Which recording gear do you use?

[alexreinhold]

My cousin is a professional producer and recently talked me into getting the UA Apollo Twin X audio interface to replace my IK Multimedia Axe I/O. I was honestly shocked by how much of an audible difference it made. Then I figured how hard it is to pick the right gear for recording. So I thought it would be great if the wonderful people here could share what gear they use in their (home) studio and why. I'll give it a start and maybe some of you want to follow

Audio Interface: UA Apollo Twin X (very happy; because my cousin talked me into it)
Monitors: Genelec 8340 + 7040 (got a ridiculously good deal and really wanted to use the GLM system because my room acoustics suck. A/B tested against Neumann before)
Earphones: Beyerdynamic DT 880 (because I they sound very neutral to my ears)
DAW: Ableton Live (because all others confuse me)
Favorite plugins: any Neural DSP, Addictive Drummer
Favorite guitar amp to record through: Kemper Stage
Other: n/a

 

[stratamania]

I have a UA Apollo Twin, Yamaha HS50 monitors, and Logic Pro X. In the past I have used Cubase, I also at times have used Superior Drummer. These days I don't do that much recording etc.

 

[aarontunes]

My general setup is as follows:

DAW: Presonus Studio One, which I absolutely love.
Audio Interface: Focusrite Clarett+ 8 Pre
Monitors: Yamaha HS8
Earphones: Sennheiser HD280
Outboard gear: Warm Audio WA76 (a really nice 1176 clone for compression on the way in.)
Most used plugins: Superior Drummer 3 on every song, Waves CLA1176, Waves SSL channel. (Would love to find alternatives for the Waves plugins!) Black Salt Audio Clipper and Low Control are fantastic. Lots of others.
Mastering: Izotope Ozone, though I would LOVE to find a different solution.
Guitar sounds: Fractal FM3, or for real amps I use a Freidman Smallbox or Marshall DSL100HR through a Torpedo Captor X

 

[Rick]

I used to use a Tascam four track cassette recorder. Gave that to my nephew along with my monitors. Monitors were yamaha somethings. Still have my Shure SM58, great vocal mic. Instrument mic was something by Shure, but I forget. Plug ins? Now it's my cell phone and computer speakers, just download the single take to my computer. I have a two track handheld tascam unit that I never use, probably cost $50 used.

If I were going to get back into recording, I'd use a Zoom H2. It has an excellent mic. If Audigo ever makes an android mic, I might go for one of their wireless magnetic mics. We'll see.

 

[alexreinhold]

Has anyone of you done acoustic treatment in your rooms? I was toying with the idea but since I got everything installed in a corner of our living room, it's a no go. Hence, I got the GLM system for neutral sound.

 

[Rick]

My acoustic treatment is a decent Persian carpet on the floor. Thick curtains on windows. Book shelves. Lot's of books. Paintings. No wall is completely bare, one wall has a bunch of pictures. A ceiling fan. I don't like the sound of a completely dead room. Usual furniture etc. My goal was to have it look like a normal room, but reduce the sound bounce to a minimum but not eliminate it. It's good enough. I'm lucky enough to have a spare bedroom, bed removed, and is now my office / music room.

It's really weird when you go in a room with no echo at all.

 

[Spud]

Has anyone of you done acoustic treatment in your rooms? I was toying with the idea but since I got everything installed in a corner of our living room, it's a no go. Hence, I got the GLM system for neutral sound.

Oh ya definitely! I have played my acoustic in every room in the house for sure!

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Pro Tools 12
Arturia Keylab49 keyboard controller, Arturia Minifuse II, V Collection 9, FX Collection (Beta tester)
M-Audio AV 40 studio monitors, misc sub.
Various mics.
Other plugins.
Helix Floor.

 

[TBurst Std]

I don’t have a full system currently. I have a Black Lion audio interface with Dynaudio BM5As. A AXE FX 3 supply’s the goods.

 

[aarontunes]

Has anyone of you done acoustic treatment in your rooms? I was toying with the idea but since I got everything installed in a corner of our living room, it's a no go. Hence, I got the GLM system for neutral sound.

Ya, my room is treated with GIK Acoustics panels. I've got two corner bass traps, two 2'x4' wall bass traps, and then a bunch of 2'x4' sound panels. It's about the least fun thing to spend money on, but it does calm the room down a lot and make it sound better.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Same here, Aurelex Room assessed, then treated as such. I forgot which room eq software I have installed.

