Harrison Audio is an international company based in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

that manufactures high-end mixing consoles, Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), audio plugins, and other audio technologies for the

post-production Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...

video production Video production is the process of producing video content. It is the equivalent of filmmaking, but with video recorded either as analog signals on videotape, digitally in video tape or as computer files stored on optical discs, hard drives, SSDs, ...

, broadcast,

sound reinforcement A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers in enclosures all controlled by a mixing console that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sou ...

and

music recording Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...

industries. The company is renowned as an industry innovation for its "in-line" mixing console design that has subsequently become the standard for nearly every large-format music console. In October 2023, Harrison was acquired by

Solid State Logic Solid State Logic Ltd. (SSL) is a British company based in Begbroke, Oxfordshire, England that designs and markets audio mixing consoles, Audio signal processing, signal processors, and other audio technologies for the post-production, video p ...

History

Background

In the early 1970s, Dave Harrison established the Studio Supply Company, a

recording equipment

retailer Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesal ...

and dealer for

Music Center Incorporated Music Center Incorporated (MCI) is the former name of a United States manufacturer of professional audio equipment that operated from 1955 until 1982 when it was acquired by the Sony Corporation. The company is credited with a number of world fi ...

(MCI) and their line of recording electronics and

multitrack tape recorder Multitrack recording (MTR), also known as multitracking, is a method of sound recording developed in 1955 that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources or of sound sources recorded at different times to create a cohesive who ...

s. In 1972, he approached MCI's CEO Jeep Harned with a concept for an in-line mixing console that simplified the incorporation of multitrack recorders into a console signal path. MCI leased Harrison's design, introducing the MCI JH-400 series console, the world's first commercially available in-line console. In late 1973, Harrison, together with Tom Piper, formed Pandora Systems to manufacture audio equipment, including limiters, the Time Line (a digital delay), and the Speed Freak (a device to manipulate the running time of the MCI tape machine). Harrison began development on what would become the 3232 console, intending on licensing the design to MCI again. When MCI chose not to license Harrison's design and instead released the 500 Series, Pandora Systems manufactured Harrison's console design, introducing it in December 1975. In February 1976, Studio Supply Company was sold and Harrison Systems, Inc. was formed.

Harrison Systems

During the first decade of its existence, Harrison Systems produced a series of popular consoles for the film, music, and broadcast TV markets, beginning in 1975 with its first product, the Harrison 3232, and the first 32 Series product. This was followed by the PP-1 film console, the MR-2, MR-3, and MR-4 music recording consoles, the TV-3, TV-4 broadcast consoles, the HM-5 live console, the Raven music recording console, and the Air-7/Pro-7 broadcast and production consoles. These fully-analog console designs continued into the 1990s, while the digital revolution was taking place. During this period of rapid digital development, Harrison still continued to produce analog consoles (often with some digital elements) such as the AIR 790/PRO 790 broadcast and production consoles, AP-100 on-air production console, the MR-20 music console, the industry workhorse TV-950 and Pro-950 production consoles, and finally the TV5.1 surround-capable broadcast console. HarrisonTEN

In 1985, Harrison introduced its SeriesTen, the world's first digitally controlled analog mixer with

console automation In music recording, mix automation allows the mixing console to remember the audio engineer's adjustment of faders during the post-production editing process. A timecode is necessary for the synchronization of automation. Modern mixing consol ...

. The SeriesTen used only 3 knobs above each channel strip to "page" between various functions of the console. By separating the knob from the actual audio signal, it was possible to instantly save and recall the settings of the console, without mechanically turning the knobs on the surface. At the time this was unheard of, but it has now become a ubiquitous feature of every digital console on the market. Perhaps proving that the SeriesTen was ahead of its time, many SeriesTen consoles were still in use in 2009.

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

installed a Harrison console at their

Polar Studios Polar Studios was a recording studio in Stockholm, Sweden, which operated from 1978 through 2004. The studio was formed by ABBA musicians Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the band's manager Stig Anderson, owner of the Polar Music recording l ...

where they recorded many of their biggest hits. The ''a capella'' introduction to

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

' ''

Carry On Wayward Son "Carry On Wayward Son" is a song by American rock band Kansas, released on their 1976 studio album, '' Leftoverture''. Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band's first top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot ...

'' was recorded from Harrison console preamps directly to tape. Throughout the 1980s, seminal music works were mixed on Harrison consoles:

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

's '' Thriller'' and ''

Bad Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect * Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...

'' albums were both mixed on a Harrison console by

Bruce Swedien Bruce Swedien ( ) (April 19, 1934 – November 16, 2020) was an American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer. He was widely known for his work with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand. Swedie ...

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

's ''

Rhythm Nation "Rhythm Nation" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, released as the second single from her fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). It was written and produced by Jackson, in collaboration with Jimmy Jam and ...

'' was mixed on a Harrison SeriesTen, and

Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine; namesake of the word ''sadism'' * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * ...

's album ''

Promise A promise is a commitment by someone to do or not do something. As a noun ''promise'' means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. It can also mean a capacity ...

'' and her prior hit song ''

Smooth Operator "Smooth Operator" is a song by English band Sade from their debut studio album, ''Diamond Life'' (1984), and was co-written by Sade Adu and Ray St. John. It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom as a 7-inch single w ...

'' were recorded and mixed on a Harrison console. In 1989, Harrison Systems was acquired by GLW Incorporated. GLW's first product introduction was the release of the SeriesTenB, an updated version of the SeriesTen utilizing a powerful Mac-based automation system coupled with new video interactive graphics for display of console information and the control of console functions through the use of an interactive video screen. The company's technological advances accelerated in the 1990s as additional resources were dedicated to research and development. The first fruits of these efforts was the introduction in 1992 of the fully automated Harrison MPC (Motion Picture Console) followed shortly thereafter by the debut of its sister console, the fully automated Harrison SeriesTwelve. The Series10 technology was advanced in a follow-up product for film, the MPC. The MPC was a control surface that remotely controlled the audio processing racks. This separation of the control surface from the audio racks allowed the audio processing racks to be placed in the machine rooms, thus allowing for sleeker, cooler, and more acoustic-friendly control surface designs tailored to fit the needs and applications of each individual user. Additional technologies such as automated, motorized joysticks and advanced monitoring features were also incorporated into the MPC. The Harrison SeriesTenB with its new automation system and interactive video graphics was recipient in 1991 of the coveted Mix Foundation Technical Achievements Award for Console Technology, the

TEC Award The TEC Awards is an annual program recognizing the achievements of audio professionals. The awards are given to honor technically innovative products as well as companies and individuals who have excelled in sound for television, film, recordings ...

. Shortly thereafter, the first MPC was installed at

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

in Hollywood in 1992, the first truly fully automated large format film re-recording console. The MPC was designed in a tight collaboration with Jeff Taylor, chief engineer at Sony Pictures, and many film and post-production mixers. The ongoing relationship between Harrison and Sony Pictures Post Production Facilities in Hollywood has resulted in the purchase of thirteen massive, fully automated MPC consoles by Sony. During the late 1990s, there was a clear demand for a digital processing engine that could satisfy the need for increased channel counts that were becoming possible with new digital production techniques. Harrison developed the digital. engine, a powerful DSP mixing and routing engine that could provide 768 fully resourced channels and thousands of input and output signals. The digital engine was designed to retrofit existing analog MPC or Series12 consoles with a new digital backend. Many Harrison customer upgraded their existing consoles to the new engine because it was cost-effective and did not incur the "downtime" of replacing an entire console. Harrison continued its technological advancements and was awarded another TEC Award in 1999, this time for Outstanding Technical Achievement in Sound Reinforcement Console Technology.Mix Foundation. Past Winners
''1999 TEC Awards''
This award was granted to the Harrison LPC (Live Performance Console). The LPC console was co-developed with touring sound company

Showco Showco was a sound equipment provider of touring sound reinforcement equipment and services to the concert touring industry. It was based in Dallas, Texas, United States. In 2000, Showco was acquired by Clair Global. Showco was established in 197 ...

to create a no-compromise sound reinforcement console. Taking advantage of Harrison's digitally controlled-analog technology, and a newly developed IKIS automation engine, the LPC was designed with motorized potentiometers for every console parameter. Similar to Harrison's motorized joysticks, the motorized potentiometers allowed the user of the console to work in an intuitive way while providing all the benefits of digital surfaces such as instant recall. In 2000, Harrison was awarded a patent for their use of automated, motorized panning joysticks. This technology has been licensed to other console manufacturers. During the early 2000s, increasingly complicated audio productions drove the adoption of TFT screens into the meter bridges of digital consoles. Harrison developed Linux-based TFT screens that simultaneously show EQ curves, panning, auxes, metering, bus assignments and dynamics. In addition, a new PreView waveform technology was developed for the screens. This technology allows users to see cues before and after they happen, much like the waveform views on a workstation. This feature was incorporated into the MPC4-D. The MPC4-D has been adopted by premiere film dubbing stages around the world, such as

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

(Hollywood), CinePostproduction (Munich), MosFilm (Moscow), Shree Balaji (Mumbai), and Deluxe (Toronto). Many international blockbuster films have been mixed on Harrison Consoles: ''Transformers'' 1 and 2, ''Spider-Man'' 1 through 3, ''Jurassic Park'', ''Pearl Harbor'', ''Harry Potter'', ''

The Passion of the Christ ''The Passion of the Christ'' is a 2004 American epic biblical drama film co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson from a screenplay he wrote with Benedict Fitzgerald. It stars Jim Caviezel as Jesus of Nazareth, Maia Morgenstern as the Bl ...

