Through the 90s, Underworld have remained one of the UK’s leading and most influential dance acts, and last autumn the band once again broke new ground by releasing the world’s first live DVD. "Everything, Everything" is 90 minutes of the Underworld live experience, linking special surround mixes with footage of the band in concert during their 98/99 world tour.

The base for Underworld’s recording activities is their own two room studio in London, where the first three records were put together, and where work has now commenced on the fourth studio album. Central to the studio is a new 24 channel TL Audio VTC console, which was installed recently after extensive auditions and replaces the band’s
original analogue mixer.

Band member and producer Rick Smith commented: "The VTC starting earning its keep straight away by allowing us to check the original masters for the new DVD release. I knew I could trust what I was hearing though the console, and we were instantly happy with the sound we were getting. Now the VTC has become part of our writing process, since we tend to write and mix material at the same time."

The VTC complements the band’s 32 channel Pro Tools system, which is used for capturing some tracks while others are run live in the mix. Rick added: "Having previously associated valve technology with increased noise levels we were immediately impressed by the quiet noise floor of the VTC - and the sound of the EQ is unreal. We haven’t experienced an EQ that behaves so smoothly - even at extreme settings it makes a fabulous noise without ever overpowering you."

With work on the new studio album now starting in earnest, Rick has only one regret about the console - "I only wish I could take it on tour with us!"

The VTC starting earning its keep straight away by allowing us to check the original masters for the new DVD release. I knew I could trust what I was hearing though the console, and we were instantly happy with the sound we were getting. Now the VTC has become part of our writing process, since we tend to write and mix material at the same time.

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