“Focusrite Number 5” finds a home in Phoenix, AZ
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06.09.2023

“Focusrite Number 5” finds a home in Phoenix, AZ

Focusrite console
Words by Mixdown staff

Focusrite consoles are the stuff of legend. Having been founded by Rupert Neve, they’re a company built on the back of perfectly designed circuits for the best in workflow, reliability and ultimately: sound.

Ten consoles were commissioned throughout the 90s after the “Focusrite Studio Console” hit the market in 1990, and for the most part, they’ve been parted out and decommissioned entirely. The fifth console to be commissioned, that originally found a home at the industry leading BOP Studios in Bophuthatswana, South Africa, has made its way to Phoenix, Arizona to serve as centrepiece of a studio aptly named “The Focusrite Room”.

Read all the latest product & music industry news here.

Focusrite Room and Platinum Underground studio owner John Aquilino spoke to the acquisition, saying:

Bringing Number Five back was a life-changing event. When I was a teenager, instead of a poster of Farrah Fawcett on my wall, I had a picture of a Focusrite Studio Console, so you could say I’m a pretty big fan of the brand and its technology. Now, this console is ready for the next chapter in its life.”

The 116 channel console is surrounded by some of the most well-known and used gear in the audio industry, including a few racks of an additional ten Focusrite ISA 215 original ISA 100 Mic Pre/EQ channels. The console was purchased in 2019 and has spent the last few years being decommissioned in South Africa, before returning to the USA and being restored by John, Ken Hirsch and his team at Orphan Audio. This work extended to updating the studio’s HVAC system to keep the console running at a consistent 72-74°F.

Read the full press release here.