Carl Lie, a mixer and producer in Manhattan, New York, was looking for a small-footprint solution to his big-picture problem: he wasn't enjoying his work the way he used to. That all changed last summer when he added a BOX console to his home studio. Immediately, Lie began welcoming artists with problems of their own into his workspace again, and was comfortable offering a variety of solutions.

Lie says the studio can now do anything from mixing an entire record to assisting an artist halfway through a project that isn't coming together at a bigger studio. "Maybe they just want to hear it outside the computer, spread out across the API BOX...like the big boys." It's the BOX's versatility that provides the linchpin to Lie's studio operations. "Really, everything you need to mix and record is in this piece of equipment" he explains. Coupled with his diverse studio staff of musicians, engineers and arrangers, the BOX makes it possible for Lie to overcome any obstacles with great efficiency. "All 16 summing inputs have send/returns on the back of the unit...easy as pie to get to."

Lie and the rest of his staff can now "play" as much as they work. "The BOX is just plain fun to use. The ability to engage patched equipment through switches in the front makes playing with ideas a top priority." The design philosophy with emphasis on flexibility is what he cites as his favorite thing about the BOX. "Everything that API added to this unit was done thoughtfully, completely, and perfectly. Now I enjoy my work."