Lindell Audio was founded in 2010 by record producer Tobias Lindell. He set out to design recording equipment to satisfy his own way of working, developing functions and user interface that didn't exist on the market.
Tobias Lindell has produced and mixed many hit records throughout the years and made a point of stating that his love and dedication for the game has been left unchanged. Constantly innovating and pushing boundaries behind and in front of the consoles.
We caught up with Tobias Lindell before the highly anticipated Lindell 80 Series launch and asked a couple of questions about his music, managing his international companies from Thailand, and what his hopes are for users when trying out the 80 Series plugins for the first time.
Thank you for meeting up with us Tobias, how do you feel about the release?
Very excited! This is a product I am super passionate about, and it’s the first of its kind on the market. There hasn’t been a total emulation of the whole classic Neve 8028 console. I mean, modules have been done before, but not everything as an entire package, the channel plugin, and all its components together with the buss plugin.
It must be challenging working from Thailand and having so many international partners around the world?
In the beginning, however, I am happy to say that it’s running like a well-oiled machine now. All analog products are distributed and run from New York, whilst manufacturing happens in China. I communicate with the factories quiet often; When we develop new products they send me the prototypes, and if needed I do further tweaking, etc. I manage and direct everything online here in Phuket, Thailand. It’s all about good partnerships, like with Plugin Alliance, working together as a team.
Being so busy with the companies, do you look at producing and mixing as a bit of time off, or as a hobby?
Well I have been professionally working as a producer and mixer since 1999, my first major gig was with Capitol Records, and I have not stopped since. Lindell Audio was born from that; it was because I needed specific compressors and functions that never existed before that enable me to push my mixing further. I wanted to create them for this purpose. And with Lindell Plugins I get to reach a lot more people.
We’re pleased to hear that, which projects have you been working on lately?
I have just finished mixing an album for Swedish band 'Mustasch', it’s called 'Killing It For Life', which is out now. Also just did H.E.A.T’s new album, “HEAT II”. Out in January. I used the 80 Series plugins all over those records.
Listen to Mustasch 'Killing It For Life' on YouTube:
Why did you decide to model the 80 series? What is so special about it?
No one has done it before. Other companies have only partially modeled the EQ or the compressor but not a channel strip like this where you have all the original good stuff in one product. And you have the buss plugin that emulates the actual buss structure of the 8028 console. Plus the TMT modulation which really gives you that real console feel in the box.
Dirk and I spoke a lot about channel strips in the past and that it would have a bright future, he pushed me a lot in the process.
What are you hoping the users would experience using this plugin? What advice can you give them on how to use it?
I would recommend the engineers to use it as a console, meaning that on all your playback channels one should add the 80 Channel and putting the 80 Buss on all the busses. And play it back from scratch, get a feel for what they do just being there. Then bypass all and get shocked at the great difference…. =)
The 1073 and 1084 EQ is straight to the point, with its simplicity and limitations one start mixing more intuitively. The dynamics are the classic 2254 but with our twist from the 354e Nuke and Niveau.
The preamp gain is something magical on this plugin as well; I think for the first time one can drive gain into a clipping state where it matches an analog console, it’s a one of a kind sound.
– THE 8028 console sound –
For more on Lindell Audio visit:
Watch this Lindell 80 Series Channel and Buss Overview: