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...
>>Console, recorders and outboard gear are all 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. Tiny company. Big tube mics.
AEA: R-84 (x2) Large ribbon mics.
BLUE: Dragonfly, Ball, Kick Ball
Royer: R-121 ribbon mic
Neumann: TLM 103
Beyer Dynamic: M-260 (x2) modified with RCA ribbons.
AKG: C-414, C-451(x2), D-112, 418(x2), 419, C1000-S
Audix: i-5 (x2), D-6 (x2), D-4, D-2 (x3)
Audio Technica: AT-4033
Sennheiser: E-602, E-609silver(x2)
MXL: V-6 (x2) M-3
Shure: SM57(x5), SM58
Rode: NT1, NT5(x2), NT3
Pacific Pro Audio: LD1(x3)
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?
OUTBOARD MIC PREAMPS, EQ, etc:
Manley Labs VOXBOX: Lots of tubes, beefy transformers, meaty.
EQP-1A: All tube Pultec EQ's (x2) Yum.
Chandler Ltd. Germanium MicPre: Super clean or velvety smooth.
Geoff Daking & Co. 52270 MicPre/EQ: Class A solid state preamps & "A Range" EQ (x2)
Universal Audio 2-610: 2-ch tube preamp w/ shelving EQ 2108: 2-ch J-FET preamp
Summit Audio EQ-200: Neve designed analog EQ + digital control, recall & automation = bitchin.
Radial JDI: passive DI w/ Jensen transformer.
MXR M-80: active DI w/ EQ
Behringer 4ch active DI
OUTBOARD DYNAMICS:
Chandler Ltd TG-1: Reissue of classic EMI limiter. The "face-melter."
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
Waves L2 Ultramaximizer (hardware unit): digital peak limiter/make-more-louder box. Read more below.
DBX 160xt: VCA compressor
ART Pro VLA: 2-ch optical tube compressor
Behringer Multigate: 4-ch gate/expander
Tascam ATR60-16: 16 track, 1" open-reel tape deck. It's a workhorse deck that sounds cool and has a vibe most folks really like. It's 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.
The RADAR does some basic editing, but I also have the computer stuff if we need it for post-production...
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 analog outs available at mix) Audio applications include Digital Performer, Peak, Pro Tools & more. I also have most of the great sounding Universal Audio powered plug-ins. This setup provides all the editing, automation & effects needed for more involved post-production, and still allows me to mix on the analog board with all its benefits and use of nice outboard gear. I can import or export SDII, AIFF, & WAV file formats. Although I often give friendly jabs at Pro Tools, and prefer to do as much work as possible without computers, I use both HD and LE systems probably more than my own DP rig, and can zip around with it just fine, in case you were wondering.
ANALOG CONSOLE:
Soundcraft Ghost: 32ch/64 input British analog desk w/ automated mute groups. Very smooth 4-band EQ.
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 converter with UV22HR dither for 16 bit masters. 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 Plenty of plug-ins in the computer rig including some from Waves and that infamous AutoTune. The plug in I like the best are the Universal Audio powered plug-ins. If you check out the link, I have all but a few of what you see there. The UA plug-ins actually sound quite good, and I much prefer them to most of the Waves stuff.
AdrenaLinn II: Drum box & beat-sync'd FX & delay. Very fun!
TC Electronics M-One: reverb & effects
Lexicon MPX100: reverb & effects
Peavey DualFX: 2ch reverb & effects
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 piano w/ vibrato; Nord Lead 2 synthesizer; Roland JD-800 synthesizer; Moog Taurus, bass-pedal synthesizer (a rare analog gem from the 70's.)
We'll miss you Bob. Thanks for the inspiring work, cool sounds, and just being who you were!
BASS: Bass is my main instrument, so I have a few here you can use... Rickenbacker 4003; Fender '75 reissue American Jazz Bass; Fender Precision Bass with very old, very dead strings; Epiphone Jack Cassidy hollow-body; Dean 8-string (EADG w/ octaves); Aria Pro II American fretless
GUITAR: Epiphone Dot w/ Duncan '59 p/u's (like ES-335, everyone loves this guitar) Danelectro 12-string electric
* * 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 have used.
AMPS: Vintage modified Fender Champ; Fender Blues Deluxe: tube combo; GK 800RB bass amp & SWR cabinets
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 fits your needs and budget.
Enough rambling...
back to the gear list!
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