"I was using a Mackie 32:8:2 and started to get loads of crackly knobs and faders and couldn't get it fixed easily so decided to make the leap to something modular and easier to maintain. I loved how the Mackie was tight and punchy but also really loved the sound of the Neve desk I mixed my last album on so was looking for sound between the two.

"I couldn't afford an API desk so I spoke to my man at Funky Junk and he recommended this beast which is a compact 16-channel mixer with EQ on each channel. These cost about £15k new and I picked one up for £2k a couple years ago so pretty chuffed.

"The build quality is mad and it weighs a ton. It has great mic and line preamps with transformers so I record a lot of synths and vocals through them into the Apogee. I miss the eight-bus routing options of the Mackie but I've kinda got used to the limited options and work with them. It has a good, solid warm and punchy sound."