Watch: The story of Focusrite ISA
From a 1985 commission to the studios of today, this is the story of Focusrite ISA.
Introducing the story of ISA
In 1985, Sir George Martin asked Rupert Neve to build something special. What Rupert created out of that conversation shaped the sound of recorded music for 40 years, and the legacy he created continues to shape the sound of music today.
We commissioned this documentary to celebrate and share Focusrite's ISA heritage in one place. To make it, we went to the people and places that helped create that history.
We visited AIR Studios in London, where CEO Simon Knee walked us through the ISA 110 modules that are still in use in Studio 1 today. We spoke to Steven Flood, founding partner of Master Rock Studios, who took ownership of the first Focusrite Forte 001 console.
In Mesa, Arizona, we met John Aquilino at The Focusrite Room, home to the largest Focusrite Studio Console ever built, originally made for Bop Studios in South Africa.
Lincoln Fong and Ken Hirsch took the time to explain the task of restoring and maintaining these historic consoles to keep them functioning for years to come.
We also visited Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios, where head engineer Katie May told us about how her communal approach to recording with the ISA 828 MkII brings the control room and live room together. In this way, the focus on capturing the best possible sound from the space and the performance.
From the ISA 110 in 1985 to the Forte console, the Focusrite Studio Console, and the standalone preamps trusted in professional studios today: 40 years of engineering, captured in one documentary.
Disclaimer: The ISA preamp featured in this film was originally designed by Rupert Neve as part of Focusrite Ltd; following his early departure when the company was acquired by Phil Dudderidge in 1989, Rupert Neve had no further involvement in Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd or its products.
ISA 428 MkII
ISA 828 MkII
ISA One
