I call it the Cabinet of Curiosities. The vibe of the place is one of artistic experimentation and discovery. Sometimes the rules of recording are followed here, other times, something more exploratory is needed to get the right sound and performance. It is more about the idea than the tools used to get there.
Software: Pro Tools 7.4 LE, Reason 4
Mics: Audio Technica, Peluso, Avenson Audio and vintage Telefunken Germany reside here among others. Types? Small and large diaphragm condensers, ribbon, and dynamic mics are among the ranks.
Outboard Gear: The Mackie Onyx 1620 small format mixer is the hub. Meanwhile, my racks hold legendary names such as Universal Audio, Tascam and dbx alongside Boutique gear from Great River Electronics and FMR Audio to name a few. Other choice hardware names include Vox, Fender and Korg. Rounding out the compliment of tube and solid-state pre-amps, compressors, filters, effects and “black boxes” I use to get “the sound” are eight channels of analog tape.
Plugins: DUY, Sound Toys, McDSP, Massey, Waves and the list goes on. Crystal clear digital clarity, tape saturation, tube gear warmth and large console emulation is all in the box. But it doesn’t end there. I have plugins to fit just about any imagined sound that wasn’t captured going in.
Monitoring: I monitor through Mackie and M-Audio near-field studio monitors with a subwoofer and a set of Cambridge Soundworks computer speakers with a subwoofer to ensure songs sound good on any system.
The Space: A mid-sized live room, control room, 3/4 bathroom, hallway, stairwell and patio off of the control room all come into play at different times when recording. All rooms have adjustable acoustics to make the sound as dry or reflective as needed. All of the studio equipment is kept on a dedicated electrical circuit. General purpose electronics such as lighting is on a different circuit.
I’l also on: