I got an email from a guy called Tom (hi Tom!) asking me what all the kit he saw in the videos was.
I was taught all about recording and production by a genius of a guy called John Oram, and as such I won't do anything without his outboard, his EQ is by far the most superior out there and though plenty of companies have tried to copy it, it's too unique to be able to.
My desk is an Oram BEQ Series 24, it's an 80 channel desk which gives me all the scope I need, and my D.A.W is Cubase sx, I`ve tried pro tools and logic, but I find Cubase to be the most band friendly - I don't need 100`s of effects and plug ins and pretty much use it as a tape machine!
My favorite mic chain is Neuman u87 or AKG 4000b for vocals (although this is my voice) through an Oram MWS Mic Pre, and I use Nomad Factory or Waves compressors, though just a little pre, and I add a tiny bit of reverb post just for ambiance that way the reverb is not actually recorded, I never record effects preferring to deal with all that during the mix.
Drums are recorded with AKG 1000s as overheads, where I place them depends on the room and style I want, sure SM57`s or Benson Audio 30`s on snares and toms, sometimes I`ll under mic the snare, if I use a sm57 on top, I will mic with a BA30 underneath, Kick drums I use an AKG D112 and cover the whole drum with a thick blanket, I feel this absorbs bleed and also give you a bit more bass thickness. Hats and rides are miced depending on the brass being used but I usually like a crisp sound so I will use AKG 1000s and add PSPs vintage warmer for a little analogue warmth overdrive!
Acoustic Guitars really depend on the timbre, just like vocals, but I use Charvel and Martins and find that AKG 1000s work great for a real roomy crispness and BA 30s work great for a more mid end sound, once again always through an mws mic pre and I add a little compression using nomad factory, just enough for flavor.
I really believe there are no rules to recording, hell I`ve used washing up bowels, hose pipes, and all manner of strange things to get sounds I want, and the real deal is this regardless of mic, recording system, instrument, player and song, if it`s the sound you want, record it, if it isn't, keep experimenting till it is..then..record it!
I was taught all about recording and production by a genius of a guy called John Oram, and as such I won't do anything without his outboard, his EQ is by far the most superior out there and though plenty of companies have tried to copy it, it's too unique to be able to.
My desk is an Oram BEQ Series 24, it's an 80 channel desk which gives me all the scope I need, and my D.A.W is Cubase sx, I`ve tried pro tools and logic, but I find Cubase to be the most band friendly - I don't need 100`s of effects and plug ins and pretty much use it as a tape machine!
My favorite mic chain is Neuman u87 or AKG 4000b for vocals (although this is my voice) through an Oram MWS Mic Pre, and I use Nomad Factory or Waves compressors, though just a little pre, and I add a tiny bit of reverb post just for ambiance that way the reverb is not actually recorded, I never record effects preferring to deal with all that during the mix.
Drums are recorded with AKG 1000s as overheads, where I place them depends on the room and style I want, sure SM57`s or Benson Audio 30`s on snares and toms, sometimes I`ll under mic the snare, if I use a sm57 on top, I will mic with a BA30 underneath, Kick drums I use an AKG D112 and cover the whole drum with a thick blanket, I feel this absorbs bleed and also give you a bit more bass thickness. Hats and rides are miced depending on the brass being used but I usually like a crisp sound so I will use AKG 1000s and add PSPs vintage warmer for a little analogue warmth overdrive!
Acoustic Guitars really depend on the timbre, just like vocals, but I use Charvel and Martins and find that AKG 1000s work great for a real roomy crispness and BA 30s work great for a more mid end sound, once again always through an mws mic pre and I add a little compression using nomad factory, just enough for flavor.
I really believe there are no rules to recording, hell I`ve used washing up bowels, hose pipes, and all manner of strange things to get sounds I want, and the real deal is this regardless of mic, recording system, instrument, player and song, if it`s the sound you want, record it, if it isn't, keep experimenting till it is..then..record it!
