studio in the basement were they are edited and mixed for posting online in the archive. 

These archives help to give a voice and document the performances many experimental artists that don’t have as many opportunities to be heard. To view their archive of live performances and episodes of Roulette TV, please visit www.roulette.org.

Owned by Rupert and Evelyn Neve, Rupert Neve Designs Inc. was founded on passion, experience and a desire to build products embodying the highest musical quality. In continuing his legacy as a pioneer in audio circuit design, Mr. Rupert Neve is currently focusing his talents on creating innovative analog solutions to the issues facing the modern recording engineer.

For further details on Rupert Neve Designs, visit www.rupertneve.com.