Gear
Everyone loves to talk about the gear they use, so here is a basic rundown of my gear, organized a bit:
Computer:
- Apple Mac Pro: 2.8Ghz 8-Core Xeon, 8GB Ram, 320GB/500GB/500GB
- (2) 24" Samsung 1920×1200 LCD Monitors
- Apple Macbook Pro 17"” Unibody 2.8Ghz Core2Duo, 4GB Ram, 500GB HD
- M-Audio ProFire 2626 Firewire Audio Interface
- Presonus Digimax D8 8-Channel Preamp/Digital Converter
- M-Audio Axiom 61 Keyboard Controller
- Wireless Apple Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse
This setup gives me great track counts and plug-ins, and the ability to record 16 tracks simultaneously from 16 Phantom-Powered XLR connections, with the MX-9000 Mixing board in play I can really get flexible on inputs. Usually I record at 24-bit 48Khz. If I had more desktop space I would probably add a 3rd 24” LCD, plug-ins take up so much space!
Software:
- Apple Logic Studio 9
- Pro Tools 8 M-Powered
- Pro Tools Producer Factory Pro
- Toontrack EZ-Drummer
- Toontrack Drumkit from Hell
- Steven Slate Drums LE
- Native Instruments Guitar Rig 4
- Melodyne Plugin
- IK Multimedia T-Racks 3 (Opto Compressor, Brickwall Limiter, Linear Phase EQ, Vintage Program EQ, Vintage Compressor and CSR Studio Hall Reverb)
Although I have ProTools 8, I spend my time in Logic Studio unless I am sharing a track with an existing ProTools session. I really love Logic Studio, it’s very powerful and intuitive to use. I’ll probably get more into ProTools just to stay current.
Outboard Gear:
- Line6 Pod XT Pro Guitar Processor
- Line6 Pod XT Bass Guitar Processor
- Behringer Composer Pro XL
- DBX 266XL Stereo Compressor (4)
- Focusrite Voice Master Platinum Pro
- Presonus TubePRE
- Presonus HP4 Headphone Amp
- Presonus Monitor Station
- Mackie Onyx 24-4 Bus Mixer
- Line6 TonePort
- M-Audio BlackBox Re-Loaded
- DOD 285 Cabinet Emulator
- Morley Classic Wah Pedal
I will probably add a few more of the DBX 266XL compressors to make the kit recording more flexible, they make drums sound soooo good. Besides that, I am becoming an in-the-box kind of guy, so outboard gear isn’t that important these days. I haven’t used the Pod XT Pro or BlackBox in ages.
Mics
- Rode NT1-A Condenser Mic
- Shure SM7B Dynamic Mic
- (2) MXL990 Condenser Mic
- MXL 991 Condenser Mic
- Digital Reference DR-LX1 Dynamic Mic
- (2) Audio Technica PRO8HE Dynamic Mic
- (4) Sennheiser e603 Dynamic Mic
- (3) Shure SM57 Dynamic Mic
- (2) Rode NT5 Condenser Mic (Matched Pair)
- (2) AKG C430 Condenser Mic
- Shure Beta52 Dynamic Mic
- Yamaha Subkick Dynamic Mic
- Audio-Technica AT2020 Side-address Condenser Mic
- Audio-Technica AT2021 Small-diaphram Condenser Mic
I am pretty happy with my mic options so far, with the Focusrite VoiceMaster Pro in the mix, I get some beautifully clean recordings. I’ll probably add a few more large diaphragm condensers into the mix at some point for some options, the NT1-A isn’t the most flexible. So far I am loving the NT5 set and AKG C430s, they sound amazing.
Monitoring:
- Yamaha HSM80 8" Studio Monitors
- Mackie MR5 5" Studio Monitors
- AKG K240 Studio Headphones
- Sennheiser HD280 Pro Studio Headphones
- (2) AKG K66 Studio Headphones
- Sony MDR CD6 Studio Headphones
- Logitech 2.1 Desktop Speaker setup
Monitoring is all about options, I feel I have a good representative of options available. I still intend to add a bookshelf stereo of some kind to my setup to check mixes against. I am amazed with the Mackie MR5s, they sound impressive even beside the much bigger Yamaha HSM80s.
