EQUIPMENT LIST
The question I get asked the most after "what are your rates?" is easily, "so what gear do you use?"
Just for the curious, here it is listed in the order the sound might travel, starting with whatever noise you might be making. Warning: This is a looooong list...
>>Console, recorders and outboard gear are all hard-wired with short runs of the fancy shmancy cable to commercial grade TT patch bays. No mess of cheap cables to rob your hard earned sounds!
MICROPHONES:
These are what I own. Some other very nice mics may be available with advanced request. Ask.
Charter Oak: SA538 & SA538-B. Hi-fi tube mics. One warmer. One brighter.
AEA: R-84 (x2) Large ribbon mics.
BLUE: Dragonfly, Ball, Kick Ball
Royer: R-121 ribbon mic. The original.
Neumann: TLM 103 (vintage U-87, newer M-149 available with advanced request)
Beyer Dynamic: M-260 (x2) modified with RCA ribbons.
Chameleon Labs: TS-1 tube pencil condenser
AKG: C-414, C-451(x2), D-112, C1000-S (x2)
Audix: i-5 (x2), D-6 (x2), D-4, D-2 (x3)
Audio Technica: AT-4033, AT-4047
Shure: SM-7, SM57(x5), SM58
Sennheiser: E-602, E-609silver(x2)
Kel Audio: HM-2D, HM-7U
MXL: V-6, M-3, 3000, 4000, 603-S
ElectroVoice: Cardinal (x2) Raven (x2)
Rode: NT1 (older, orig vers), NT5(x2), NT3
Pacific Pro Audio: LD1(x2), R-2 stereo ribbon
Radio Shack: battery-powered stereo spaceship-looking microphone thingy with cool swiveling heads. They've got answers, but I'm not sure what that question was. It does look cool. ...Various other weird, old and/or cheap mics. "Hi-Ball" anyone?
...I know I have more I'm forgetting!
OUTBOARD MIC PREAMPS, EQ, etc:
Manley Labs VOXBOX: Lots of tubes, beefy transformers, big, warm, smooth.
EQP-1A: All tube Pultec EQ's (x2) Yum.
Chandler Ltd. Germanium MicPre: Super clean to richly saturated.
TG-2: Stereo mic amp from EMI / Abbey Road Studios.
Geoff Daking & Co. 52270 MicPre/EQ: Class A solid state preamps with "A Range" EQ (x2)
Universal Audio 2-610: classic reissue of 2-ch tube preamp w/ shelving EQ
2108: 2-ch J-FET preamp. Rare. One of my favorites.
Peavey VMP: Older 2-ch all tube mic preamp with shelving EQ. Mine is filled with all NOS Telefunken tubes. They actually made something good, but because it said "Peavey" on the front, it didn't sell well. Now people are realizing they do sound good, and they're getting crazy prices on ebay.
Summit Audio EQ-200: Neve designed class-A EQ w digital control, recall & automation. Very rare and no longer made. My main mastering EQ.
Shure 60's era 4-ch mic preamp / mixer. Old school sound. Cool knobs!
Radial JDI: warm passive DI w/ Jensen transformer.
Pro D2: 2-ch passive DI
MXR M-80: active DI w/ EQ
Tech-21 SansAmp Bass Driver. 3-channel version.
Behringer 4ch active DI
OUTBOARD DYNAMICS:
Chandler Ltd TG-1: Reissue of classic EMI limiter. The "face-melter."
Germanium Compressors: (x2) Very unique, ultra-smooth compressors.
DW Fearn VT-7: Tube compressor. Big, open tone. Smooth, transparent compression.
Electro-Harmonix NY-2A: Tube opto compressor. Character-rich tone & compression.
Manley Labs VOXBOX has a very smooth opto compressor and faster limiter/de-esser. All tube-driven.
Empirical Labs FATSO Jr: 2-ch compressor & saturator
Distressor: with that snappy "British Mode."
Summit Audio TLA-50: Tube Leveler
DBX 160xt: VCA compressor
ART Pro VLA: 2-ch optical tube compressor
Aphex 320a Compellor: 2-ch compressor / leveler
720a Dominator: 2-ch, 3-band analog peak limiter & shelving EQ
Waves L2 Ultramaximizer (hardware unit): digital peak limiter / make-more-louder box. Read more below.
Tascam ATR60-16: 16 track, 1" open-reel tape deck. It's a workhorse deck that sounds great and has a vibe most people really like. It's custom calibrated to run high-output tape at 15 ips without noise reduction (can also do 30, but doesn't sound as cool). Analog goodness all the live-long day, lower tape costs. "...but it's not 2-inch" you say? ...you'll be surprised.
DIGITALAND:
iZ Technology RADAR 24: The RADAR is a rock solid 24-track hard disk recorder that simply sounds better and more musical than most other digital systems and doesn't require a computer, so that's what I use. In session, things are quick and reliable, and analog tracks transferred to digital still sound good. Your RADAR tracks can be easily exported as WAV files for use in ProTools or any other DAW application.
I also have the computer stuff for the fancy editing & post-production tools...
Digital Workstation:
Dual-core 2.3GHz G5 Power Mac with MOTU interfaces connected to the RADAR for high-end analog I/O to the console. (32 discreet analog outs available at mix)
Digital Performer, Pro Tools, Bias Peak & more.
