top of page

Burl Audio

Introduction

 

In the professional music recording world of today, having excellent analog to digital conversion systems for recording is a must. Your signals will travel from a microphone to a preamp and then possibly to either an equalization unit or a compressor before it is routed into the recording process. But, for the recording process to begin, this analog signal must be converted to digital before it can be recorded into a digital audio workstation software program. It is this conversion process that is the true key to having a pristine signal for recording. It is also this process which kept digital audio workstations from becoming the dominant recording medium in the professional world, until conversion systems could be developed that could keep both the nature and the character of the analog signal as pure as possible. Creating the devices that could make the process seamless for artists, engineers, musicians and producers has been the mission of Burl Audio since Rich Williams established the company in 2006. 

 

Which products from Burl Audio that were used by the great engineers and recording studio facilities of the past would be a great fit for the educational space?

 

While I am going to highlight two of their flagship products— the Mothership 16 and the Mothership 80, Burl Audio also makes two other fantastic conversion systems that are meant for stereo sources— the B2 Bomber DAC and the B2 Bomber ADC. Plus, the company also makes the B26 ORCA monitor controller and the B32 VANCOUVER mix buss, which are also both amazing products. As it was mentioned in the introduction, Burl Audio was established in 2006 which means that in the professional music recording world, it is a relatively new company. But, many of the legendary recording studio engineers of the past and the great recording studio facilities where the hit songs of the past were recorded and mixed, use Burl Audio products today. The reasons for this are quite simple— Burl Audio products provide the ability to record music into a digital audio workstation with the depth, warmth and detail that was once only possible with an analog tape machine. This set of characteristics makes their fabulous products some of the most sought-after in the world of professional music recording today. 

Screenshot 2023-03-25 at 10.14.35 PM.png

Image: Burl Audio-- Mothership 16

Image courtesy-- Burl Audio

Burl Audio— Mothership 16

 

The Mothership 16 is a smaller, portable version of the company’s flagship product— the Mothership 80. A two-space rackmount chassis that is modular, the Mothership 16 can be used to house three differing conversion or mic-preamp modules. In other words, it could be used to have the following recording combinations for your home studio or portable recording set-up: either 16-inputs for tracking or the same number of outputs for mixing, or 8-inputs for recording and the same number of outputs for the process of mixing. A user who has an 8-input and output system, could also have a module installed which features 4 of Burl Audio’s pristine microphone preamps. It is an extremely versatile system. It would be an excellent product for an educational space.

Image: Burl Audio-- Mothership 80

Image courtesy-- Burl Audio

Burl Audio— Mothership 80

 

The Mothership 80 is the flagship conversion system from Burl Audio. It is a modular system that can house up to 11 different modules for conversion (or microphone preamps) in a four-space rackmount chassis. It is the ultimate conversion system. It is not just extremely versatile, it also offers a wide variety of configurations. For example, as it has up to an 80-channel capacity limit, it is easy to imagine placing the modules in the system to create a standard 32-input and output system for both tracking and mixing. Since it can be modified into differing configurations and it is based on a modular concept, the Mothership 80 can also grow as your studio does over time. It would be an excellent product for an educational space.

Why should an educational institution invest in products from Burl Audio?

 

Burl Audio is a great example of a company that was created by recording studio engineers to make products that discerning recording studio artists, engineers, musicians and producers want to use in their studios each and everyday. It is a small company with an excellent reputation— not just making excellent products, but also for its responsiveness to its customers and their needs. Some of the most legendary recording studio facilities in the world depend on their products to make the greatest hits in popular music today. The company also offers products within their fantastic line-up that can fit any budget and any growth scenario. Burl Audio has always provided top-notch support and service for their products, plus, tips for their use and configurations that can assist you as your facility grows into the future. The products from Burl Audio would be excellent for the educational space. 

 

If you would like more information about Burl Audio and the amazing products that were discussed in this article, please use the following links which are listed below.

 

Burl Mothership 16

Burl Mothership 80

 

The following link will take you to the Burl Audio website where you can learn more about this legendary corporation and also, find an authorized dealer for their fabulous products in your area.

 

Burl Audio 

 

Special Note: Each of the images in this article appear through the courtesy and generosity of the wonderful people at Burl Audio.

 

Special Thanks— At The Recording Session Vault Educational Website Project, we would like to take a moment to express our thanks and appreciation to Dan Sherwood at Burl Audio for his time and assistance with this article. 

bottom of page