The band works hard, playing a show roughly two out of every three days, and it has never played a hometown gig that was not completely sold-out. Their popularity has increased with the release of their debut album, Portraits, which has been met with critical acclaim. Summoning superhuman energy, the Wheeler Brothers are busy writing and recording their sophomore album between live dates at an expansive personal studio in Tarpley, Texas. A 32-channel API 1608 analog console is at the heart of the process, providing engineer Craig Lawrence with authentic sound and the immediacy of real knobs and faders for every track.

The 32-channel API 1608 is loaded with plenty of time-tested API processing. Twenty API 550b four-band EQs, twelve API 550A three-band EQs, and four API 560 graphic EQs sweeten the band's instruments, not the least of which are their voices. "The board has that classic API sound… it's open and punchy," said Lawrence. "It has a big sound that's really appropriate for the Wheeler Brothers. The EQ is precise but not clinical, and I love the way the bandwidth narrows as I go deeper into a cut."

The 32-channel API 1608 interfaces with a 48-channel Pro Tools HD rig and a Studer A827 two-inch tape machine. An Endless Analog CLASP system mediates their interworking by recoding to and pulling from the tape with appropriate latencies. "One of the greatest things about having thirty-two analog API channels is that everything is right there in front of me," said Lawrence. "I can just reach over and twist an EQ knob. The guys in the band can just lean in and turn things up or down. It's very physical and intuitive."