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API's BOX Fills In the “Missing Piece” at The Casino in Nashville

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Nashville, Tennessee – Aug. 2014:
The BOX has settled into a new home in a Nashville studio — The Casino. Owned and operated by Eric Masse, The Casino records LPs and EPs for signed artists and bands within the city. Masse consulted Chad Evans at Vintage King while he upgraded his studio, and now admits that the BOX "feels like the missing piece" to his former setup.

"I had been craving the next step up for my sixteen I/O studio for a while," said Masse. "When I heard about the BOX last year, I started gearing up for it." The Casino, which also houses two lunchboxes®, six 512c mic pres, a 5500 dual equalizer, and a 2500 stereo compressor, stayed in the API family when looking to gain control over pans and add inserts.

"Enter stage right — the BOX," jokes Masse, who is amazed by the capabilities The Casino is now able to fulfill. "I can hardly contain my head from exploding from all the options. It's the center of my studio. I can route things in the mix like never before, and parallel compress things all analog. I can add outboard effects post-conversion to individual tracks, and I don't have to use my converters to feed the hear-back headphone hub. I can instead build a mix with the sends, and use the inserts for direct 'more me's' and use all sixteen converters for audio. I'm digging it."

Apart from the functions, the customizable 500 Series inputs allow The Casino to create its own unique sound. "I like that I can utilize the 500 Series slots on the program bus, while still using the input channels. So far, to be honest, I like everything about it."

Since installing the BOX, Masse has put the final touches on singer/songwriter Rayland Baxter's second album, and is currently mixing alternative artist Mikky Ekko's record. He is also ready to record the second country music album Charlie Worsham. The versatility of the BOX helps meet the needs for each unique artist, and allows Masse to utilize the space he needs to record and grow. "I like that it's a console, and not a console."