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| Burl Audio | |
|---|---|
| Name | Burl Audio |
| Type | Private |
| Industry | Audio equipment |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Jim Burlison |
| Headquarters | Grass Valley, California |
| Products | Preamps, converters, consoles, summing mixers |
Burl Audio Burl Audio is a manufacturer of high-end analog and digital audio recording equipment founded in 1999 by Jim Burlison. The company is known for boutique microphone preamplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, summing mixers, and custom consoles used in professional studios and broadcast facilities. Its products are employed across music production, film scoring, and broadcast post-production by engineers associated with prominent labels, studios, and orchestras.
Burlison established the company after work at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation and collaboration with designers who had ties to Neve Electronics, API (automated process industries), and Shadow Hills Industries. Early adopters included engineers from Capitol Studios, Sunset Sound, Electric Lady Studios, and Abbey Road Studios. The brand gained attention during the 2000s through partnerships with producers affiliated with Warner Bros. Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and independent labels such as Matador Records and Sub Pop. Over time the company worked with mastering houses that supplied services to clients like Decca Records, EMI, and Island Records. Key milestones include development of the first modular preamplifier units popularized among personnel from Blue Note Records sessions and expansions tied to engineers who had credits with George Martin, T Bone Burnett, and Rick Rubin.
Product lines evolved from discrete tube and transformer-based microphone preamps to integrated systems including analog summing mixers and ADC/DAC converters. Signature items have been adopted for projects by artists on Columbia Records, Atlantic Records, and RCA Records. Recording facilities such as Skywalker Sound, Ocean Way Recording, Henson Recording Studios, and Blackbird Studio have documented use of these units alongside consoles from SSL (Solid State Logic), Neve 88RS, and AMS Neve. Broadcast and post-production clients include personnel from HBO, Netflix, and Disney Music Group. OEM and custom console projects aligned with manufacturers like Avid Technology, Digidesign, and Focusrite helped integrate the units into digital workflows used on projects for Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures soundtracks.
Design philosophy emphasizes discrete analog circuitry, custom-wound transformers, and proprietary clocking architectures for conversion. Engineers versed in designs from Russell Hobbs-era consoles, designers with backgrounds at Neve Electronics and API influenced transformer topology and gain staging. The digital front end integrated developments parallel to work by MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn), RME (Audio AG), and Universal Audio in low-jitter clocking, with synchronization approaches compatible with standards used by Avid Pro Tools, Dolby Laboratories, and DTS, Inc. The company’s converter designs addressed concerns voiced by mastering engineers associated with Bob Ludwig, Bernie Grundman, and facilities like Masterdisk and The Mastering Lab. Emphasis on headroom, harmonic content, and phase coherence led to adoption by users familiar with analog summing techniques practiced at studios associated with Chandler Limited and Pile Drivers.
Clients and collaborators span a range of recording, mixing, and mastering luminaries. Producers and engineers linked to Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, Nigel Godrich, Mick Glossop, and Alan Parsons have specified these products for tracking and mixing. Film composers and scoring engineers at facilities like 20th Century Studios and Sony Pictures adopted the gear for orchestral and electronic sessions. Session musicians connected to ensembles like the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have been present during recordings employing the equipment. High-profile labels and media companies including Island Records, Capitol Records, Warner Music Group, and streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify have distributed work produced using these products.
Production has been based in Grass Valley, California, with manufacturing partners and suppliers from regions known for precision electronics including components sourced from companies in Japan, Germany, and United Kingdom specialized in transformers, capacitors, and semiconductors. Facilities coordinate with calibration and testing houses that serve clients such as Shure Incorporated, Sennheiser, and Bose Corporation for quality assurance standards. Custom builds and console integrations have been executed for studios located in Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, and London, often involving technical liaisons who previously worked at firms like API, Trident Studios, and Telefunken Elektroakustik.
Products have been reviewed favorably in trade publications and by industry organizations. Coverage appeared in outlets such as Mix (magazine), Sound on Sound, Tape Op, Daily Variety, and technical analyses in journals read by members of AES (Audio Engineering Society). Audio professionals with credits for Grammy-winning projects at the Grammy Awards and Emmy-winning broadcasts at the Primetime Emmy Awards have cited these units in studio equipment lists. Industry recognition includes endorsements from engineers affiliated with award-winning releases on Nonesuch Records, Concord Records, and Blue Note Records.
Category:Audio equipment manufacturers