Chile’s music scene has long been known for its diversity, creativity, and deep cultural roots. At the center of this dynamic ecosystem is Raúl Aliaga Lewis, a seasoned percussionist whose career has spanned from session recordings to stage performances with some of the country’s most iconic fusion groups. In 1994, Aliaga expanded his reach by founding TOC Música, a Santiago-based recording studio that reflects both his musical depth and his ongoing pursuit of sonic excellence.
Most recently, TOC Música has stepped into a new chapter with the installation of a Solid State Logic ORIGIN 32-channel analogue mixing console. The console marks a significant milestone in the studio’s evolution and reaffirms Aliaga’s commitment to world-class audio production.
A statement from the company discloses that the ORIGIN console represents the culmination of “a scalable, organic process” that began with smaller SSL systems like the X Desk and XL Desk. Once the ORIGIN became available in Chile, Aliaga saw it as the ideal piece to complete his vision for the studio.
For Aliaga, choosing SSL was not just a technical decision—it was a personal one. Having long admired the brand for its sound quality and reliability, he gradually built TOC Música’s infrastructure around SSL products, adding gear like the BiG SiX SuperAnalogue desktop console, 500 Series EQ and compressor modules, and DAW controllers such as the UF8 and UC1.
“The ORIGIN’s quality is top-notch, living up to SSL’s promise, which has never let us down,” Aliaga shares in the release. “The headroom is impressive, the mic pre’s are versatile thanks to the DRIVE mode, and the EQs are wonderful. The Bus Compressor is the crown jewel of this console.”
Designed by acoustic specialist Francisco Herrera with technical support from Jorge Esteban and Aliaga himself, TOC Música is built to balance creative freedom with technical precision. The newly installed ORIGIN console features a modular center section that houses the studio’s 500 Series modules, allowing engineers to stay in the sweet spot during sessions.
A statement from the company highlights how ORIGIN’s advanced routing features “expand the possibilities for making creative decisions when mixing,” and facilitate more efficient workflows. Whether experimenting with parallel saturation or organizing complex subgroup routing, the console offers the flexibility required by modern studios.
Aliaga and studio manager Rafael Chaparro have found the ORIGIN to be both powerful and intuitive. Chaparro, who previously worked with the SSL 9000K, has praised the newer console for its streamlined workflow and accessible design. According to Aliaga, features like the E Series EQ and the iconic Bus Compressor have become everyday tools.
“We use the Bus Compressor for mixing — it’s the cherry on top of the icing on the SSL cake,” he says.
Since the ORIGIN’s installation, TOC Música has hosted sessions with some of Chile’s most prominent acts, including Grupo Congreso (of which Aliaga is a long-standing member), Los Tres, Pettinellis, María y Los Templos, Camilo Aliaga, and Cachay. These sessions were supported by engineers such as Jorge Abarca, Gerónimo Labrada, Jorge Esteban, Diego Bustamante, Pablo González, and Chaparro himself.
A statement from the company underscores the studio’s broad range of work, noting that international artists like Dennis Chambers, the Soweto Gospel Choir, and Claudia Acuña have all recorded there. The studio has also served as a home for Chilean legends such as Fulano, Isabel Parra, Álvaro Henríquez, and Elizabeth Morris, as well as for chamber ensembles like the Coda Wind Quintet and the Austral String Quartet.
Aliaga’s career has always intersected with innovation. From his early embrace of MIDI sequencing and programmable drums to his current use of cutting-edge analogue-digital hybrids, he has remained focused on advancing both his own sound and the services his studio provides.
“The continuation of studio work gave me an ever-increasing understanding of sound quality,” he says, “and allowed me to perceive the professionalism of sound engineers.”
Looking ahead, TOC Música shows no signs of slowing down. Plans are already in place to add more SSL equipment, including the Fusion stereo processor and additional 500 Series modules. An acoustic remodel of the control room is also in the works.
From its origins as a personal creative space to its current role as one of Chile’s leading studios, TOC Música is a testament to what can happen when musical vision meets technical excellence. And with the SSL ORIGIN console at the center of it all, the studio is well positioned to shape the sound of Chile’s next generation of artists.