Guitars:
- Ibanez RGT32FM 6-String Electric HH (Translucent Red)
- Ibanez RGT52 6-String Electric HSH (Translucent Blue)
- Ibanez RG 7-String Electric HH (Tremolo) (Magenta Crush)
- Ibanez RG 7-String Electric HH (Fixed Bridge) (Black – Cartman)
- Ibanez RG 6-String Electric HSH (Gears of War) (Black/Red)
- Schecter Omen6 6-String HH (Translucent Red Flat)
- Epiphone Les Paul Custom 6-String HH (Amber Burst)
- Fender Squire Stratocaster 6-String SSS (Amber Burst)
- Fender Standard Stratocaster 6-String SSS (Blue)
- Fender Standard Telecaster 6-String SS (Purple)
- Ovation 6-String Acoustic-Electric (Natural)
- Ovation 12-String Acoustic-Electric (Amber Burst)
- Ibanez 6-String Exotic Wood Acoustic-Electric (Natural)
- Ibanez Soundgear 4-String Bass (Active) (Blue Burst)
- Ibanez Soundgear 5-String Bass (Active) (Translucent Dark Red Flat)
- Ibanez Jem JEM7V Steve Vai model 6-String (White/Gold)
Guitar Amp/Effects:
- Carvin Legacy 100 watt head
- Carvin Legacy 4×12” Slant Cabinet
- Marshall JDM:100 100 watt head
- Marshall MA412A 4×12” Slant Cabinet
- Peavey Valveking 100 watt head
- Peavey 412 4×12” Slant Cabinet
- Egnater Tweaker 15 watt head
- Egnater Tweaker 1×12” Cabinet
- Morley Crybaby Wah
- Morley Bad Horsie 2 Wah
- Morley Little Alligator Volume
- MXR CSP-101CL Custom Shop Script Phase 90 Phaser
- MXR M-102 Dyna-Comp Compressor Pedal
- Digitech Whammy
- Boss DS-1 Overdrive
- Boss CH-1 Chorus
- Vox JSDL Joe Satriani Time Machine Delay
- Digitech Metal Master Pedal
I will probably spend quite a bit of time over the next few months replacing pickups. I intend to gut quite a few of these guitars. One of the HH RG guitars will get the classic Petrucci treatment with an Air Norton and a Steve’s Special in it. One of the HSH RGs will get the Vai treatment with Evolutions in it. I’ll probably put some smoking Dimarzios in the Les Paul and maybe Lace Sensors in the strat, not sure about that one yet.
I also have purchased a CNC cut body that duplicates the Steve Vai Jem guitar, I’ll be building that one slowly as well.
Drums:
- Roland TD-3 Electronic Drum Kit
- Tama 6-pc. Superstar Custom SL Hyper-Drive – Dark Desert Burst
- Gibraltar Curved Drum Rack
- Tama Iron Cobra Rolling Glide Double Bass Pedal
- Tama Iron Cobra Hihat Stand
- 14" Sabian AAX Hihats
- 16", 18" Sabian AAX Crashes
- 20" Sabian AAX Stage Ride
- 18" Sabian B8 China
- 8" Sabian B8 Splash
- Evans G2 Coated Head on the Snare, Evans EC2 Clear on the toms and Evans EMAD2 Clear on the Bass Drum
I could not be loving this set more. I still want to add a Gibralter drum rack, and several more Cymbal options, probably a few more splashes and a smaller and larger crash, as well as replace the B8s with AAX China and Splash. This set sounds amazing.
The Mic setup is pretty extensive, Rode NT5 Matched Pair for overheads, AKG C430 on the Hi-Hat and Ride, Sennheiser e603 on the Snare Top, Snare Bottom and two Rack Toms, Shure SM57s on the Floor Toms and a Shure SM57 inside bass head and Yamaha Subkick outside bass head. I run the kick, toms and snare through a compressor when tracking.
Next Gear on the List:
- Waves SSL & API Plugins (Why are they so damned expensive!)
- Drum Triggers and Brain (just for some options)
- Bass Amp (to play with others)
- Several more studio standard mics
- Mackie Control Surface (both the mix and the faders)
- (2) 2-Channel DBX Compressor/Gates
