Audient EVO 8 captures Nepal journey on film

Nepal:

A four-week recording trip to Nepal has evolved into a 70-minute documentary for producer Noah Strik, with an Audient EVO 8 audio interface forming part of the compact recording setup used throughout the project.

Strik initially travelled to Nepal to record a collaborative EP with local musicians. However, a major earthquake struck on his second day, forcing him to abandon the original studio-based plan and instead document an evolving journey through the country. The resulting film, Project Nepal, is due to premiere at the Beholders Film Festival on 4 October.

With recording taking place in local homes, villages and remote jungle locations, Strik used the USB bus-powered EVO 8 as part of a portable setup. The interface’s single-knob operation and Smartgain feature were used to simplify recording in changing conditions, while its preamps captured voiceover and ambient recordings that subsequently contributed to the film’s musical score.

“The EVO 8 might have been my most underrated setup choice looking back,” noted Strik. “So many times, we had to improvise and adapt our setup, but the EVO 8 was the one thing that just worked. It made professional recording feel portable and I never felt like I was compromising on quality simply because I wasn't in a studio.”

The project marked a shift for Strik from music production towards filmmaking, with material gathered during the Nepal trip becoming the foundation for the documentary after he returned home. He taught himself editing, scoring and feature-film production to develop the project.

“I went from trying to just make songs to trying to find out if music could bring us together,” he said. “The journey completely changed the way I view music. I hope people leave the cinema either feeling empowered to connect more with those around them or feeling recognised in their own personal struggles.”