'' and ''

Amélie ''Amélie'' (, , ) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story ...

'' are some examples. Television shows ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...

'', ''24'', and ''CSI'' are mixed on a Harrison console. In 2004, the Trion, a more cost-effective version of the Series12 multi-purpose console surface was developed. The Trion uses

Universal Serial Bus Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...

(USB) connectivity and other non-proprietary hardware. The Air24 was also developed using the same technology for on-air radio broadcast. The new smaller surfaces needed a smaller processing engine, so the Xrange native processing system was developed for use in all Harrison products. The Xrange uses Linux and off-the-shelf computers instead of the proprietary systems common to previous-generation consoles. A Harrison console system is made up by the combination of an application-specific console surface (MPC, Trion or Air24), along with a processing engine (Xrange), and an automation computer (IKIS). Each of the three pieces (surface, processing, and automation) are updated regularly by Harrison to accommodate new technologies. Harrison has adopted

Linux Linux ( ) is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an kernel (operating system), operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically package manager, pac ...

as the underlying technology for all of their products. The automation system, console surfaces, DSP processing, and audio routing all incorporate Linux at some level. Harrison has also collaborated with open-source developers on their Xdubber and

Harrison Mixbus Harrison Mixbus is a digital audio workstation (DAW) released in 2009, compatible with Microsoft Windows, macOS X, and Linux. It is built on the open-source DAW " Ardour" but includes additional features developed by Harrison Audio, such as a ...

products which is based on the Ardour open-source workstation.

Impact and accolades

Over 1,500 Harrison consoles have been installed worldwide, presenting a significant percentage of the overall world market share for high-end audio consoles. The company founder, Dave Harrison, was inducted as a Fellow in the

Audio Engineering Society The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is a professional body for engineers, scientists, other individuals with an interest or involvement in the professional audio industry. The membership largely comprises engineers developing devices or product ...

for this technical contribution of the recording industry and in particular the first 32-bus "in-line" console.

Selected users

Studio in the Country (Louisiana) - Kansas
Westlake Audio Studios - Michael Jackson ''Thriller'' and ''Bad''

(Stockholm) - ABBA, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Ramones

Musicland Studios Musicland Studios was a recording studio located in Munich, Germany established by Italy, Italian record producer, songwriter and musician Giorgio Moroder in the early 1970s. The studios were known for their work with artists such as Donna Summer, ...

(Munich) - Queen, David Bowie, Deep Purple, Rolling Stones, Giorgio Moroder, ELO, Iggy Pop, Rainbow, Iron Maiden
Rusk studios - The Runaways, Village People, Donna Summer, Laura Brannigan, Elton John
Flyte Tyme - Janet Jackson 'Rhythm Nation', Mariah Carey, Usher

Morgan Studios Morgan Studios (founded as Morgan Sound Studios) was an independent recording studio in Willesden in northwest London. Founded in 1967, the studio was the location for recordings by notable artists and bands such as The Cure, Jethro Tull, the Ki ...

- The Cure, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead
Power Plant - Sade, Fine Young Cannibals
TheEndStudios (Lund Sweden) - Billy Cobham, Big Elf, The Knife, Hoffmaestro, Thåstöm, Bob Hund, Bergman Rock, Calle Real
EastSide Sound - Les Paul, Lou Reed, Lee Ranaldo, Sevendust

Utility Muffin Research Kitchen The Utility Muffin Research Kitchen (UMRK) is a recording studio built in 1979 by musician, composer, songwriter, and bandleader Frank Zappa at his home in Los Angeles, California. The home and recording studio was sold to Lady Gaga in 2016, and ...

- Frank Zappa

United Western Recorders United Western Recorders was a two-building recording studio complex in Hollywood that was one of the most successful independent recording studios of the 1960s. The complex merged neighboring studios United Recording Corp. on 6050 Sunset Boule ...

