How often do see a recording session in the woods? For our latest project we dived into the depths of Snowdonia National Park for an outdoor session captured with a portable studio consisting of Zen Q and Zen Go Synergy Core audio interfaces. It is always a challenge to capture the natural reverb of an environment such as this – see how the crew accomplished the task.
The keys to success for the session were the proper placement of the mics. In an environment like this is it crucial to keep in mind the acoustics so you capture the sound properly. For extra mic inputs, the Zen Go was utilized. It was connected via ADAT to the main interface – the Zen Q.
The I/O options are plentiful for an interface of the size of Zen Q. We start with the two discrete preamps with combo XLR jacks enabling you to record your acoustic instruments, vocals or line-level instruments. On the front of the interface there are two line inputs so you can record even more instruments, in case you want to bring along an extra band member. The front side of the interface is completed by two individual stereo headphone outputs.
With the interface you can monitor your recordings in real time, clean or processed with Synergy Core FX, through the monitor outputs. The Zen Q Synergy Core comes with either USB or Thunderbolt connection. Other digital connections include S/PDIF for stereo ins and outs and ADAT input to expand your channel count, like Nik does in the video.
The tour of the Zen Q Synergy Core is completed with the monitor control knob, the multifunctional Antelope button, the gain and headphone mix buttons on the top panel. For longevity, each Zen Q Synergy Core sports a sleek road-ready machined aluminum body so that the interface can be taken everywhere – even in the woods of Snowdonia National Park.
