Your Top Ten Pieces of Recording Studio Gear

[cgarges]

I don't think the thread is about "Top 10 things you wished you owned." It's top 10 things you do own, that you can't live/work without.

Keep in mind that some of us here on the board actually work in studios that we don't own, so we don't own some of the equipment that we like to have around to make a record. I don't think anyone has posted on here making their ideal wish list. Everyone seems pretty genuine so far.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Anthony Caruso]

I don't think the thread is about "Top 10 things you wished you owned." It's top 10 things you do own, that you can't live/work without.

I know it's not a wishlist, it's "...where you currently work.". Chris had it right, I haven't had a finite "where I work" for the last 4 years, but everything listed that I don't own I have worked with enough to know, have a crush on, even fall in love (looking at you, ELAM *flutter*). Some of it I do own, but I count myself lucky as someone who doesn't have to foot the bill for all the cool gear.

I can substitute the A80, CL1B, ELAM and ProAc's with Macpro/PTHD rig, Summit DCL200, pair of Neumann M150's, and Dynaudio BM5A's to be more literal with the original question of places I currently work, although I'd still recommend that other stuff. I will admit I'd take the PTHD over the A80 if I couldn't have both.

Maybe sometime in the future those places where I worked in the past will be my present working place. Exscuise kme ithink i jst blerw my/y oiwn minnd asnd ia m hasvnfg triuble seein g tgh keryborrd throujh alof the brainas.

[Bro Shark]

Yep, sorry for the mixup. Maybe I was just jealous at all the fun toys you guys have at your disposal.

[@?,*???&?]

There's also important, though pedestrian, gear like the Rolls headphone distribution amp

But any other box doing the same thing could replace this, no? I mean, nothing particularly precious or spectacular about this, right?

[ofajen]

There's also important, though pedestrian, gear like the Rolls headphone distribution amp

But any other box doing the same thing could replace this, no? I mean, nothing particularly precious or spectacular about this, right?

Totally. The Studio Traps, SM80 free field omnis and M130 figure 8 symmetrical ribbons, OTOH, are essential to the way I record. I'm growing more fond of Scott Dorsey's old modded SM81 capsules, too.

Beyond that, I'm not that fussy about electronics compared to some, other than insisting that I still track and mix to tape and work within the limits of 8 tracks.

I'm not that thrilled with the KRoks and those B&W 805s Chris mentioned are very appealling. They have the critical separate, small tweeter housing on top, which I generally find gives a superior sound stage and image, but they aren't huge, like the Polk RTA 12Bs I also still use as full-range monitors. Of course, there is the ever-present matter of cost, which generally stops me from spending on anything unless it is clearly critical to removing a barrier to getting my stuff done.

Cheers,

Otto

[iamthecosmos]

Hobbyist Recording Geek's Low Budget Top Ten

Mine is also low budget for the most part. Super-nice stuff usually bought with band money:

1. Universal Audio 610 Solo - The best thing for recording we've ever bought. Sounds great and distorting it can sometime work very nicely. Warms up synth or drum machine very well.

2. AKG C414 XLS - Bought with the Solo. Great for drums, recorded mono drums with this and got a great deep tom sound for one mic (with a condenser mic on kick).

3. Macbook Pro - Essential and for the most part really reliable.

4. Motu 828 mk3 - Awesome interface for the money. A/D D/A is better than an 002 to me, so that'll do.

5. FMR RNP - Two decent channels and great with...

6. FMR RNC - Predictable choice but if you need a compressor occasionally it's good to have around.

7. Radial ProRMP - Re-amps are essential to me. For re-amping bass for sure, but also for putting vocals through amps/pedals/Moog.

8. Sansamp Classic - Not really good for electric guitar, but awesome for everything else & re-amping. Surprisingly good on bass, with a DI to blend.

9. Logic 9 - So much better now. Used the original Logic Express to start with which was a nightmare for editing but this is awesome. The Tape-Delay plugin is underrated. The Amp Modeller is pretty good but I wish they'd sort it out for bass. Can't go wrong with Space Designer, I've never felt the need to seek out another reverb.

10. Behringer Headphone Amp - Cheap and gets the job done. One of the least exciting things I've bought, probably the only piece of equipment where I've been happy to use the cheapest model, but still absolutely essential.

[Nick Sevilla]

There, you happy? You'll still not make any records sound like mine even if you use the same gear. Ever.

Thanks Nick, you're a real team-player!

I'm sure producers tell you that all the time. lol

Thanks... my sarcasm is so out there, no one gets it, sometimes not even me...

[vvv]

Lower-than-all-y'all's budgets:

1. 2007 P-IV 2x2Ghz HP custom-built running XP Pro

2. CEP 2.1 (so old it's now owned by a different co., & called Adobe Audition)

3. NOS R2 ribbon (esp. for guitars, some percussion)

4. AT4040 (mostly for vox, some percussion)

5. Studio Projects VTB1 (especially for guitars, and DI keys)

6. ART TPS (especially for bass)

7. Meek VC3Q (especially for vox)

8. Tannoy 6.5 PBM II (from the early 90's)

9. M-audio Delta 44

10. Sony 7506's

(I am not listing my mobile rig stuff ...)