- Blondie
Smart Studios - Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Killdozer, Nirvana
Soundworks Studio - Steely Dan
Redwood Studios - Neil Young

The Automatt The Automatt was a sound recording studio in San Francisco, California, promoted for its early mix automation system. During its eight active years, 1976 to 1984, it was one of the top recording studios in the region. The Automatt was founded by p ...

- Herbie Hancock Film & Post
Sony Pictures Entertainment - ''Pearl Harbor'', ''Spider-Man'' series, ''Transformers'' series, ''The Simpsons''
Universal Studios - ''U-571'', ''Law & Order'', ''The Revenant''
MosFilm (Moscow)
ARRI (Munich)
CinePostproduction (Munich)
Shree Balaji Studio (Mumbai)
Deluxe Toronto (Toronto)

Company timeline

* 1971: Company founder Dave Harrison creates the "in-line" audio console commercialized by MCI * 1975: Harrison Systems established * 1975: 3232, the world's first 32-bus, in-line recording console introduced * 1979: The PP-1 film console introduced * 1981: MR-2 music recording console introduced * 1982: MR-3 music recording/TV-3 broadcast console introduced * 1983: MR-43 music recording/TV-4 introduced * 1983: HM-5/ live performance SM-5 house monitor and stage monitor introduced * 1983: Raven music recording console introduced * 1984: Air-7/Pro-7 on air radio broadcast and production consoles introduced * 1984: HM-4/SM-4 live performance house monitor and stage monitor consoles introduced * 1985: SeriesTen, the world's first totally automated console introduced. * 1986: AIR 790/PRO 790 on air radio broadcast and production consoles introduced * 1986: "Real time" interactive graphics offered as an option for the SeriesTenB * 1987: AP-100 on air micro processor controlled radio broadcast console introduced * 1987: MR-20 music recording introduced * 1989: Harrison is acquired by GLW Incorporated * 1989: SeriesTenB with new Mac based automation * 1990: VIC – "real time" interactive video graphic display/control introduced for SeriesTenB * 1991: Harrison implements remote, digitally controlled audio * 1992: MPC, Motion Picture Console introduced * 1994: SeriesTwelve multi format introduced * 1995: TV-950 broadcast console introduced * 1995: Pro-950 production console introduced * 1996: TV950 honored at NAB as Editors’ Pick of Show for new product introductions * 1996: Automated, motorized joystick introduced (now patented by Harrison) * 1998: TV 5.1 TV broadcast console with surround capability introduced * 1998: LPC, Live Performance Console introduced * 1998: digital.engine introduced, supporting 512 channels and 160 buss mixing at 40 bit * 1998: digital.engine MADI router introduced, allowing up to 2240x2240 audio routing * 2000: Harrison is awarded the patent for automated motorized joystick innovation * 2001: TVD, Digital Broadcast Console introduced * 2001: LPC, Digital, Live Performance Console introduced * 2001: MPC2, Motion Picture Console introduced and honored with nomination for

* 2002: TVD-SL, Introduction of the Digital Broadcast Console featuring heads-up displays * 2002: Pro950EX Production console introduced * 2002: IKIS, Introduction of the Harrison IKIS Digital Automation Platform * 2002: MPC3-D, Digital Motion Picture Console upgrade to the IKIS Automation Platform * 2004: MPC4-D, Introduction of the Digital Motion Picture Console with heads-up displays * 2004: PreView displays introduced, displaying live audio waveforms from any source (patent pending) * 2004: DTC Introduction of the Digital Tools Card with Film specific plug-ins * 2005: Trion introduced, a Digital Audio Console with an analog feel and heads-up displays * 2005: IKISdirect, DAW controller introduced for Pro Tools and Pyramix * 2005: Serial Supervisor, redundant control system introduced * 2006: Xrange, Stand-alone, Native, 64-bit Digital Processing Engine introduced * 2006: Air 24/7, Small format On-Air console introduced * 2006: Xdubber, destructive stem recorder for Film introduced * 2007: IKIS automation on Linux, and Xtools film-specific native processing tools introduced. * 2008: Trion for Film introduced. * 2009: Bricasti remote control added to IKISdirect. * 2009: Mixbus Digital Audio Workstation for Music introduced. (nominated for TEC award) * 2011: 950m Analog Music Console introduced * 2013: 950mx Analog Music Console introduced * 2016: Mixbus32C – a higher-tier version of the Mixbus workstation * 2018: AVA Plugins (cross-platform compatible AAX/VST/VST3/AU) * 2023: Harrison is acquired by

References

{{reflist

External links

Company Website
Manufacturing companies based in Nashville, Tennessee Audio mixing console manufacturers Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States Manufacturers of professional audio equipment Audio software companies