With a Solid State Logic AWS 948 delta SuperAnalogue™ Console at its Core, Germany's Big Barn Studios is the Perfect Creative Retreat

Swen Meyer, one of three sound engineers on the Big Barn studio team, explains that the AWS console was selected for its versatility and ability to handle whatever projects come through the facility, not to mention the brand name recognition. “We need a great sounding, flexible and reliable desk for recording and mixing,” he says. “For our situation, we need a ‘solid’ state-of-the-art desk. You can't do wrong with SSL.” The SSL AWS 948 was supplied by Digital Audio Service in Hamburg.

“I know SSL from the 90s and the 2000s; I worked on the E, G, and J Series many times,” he continues. “Here, with this hybrid solution that we are providing for our customers, SSL fits perfectly in the studio. I like the sound, the headroom, the punch, the crystal-clear highs, and the analogue ‘SSL mojo.’ You can drive the mic pres hard, and I like being able to toggle between the G and the E series EQs, as well as its superbly integrated DAW control. The AWS’s stereo or dual mono channels offer a great deal of flexibility when mixing. Their Width control means you can precisely place sounds while making them sit in the stereo field."

Amenities at Weissenhaus, which include a 400-year-old castle housing a two-star Michelin restaurant and thermal baths, as well as gardens, forest and nearly two miles of beach, are intended to offer guests privacy, relaxation and inspiration. For those visiting the resort to work at Big Barn Studio, Buettner has built out an artist village that accommodates up to 12 people. Three experienced music producers, including Meyer, are available to assist visiting artists through the creation process, from inspiration to the finished production.

Big Barn is also equipped to present streaming events of all kinds. In February 2025, the facility hosted the first leg of the global Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, which is being co-organized — with Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen — and sponsored by Buettner.