In the early years of this century, it seemed as though a different major studio was closing down every week. It was also a lean time for the manufacturers of high‑end mixers and rackmounting gear. The ‘project studios’ that were pushing aside traditional recording spaces didn’t need or want large‑format consoles, or racks of hardware effects.
The expectation in many quarters was that this trend would continue more or less indefinitely. Big studios would go the way of the dinosaur, and software would eventually replace outboard completely. Yet, strangely, neither of those things has happened. Having reached rock bottom around 2010 or so, the market for commercial studios has bounced back, partly thanks to new business models that are turning the recording process into an Instagrammable experience. And although software is now at the heart of almost every studio, it’s no longer displacing hardware.
Having reached rock bottom around 2010 or so, the market for commercial studios has bounced back... And although software is now at the heart of almost every studio, it’s no longer displacing hardware.
What’s changed, though, is that today’s hardware purchases are driven by choice rather than necessity. That means the heart plays more of a role in guiding them. Where we might once have had racks full of noise gates and workmanlike compressors, we now have a small collection of items that we’ve assembled because we love them. And we use them not instead of software, but alongside software.
The stumbling block in setting up this sort of ‘hybrid’ arrangement has always been the interface between the two worlds. The convenience of instant recall and automation that DAWs offer tends to fall to bits as soon as you bring any hardware into the picture, and typical USB audio interfaces are not always designed for integrating outboard. So it’s pleasing to see that, so far, the gear trend of 2025 is for manufacturers to tackle this problem head‑on.
More and more audio interfaces are sprouting insert points, including the Black Lion Revolution 14x16 reviewed last month. The Audient iD48 reviewed in this issue takes this concept and runs with it, allowing you to switch its insert points into the post‑D‑A signal path for use as hardware inserts during mixing. SSL’s forthcoming Alpha 8 [to be reviewed in our coming May 2025 issue] looks to be a uniquely flexible take on the line‑level ADAT expander for connecting external hardware. And perhaps the most innovative solution yet is the Freqport FO1, also reviewed in this issue, which lets the DAW relate to outboard as if it were simply another plug‑in.
Bringing hardware into a software world used to involve patchbays, soldering irons, recall sheets and lots of headaches. One by one, those obstacles are being overcome.
Bringing hardware into a software world used to involve patchbays, soldering irons, recall sheets and lots of headaches. One by one, those obstacles are being overcome. If you’re one of those people who’s become trapped in the box by the sheer awkwardness of leaving it, now might just be a good time to reconsider your options.
Sam Inglis Editor In Chief