Forte: Portability and Flexibility

David Reitzas is a well-known recording engineer/mixer/producer in Los Angeles, CA. He started in the pro audio business 29 years ago as an assistant at Cherokee, Sound City and Rumbo, then began working with David Foster starting in the mid 80s. Dave has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Barbara Streisand, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Michael Bubl , Andrea Bocelli and Madonna with whom he earned a Grammy Award for his work on her album Ray of Light.

My preference for working is a hybrid setup using Pro Tools and an SSL 9K console with lots of outboard gear and lots of plug-ins. I try to mix all of my projects through this setup and then I create stems of all of the separate musical parts. Then I can fine tune my mixes in-the-box and get the best of an analogue and digital world.

So here was my problem: How can I use my laptop to work on my stems and still be able to use my favorite Bricasti M7 reverb? The answer was the Focusrite Forte. With 2 inputs and 4 outputs through the USB port, I can incorporate the M7 reverb as a send/return in Pro Tools while either using the speaker out or the headphone out to monitor.

After I print my stems through analogue outboard gear and a console, I can now easily keep my M7 reverb adjustable until I print the final mix. Over the years Ive learned that the amount of reverb an artist likes to have on their vocal is something that should be tweaked until the very last revision is complete.

I went to Starbucks with my laptop and my Bricasti M7, hooked up the Focusrite Forte, and continued editing and mixing a Barbra Streisand live concert that I recorded last year. The portability and flexibility of the Forte are perfect for my needs at the moment. I am thrilled with the functionality, sound, and size of the Forte in helping me make great sounding music. I had a problem and the Focusrite Forte was the solution.

http://reitzas.com/

LINK:	http://uk.focusrite.com/news/forte-portability-and-flexibility-0...
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