[JGriffin]

What are the things you could not live without where you are currently working!

what are the top 10 most important pieces of equipment in the place where you're working?

This thread asks about YOUR specific TOP 10 pieces of gear you use every day- please list by exact model that you have and/or utilize most.

But any other box doing the same thing could replace this, no? I mean, nothing particularly precious or spectacular about this, right?

Given that, I don't know that I could get to ten. Especially that last thing, the idea that a particular tool is so unique and awesome that there is no substitute.

But. In my day-to-day work:

1) Neumann U87. Though I can do, and have done, the same things with an AKG 414, or Neumann U89.

2) Sennheiser MKH416. If you have the Neumann and the Sennheiser you're pretty much set.

3) GML 2020 mic pre. Nice thing about a preamp that costs more than my car is that if something's wrong with the spot, I'm pretty sure the problem isn't the mic pre.

4) Pro Tools.

5) Genelec 8040a monitors. Though the previous generation worked fine.

6) Crappy 2" speaker built in to Sony broadcast monitor. Though really, any crappy speaker will probably do.

7) Sound Devices 722. But I'm sure I'd be equally happy with a 744 or 788.

8 ) Digidesign Control 24 control surface. This fits Jeff's "particularly precious" requirement because no other surface will fit in the custom-built desk in the control room.

9) Large hard drive filled with multiple commercial sound effects libraries and 15 years' worth of custom-made sound effects.


At home:


1) #4 above
2) #9 above
3) Moog Rogue synthesizer. I put that sh*t on everything.
4) big box of sound toys, including chains, roto-tom rims, custom-built twang boxes and a slide whistle with more hours on it than an uninspected Southwest 737.
5) Studer mixer. Nice mic pres.
6) Ampex mic pre.

[weatherbox]

1. PTHD + Mac. Does what I want it to do with minimal fuss or computery stuff.
2. Otari 8 track. A little more fuss, yea, but does that thing to rhythm tracks.
3. API 2500 makes drums sound right.
4. Coles 4038s like to explode but sound worth it.
5. console. Currently it's a Harrison. It doesn't have a mouse, which is the important part.
6. KSM141s are the truest "pair for anything" I can think of.
7. ATM25s workhorse instrument dynamics
8. u87. I like my Wunder more but I'm pretty sure the u87 has been used on every single (multitrack) song I've recorded since getting it.
9. Thermionic Rooster nice at tracking and so good at mix time.
10. Space Echo. Spend 4 minutes tweaking a plugin, or 12 seconds a real echo. Hmm.
10b. UAD2, because no room for a real plate.

[Wainwright]

1- Note Pad (I would be totally fucked without it.)

2- API 512c (Drums go boom.)

3- Shure SM57 (Haters gonna hate.)

4- Flashlight (Illuminates the situation.)

5- Lexicon Prime Time II

6- Crappy Realistic Dynamic Mic

7- A Snack (Beef jerky, Trail mix, Candy bar, I don't give a fuck, I do a better job when I'm not hungry.)

8- Great River Mic Pre (Magic on strings and acoustic stuff.)

9- Tube LDC with M7 (Vintage Neumann or New Geffel.)

10- Grado Headphones

[mscottweber]

4) - Tascam 122MKIII cassette deck. It gets used on every mix as a slap back delay. It gets grainy and fuzz (in a great way) when driven hard and gets you in the ballpark of that Sun records slap back sound.

Would you mind expounding upon this a bit (unless, of course it would be giving away one of your big money-making trade secrets )?
Maybe I just have no clue how the basics of tape delay works, but I can't wrap my head around how you would have this cassette deck wired up to act as a slap back echo.

Mike

[A.David.MacKinnon]

It's a 3 head cassette deck. If you monitor from the playback head while recording you get a delayed sound (the time it takes the tape to travel from the record to playback head). The 122 also has veri speed so you have some control over the delay time.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i don't really think about gear all that much, so my choices might seem kind of dumb, but whatever. in no particular order except #1....

1. B+W 805s....everything CG said is dead on. i have the newer fancy ones, but the old matrix ones regularly come up used for like $700, i can't imagine any other monitors in that price range being nearly as good.

2. the space echo.....duh. although it's gone a bit wonky lately and i've done a few mixes using just the plug in. don't tell anyone.

3. distressor....also duh.

4. earthworks tc30s/sm7/m160...i could probably be perfectly happy making records with just these mics.

5. lavry ad/da....the day i got 6 channels of their a/d was when i decided i liked tracking drums straight to computer better than recording them on my otari. sacrilege i know.

6. wavelab....this program is like a brother to me.

7. mullard tubes....i have them in my eq and compressor. they're expensive but do indeed have The Magic.

8. spitfish de-esser....some days when mastering records, this free plug in is more valuable to me than the rack of fancy black boxes sitting to my left.

9. a shit ton of 703....nothing sexy about fiberglass and fabric, but it makes all the difference in the world.

10. a nice big room to mix/master in, and a bigger room with crazy reverb for tracking/reamping.

11. one of garges' sontecs

[trodden]

drawmer...