32Classic Console
Beautiful analog tone is at the heart of the 32Classic mixing consoles
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Wrocław, Poland, June 2nd, 2026 — The Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław has upgraded its STM (Studio Technik Multimedialnych) studio with the installation of a Harrison Audio 32Classic 48-channel analog mixing console supplied by the official distributor in Poland, Commercial Audio. The new 32Classic 48, which includes a Dante interface and premium converters, has been integrated with the academy’s Dante network to enable patching to/from four Harrison D510r 10-slot 500 Series racks and the DAW, plus access to sources anywhere in the building.
The studio, built in 2012, supports students and faculty and is also available for commercial projects. It has recently begun a revitalization and modernization process. “STM is designed to bridge education, art and professional production, and our goal is to create a facility that meets high production standards while remaining an effective learning environment—and the Harrison 32Classic is a central element of that vision,” says Dr. Przemysław Jarosz, Sound Engineer/Recording Mixer at STM.
“For students, the Harrison 32Classic is a unique opportunity to work on a legendary analog console and truly understand how audio behaves in a classic ‘in-line’signal path,” he continues. “At the same time, the system is built for today’s workflows thanks to AoIP (Dante) interface integration. This hybrid approach lets students and engineers learn both worlds: traditional analog technique and modern networked audio.”
The STM studio needs to handle many different musical styles and production scenarios, he says, “So we wanted to start with a console that has a strong sonic character, especially well-suited to jazz. The sound is warm, thick and powerful. The EQ feels very musical and safe; you can make bold moves without the sound becoming harsh or unnatural. Also, having 48 faders gives us much greater flexibility, both for live mixing of large ensembles from the concert hall and for work in our studio spaces. And the wide armrest is surprisingly important, for comfort and ergonomics during long sessions.”
The Harrison console’s integrated
Dante interface has revolutionized the way faculty and students approach
recording and mixing sessions, Dr. Jarosz reports. “It’s a truly unique feature
in the world of analog consoles, and for us it’s been an absolute game changer.
First, it enables a highly flexible in-line workflow. We can return signals
from the DAW straight back onto the console faders during a recording session,
which makes tracking and monitoring feel immediate and intuitive.”
Dante also makes mixing much faster, he says. “When we’re working on already recorded material, we can route DAW outputs to the console channels in a very efficient way, with quick changes and minimal setup time. On top of that, the console’s matrix capabilities and external inputs implemented via Dante significantly streamline day-to-day operation. They allow us to switch sources—both at the console and within the digital routing—and build monitoring or routing scenarios quickly, which greatly increases the overall flexibility of the entire system. It’s something no other analog console on the market really offers, and it makes a huge difference in daily work.”
The four Dante-enabled Harrison D510r 500 Series racks, loaded with 20 SSL and 20 Harrison compressor modules, further expand the 32Classic’s capabilities. “We now have fully featured channels with both EQ and dynamics—the kind of complete, hands-on channel processing you normally associate with classic large-format analog desks—but with full AoIP routing flexibility over the Dante network,” he explains. The Harrison D510 500 Series system at the Karol Lipiński Academy features the D510dante audio interface for seamless routing to/from the console, as well as any other devices on the Dante network.
A digital audio format converter with MADI and Dante cards transcodes signals from the Academy’s MADI network to Dante for direct input to the console. “With the digital integration, we can record and route virtually any analog or digital audio signal from virtually anywhere in the Academy—from multiple studios and concert halls, or even from several locations at once—while keeping sources separated and organized through flexible routing and different transmission domains. In practice, this means we can capture complex sessions efficiently, combining various spaces and ensembles into one coherent production workflow.”
While this is the first console of this kind to be installed at STM, Dr. Jarosz says, “We were familiar with Harrison’s legacy and the reputation of its consoles. It’s also wonderful to be able to work on a console whose sonic character has left its mark on iconic productions and artists—names like Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and Queen.”
Since the installation, the 32Classic has already been used across a broad range of Academy-related work, including classical, jazz and film-oriented sessions, as well as live and streaming productions. Projects range from solo recordings through chamber music to full symphony orchestras. “The console feels like a strong, long-term platform for the studio’s modernization,” Dr. Jarosz comments. “We also feel fully supported by Commercial Audio—not only did they supply the console, but they also handled the complete integration with all of our studio rooms, the concert hall and the entire outboard setup.”
Looking ahead, he says, STM is considering expanding the system toward Dolby Atmos. “The console’s monitoring bus capabilities and flexible routing make it a strong foundation for immersive monitoring and playback,” he says. “It fits naturally into that direction of development.”