During our previous visit, we found out what Gearbox do, about the system they have for recording and mastering and of course, the vinyl….. as well as the lovely coffee served in Notes Café!
So what’s happened since?
We’ve been fortunate enough to make several return visits, keeping up-to-date with the changes Gearbox have made to components within the recording chain. On our last visit we took a number of our cables for Darrel and Adam to try within the system.
Album art from gearboxrecords
Darrel played us an album track by Simon Spillett (one of his artists), using the existing cables that were in the studio – the presentation was balanced and focused, all you would expect from a mastering suite. We changed the cables from the analogue source into the desk, replacing them with new Chameleon XLR cables.
Darrel obviously has a very good ear as he is responsible for the production of all the records Gearbox releases and is very aware that cables can make a difference. However, his reaction was fantastic – his first comment was on the transparency that the cables suddenly brought to the system!
We proceeded to up the cable level (Anthem Reference XLR) just in this point of the system and the changes remained sizeable.
Album art from gearboxrecords
Darrel then proceeded to play us another artist, Sasha Siem. This track had originally been recorded outside of the studio and was in digital format, but again the changes were obvious. We added a few more cables to the system (again Anthem Reference and even Sarum Tuned ARAY), getting more and more involved in the music as we played more tracks. The final result….….a parking ticket!! I managed to completely lose track of time with the music Darrel and Adam were playing. I kept thinking, just one more track…. it proved costly! However, playing from sources such as vinyl, tape and even the odd digital file (yes they have one or two and use a fantastic USB DAC from CAD Computer Audio Design) the music just became so involving…
After doing the demos I asked Darrel if he could sum up what he had heard:
“It’s been a revelation to have found Chord cables for my label’s vinyl cutting and mastering studio”.
“I use Chord cables for interconnects, direct from my analogue source in our vinyl mastering and cutting room. They are very transparent and allow us to retain as much information as is possible in the signal path. With old master tapes, this is critical. We also use them between compressor and mastering desk, and the difference here between other cables was really obvious.” Darrel Sheinman – Gearbox Records
Chord Company tone arm cables
Now you have read this, please take time to visit the Gearbox website – this is a truly special label which we hope to visit regularly. Matt Peddle