Shane Frisby is the owner and head engineer at The Brick HitHouse, a recording studio based in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Shane has been in the field of audio recording for 15 years with the majority of his recording work being within the metal/hardcore realm. He has worked with such bands as Bury Your Dead – It’s Nothing Personal – (2009 Victory Records), The Ghost Inside – Returners – (2010 Mediaskare Records), Corpus Christi – A Feast For Crows – (2010 Victory Records), and Widow Sunday.
We caught up with Shane to hear first hand how Focusrite has impacted his recording process:
“My studio is setup in a commercial warehouse, so the layout we had to work with was fun for sure. It’s made for a very unique and rewarding recording atmosphere. When you have a beer vending machine the possibilities are endless!
"Besides the awesome Focusrite ISA828 that I use on every recording, I also use preamps from other manufacturers, and have also used API, Great River, and a few boutique style pre-amps. Focusrite products are top of the line when it comes to sound quality and conversion rates, and if needed, they can add the perfect color to any sound source. I’m not lying when I say the ISA 828 is my go-to preamp!"
Whenever Shane is recording, all eight channels of his ISA828 are in use: "I use the hell out of the unit. Bury Your Dead and Corpus Christi (both on Victory records) were the two first bands I used the ISA 828 on and the difference was immediately noticeable to myself. The bands were grinning ear to ear.
"I love that the ISA828 has crystal-clear presence, and extreme durability. I love the fact that anywhere I go, if I see Focusrite gear, I know the recording I’m about to do is already in good hands. The ISA828 is very expressive to the individual instrument, voice, or sound source. The ability to add some color is great too. What it does that others can’t do is be awesome from hitting the power 'on'. I’ve actually gotten some great sounds out of some microphones that I more or less wrote off. As a result, I’ve become more clear on my mic positioning and coloring certain instruments. The controls are easy to use and finding the right tone is a snap.
"I’ve been lucky that some of the records I have recorded have really taken off, or were very well established. Focusrite can handle any of those demanding situations. I pride myself in recording drums that don’t get replaced (seems to be the norm today) and the ISA 828 has given me that opportunity to do so. Focusrite has improved the quality of every recording I have done. I utilize the preamp so much sometimes I feel bad for not using my other preamps! I will be a Focusrite user for life."
