an Ex Graduate and his studio

Andrew Rawbone-Viljoen, an ex-graduate from our Cape Audio College Diploma in Sound Engineering, finished his time with us seven years ago, in 2004. We catch up with him now, doing well, and busy recording some great SA bands; currently working with Watershed and Macstanley(formally known as Flat Stanly). After a lot of hard work and continuous practice, Andrew now co-owns Digital Forest Studio with his brother, Jeremy, who takes care of the marketing aspect at the studio. Cape Audio College recently headed out to Klein Constantia, to ‘Huis in Bos’ farm, where Digital Forest Studio lies nestled amongst vineyards and mountains.

Digital Forest Studio stared business doing mainly post production work(film,TV and radio), but now, due the studios location, has over time become primarily a music recording heaven, with an incredibly relaxing garden, some beautiful views and the fresh crisp air; it’s a really a place to get your creative juices flowing.

When chatting to Andrew it is quite apparent how much he loves his work, getting up in the morning and heading straight to the studio, a dream so many of us share, realized. We had a little chat with Andrew, asking some questions that would give us some insight into how his exiting career has come to be. Many thanks to Andrew and Digital Forest Studio for having us, keep making us proud.

How long has digital forest been running for?

Digital Forest has been running for 10 years now, started by my father, while I was out of the country, not even into sound. What got me Interested was actually the club scene in europe, it’s where I developed my love for sound and music.

So what has been your biggest challenge in your career so far?

Studying. Well maybe getting to grips with understanding the studio routing and signal flow in general, oh when the penny drops!

What have you found to be your most rewarding job so far?

My most rewarding job is still on its way, the projects I work on seem to get better with every job I get. But so far I must say, the DEA public service announcement on speed, for which we received a Vuka award, takes the cake.

What has been the most enjoyable part of running a studio?

Just so much, everything from watching the on goings of the place, with all the people and bands coming in and out, to buying the gear, to, of course, hearing the gear once it’s installed.

What suggestions can you give to any up and coming engineer?

First of all, stick it out. Get as much practical time as you can, because quite literally, the more you practice the better you get. I can also suggest spending time with other more experienced sound engineers, just watching them work will very much help you learn some new and interesting tricks and techniques.

The award winning clip, you can check out the rest of the show reel on the Digital Forest Studio You Tube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNyGunARwL8&feature=player_embedded