I thought about being a smartass, like Bob Wiseman in Musician magazine around the time Blue Rodeo put out Diamond Mine. In the sidebar of every interview in that mag, there was a list of gear that the featured band used. Wiseman answered the “What keyboards do you use?” question with this: “Oh, any kind”. When pressed, he went off about how it was ridiculous that it mattered what gear a musician used, that what really mattered was what he/she played with the gear available. (For the record, Wiseman used an Acetone Top 5 organ extensively in his time with Blue Rodeo, and I own one. It is awesome.)
On one hand, I totally agree. I feel like we make too much out of what gear we use. Sure a BMW is nice, but a Camry will get you to Safeway too, and isn’t getting the groceries the important part? Also, just because you buy Wayne Gretzky’s Titan off eBay doesn’t mean you’re gonna break any scoring records anytime soon.
On the other hand, I love gear, and it is almost as important as the songs and players are when you are making a record. I decided a long time ago that I would try and be sensible when it came to equipment purchases, and try to balance my quest for awesome sounds with financial prudence. Its really hard sometimes.
This is some (most? all?) of the stuff that is available to you when you come to Arch Audio to make a record.
DAW/Console/Monitors
- Cubase 5 on a Windows 64-bit system. (What? No Mac? Nope. Windows. So there.)
- SSL XLogic Alpha Link AD/DA converters
- UAD-2 powered plugins
- Toft ATB16 console
- Mackie HR824 monitors
Outboard Gear
- Universal Audio LA-610 recording channel
- 2 dbx 160a compressors
- AEA TRP dual-mono mic pre
- RNC compressor
Microphones
some black ones, some silver ones, and a red plastic one (the best one)
Just kidding!
- Neumann TLM 103
- Audio-Technica 4050 (2)
- Audio-Technica 4040 (2)
- AKG SE 300b (2)
- Audio-Technica AE 2500 (I like Audio-Technicas, what can I say?)
- Radio Shack PZM (2)
- Shinybox 46U
- Beyerdynamic M260 (2)
- Sennheiser 421 (2)
- Shure SM-7b
- Shure SM57 (4)
- Calrad 150c Crystal (Made in Japan!!)
- Radio Shack Sing-a-Long (the red plastic one!)
Electric Guitars and Amplifiers
- Gibson Les Paul Special
- Fender Jazzmaster
- Fender Telecaster
- No-Name Japanese 335 knockoff (early 70’s, might be my best guitar)
- Danelectro 59-DC (Nashville tuning)
- Danelectro Hodad 12-string
- Fender Squier P-Bass (made in China, it is awesome)
- Fender Deluxe Reverb
- Orange AD-15
- Beltone AP-12 (amazing tremolo!)
- Harmony H303A (think “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks)
- Garnet Rebel PA head
- Lil Smokey (2)
- GK MB150
- GK MB500 head
- GK 4×10 bass cab
Acoustic Guitars, etc
- Larrivee D-03
- Epiphone early 70’s small dreadnought (w/ a Frankenstein humbucker in the soundhole – nasty, but awesome)
- No-name archtop (old, awesome)
- Sears-Roebuck parlor (Nashville tuning)
- Nylon-string classical (for that Willie Nelson vibe)
- Anjo 5-string banjo
- Maybelle mandolin (super old, and awesome)
- Yamaha Guitalele
Studio Pics