 

[LLL]

Mastering: Izotope Ozone, though I would LOVE to find a different solution.

Give this a whirl (and they're having a sale right now):

Brainworx bx_masterdesk PRO

The complete analog mastering desk is more tweakable than ever… while remaining shockingly easy to use.

www.plugin-alliance.com

On the "two" (final Master Stereo track) this single Brainworx plugin (runs natively), for me, has replaced:

UAD Manley Massive Passive MST EQ
UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
UAD Precision K-Stereo

 

[LLL]

UA Apollo 6x
UA 2-610 dual tube preamp
dbx 231s 31 band EQ
Eventide Pitchfactor
Samson S-Patch Plus 48 patchbay

2 x SM57s
Beyerdynamic M160
Shure 565SD Unisphere

Reaper
Tons of UA, Plugin Alliance, Waves & other VSTs and VSTi's
GetGoodDrums packs for drums

For monitors I generally use 3 different speaker styles:

ancient Teac "reference series 100" bookshelf stereo (for general mixing)
Audio Technica R-70x (for precision mixing)
ancient pair of Bose on-the-ear headphones (for testing mixes with its hyped bass and sound)

Unless I'm just whipping up something quick, I'll listen to mixes on each system.

Works for me...

https://soundcloud.com/lefty-lounge-lizard%2Flll-a6x-68p-lay-it-down-test-7

 

[LLL]

Mastering: Izotope Ozone, though I would LOVE to find a different solution.

There's also Gullfoss by Soundtheory but it has more of an avant-garde (non-standard) mentality.

Soundtheory - Reveal your sound

Soundtheory develops unique methods for realtime audio processing. Try Gullfoss, your own pair of Golden Ears!

www.soundtheory.com

 

[stultzies9]

My rig runs as such:

Guitar into either a V4 Victory The Jack pedalboard amp or an Orange Amps Guitar Butler
Presonus StudioLive III 16r
Presonus Studio One

I'm using JBL monitors (the 305somethingorother) or an Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones

My room isn't treated, but I've got bookshelves behind me, and a carpeted floor. For mixing, I use the headphones along with Waves Studio's Ocean Way Nx plugin. It does a decent job simulating a nice studio control room.

As for plugins, I put either Lindell's Audio 80 or Audio 50 console plugins in the front of all my recordings. I also use the compressor plugins that are built in to my StudioLive interface. I'm frequently using the 1176 plugin because it sounds as good as it does. For mixing, I tend to mostly use the stock Presonus plugins, although I do use one of Waves' SSL plugins on drum loops or stems. I tend to go back to the Lindell plugins for a lot of EQ work (I like pretending I'm mixing on analog gear). And that's about it. For mastering, honestly, I tend to use either Soundcloud or Plugin Alliance's AI mastering because I don't have the ears for it, or the money to pay someone that does. Those two pieces of software do a pretty good job, especially for $5-6 per song.

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

My recording signal path is:
- Demeter VTMP-2b tube microphone preamp
- Lucid AD9624 analog-to-digital converter
- MOTU 2408 audio interface
- Mac running Digital Performer

On occasion I'll insert a compressor in between the mic pre and the A/D...usually an AudioArts 1200, sometimes an Aphex Compellor 300.

Playback is lightpipe from the 2408 > Yamaha 01V digital mixer > Mackie HR824 monitors

 

[Spud]

I like to go direct.

 

[Professor Bill]

Re: acoustic treatments (Moderators, if this should be a new thread please let me know.)

I'm lucky enough to be renovating a house and building a new detached garage. I'll have an office/workspace/music room in the new building. I have the opportunity to build it however I want. I've read conflicting opinions about the benefit of non-90-degree angles to address standing waves, but I'm wondering if anyone here has experience and can speak to the value of building with no right angles v. doing acoustic treatments.

In the space I'll also have rugs, furniture, bookcases, &c, like Rick desscribes. So I can eliminate some or most reflective surfaces. And I want it to feel and sound like a room, not a sterile studio. Also, It will be a space for playing at moderate volume (drums on the quiet side, acoustic instruments, smaller amps) and possibly recording, but I don't need it to be an ideal space for mixing or mastering.

I'd appreciate any thoughts or resources I could consult.

Thanks!

 

[Rick]

I dunno ... but sounds like a dream.

 

[TBurst Std]

Well if you want the sound of a room , then 90* are ok. And minimize room treatments. A room sound has that noise