Universal Audio & Waves Plug Ins: (see more below)
UAD-2 Quad + UAD-1 cards with about 95% of their plug-in library
Waves: Broadcast & Production bundle with all versions of their "L" series limiters (L-2, L-3, L-3-16, etc), Center, Dorrough Meters
Although I often give friendly jabs at Pro Tools, and prefer to do as much work as possible without computers, and while my own primary DAW is Digital Performer, I use Pro Tools HD, Mix and LE systems all the time, and am rather proficient with them. While I have poked fun at bands looking for "Pro Tools" studios in my past ads, other engineers call me all the time asking emergency Pro Tools questions if that tells you anything. The point being, the software doesn't make the studio or the engineer.
ANALOG CONSOLE:
Soundcraft Ghost: 32ch/64 input British analog desk.
MIX-DOWN FORMATS & CONVERTERS:
When mixing to a digital format, the A/D converter is the last potential weak link that can toss a wet blanket over all your great sounds. I offer two high-end choices as alternatives to mixing through the crummy stock converters that get built into some of these digital recorders...
Apogee Rosetta 200: 2-ch, 192kHz A/D & D/A. Sounds clean and wide-open with a nice, broad stereo image.
Waves L2 Ultramaximizer: This is the hardware version. It can be used digitally, after the Rosetta for some final peak limiting, or used for its own converters. Its analog gain stage was designed by "Hutch" at Manley labs, and sounds quite warm. Using the A/D is a bit darker than the Rosetta, but has a quality that some prefer.
Alesis Masterlink: 24/96 mix-down recorder. Burns 24bit AIFF data files or Redbook CDs.
Sony DAT deck: here if you need it.
Tascam 122 mkII professional cassette deck: see above
EFFECTS & PROCESSING:
I'm more of a "get the sound we want on tape" kinda feller using live effects, the room and mic technique, but I do have a few boxes that do the trick when you need a little reverb or that extra somethin' nutty in the mix. My favorite effect is when you play your part so well, those little hairs start to stand up.
Plug-ins: UAD-2 Quad + UAD-1 cards with about 95% of their plug-in library
Waves: Broadcast & Production bundle with all versions of their "L" series limiters (L-2, L-3, L-3-16, etc), Center, Dorrough Meters
AdrenaLinn II: Drum box & beat-sync'd FX & delay. Very fun!
Lexicon MPX100: reverb & effects
Behringer V Verb Pro: $79 reverb. Cheapie box but sounds great. As usual, I'm sure they just copied something great that's much more expensive.
Peavey DualFX: 2ch reverb & effects. Nice little delay in there.
SRS Labs Pro 220: "make-it-more-stereo" box
Digitech RPM-1: Tube driven line-amp w/ analog rotary speaker simulator (not a digital model)
INSTRUMENTS:
Virtual: MOTU Symphonic Instrument Not that it sounds like a real orchestra, but can add a little fun to your arrangement, or be mixed in with real recorded tracks pretty convincingly.
KEYS: Hammond M-3, the "baby B-3"; Rhodes electric stage piano w/ vibrato; Nord Lead 2 synthesizer; Roland JD-800 synthesizer; Moog Taurus, bass-pedal synthesizer (A very rare analog gem from the 70's, used by the likes of Rush, Yes, Genesis, ya know, the nerdy bands. Guys who know what these are usually go a little ape shit about them. In pre-ebay times of the mid-90's, it took me about 3 years of looking to find a set in good condition.) Moog Taurus III OK, I didn't need it, but I had to have a set for posterity!
Bob Moog 1934 - 2005
It's pronounced with a long "o" like "row" or "boat" not "u" like "zoo." Get it straight people!
We'll miss you Bob. Thanks for the inspiring work, the coolest sounds, and just being who you were!
BASS: Bass is my main instrument, so I have a few here you can use... Rickenbacker 4003 Aria Pro II SB-Limited Aria Pro II SB fretless Fender '75 reissue American Jazz Bass Fender P-Bass with very old, very dead strings Epiphone Jack Cassidy hollow-body Dean 8-string (EADG w/ octaves. Think the sound of the intro to Pearl Jam's "Jeremy.") Peavey T-40 (monster) Rogue "Beatle Bass" Hofner copy w flat-wound strings
GUITAR: Epiphone Dot w/ Duncan '59 p/u's with coil-taps (like ES-330 or 335, everyone loves this guitar) Danelectro 12-string electric Various cheapie but fun guitars
* * If any guitars or basses get used a lot, I just ask for a fresh set of strings when you're done :-)
DRUMS: mid-70's Pearl 5-piece maple kit, sounds kinda like thunder; I also have a few other snare drums layin' around, including a nice fiberglass Yamaha that a lot of guys really like.
AMPS: Vintage modified Fender Champ; Fender Blues Deluxe: tube combo; GK 800RB bass amp & SWR cabinets The 1st Peavey bass amp with growl-y goodness
WIND: kazoo
Toys, Pedals, Misc: Various boxes & good analog pedals for guitar & bass including wah pedals, filters, good distortions (the Fulltone OCD & Full-Drive2 are quite nice), choruses, flangers, phasers, delays, pitch-shifters & more electronic gadgets & gizmos; ...Whatever we can invent!
! ! WARNING ! ! LATE NIGHT RAMBLING!
On gear, studios, etc... I stay in business by helping independent artists like you make well recorded music. The nice gear does help get better sounds and offers more variety, but it's nothing without the right person running it, or without your good music to begin with. Besides, any studio worth paying money for should have good tools, but don't just shop for "a studio." Keep in mind that the individual you are hiring is going to impact your music far more than a particular piece of gear. Everyone has their own way of working. Some guys just plain suck at it. Some are great, but very difficult to spend 10 hours with. Find the right person to work with first, then decide on a place that has the right tools and fits your needs and budget. Word.
Enough rambling...
back to the gear list!
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