Equipment List
Apple Mac Pro 2.7GHz / 64GB
Logic X
UAD Apollo & Apollo 16 Thunderbolt interfaces
The powerhouse and engine of the studio is our super-souped-up Mac Pro running the latest version of Logic Pro X.
Two Universal Audio Apollo units combine to make a very powerful interface and zero-latency monitoring system with amazing AD/DA conversion, allowing us to record up to 24 channels of simultaneous audio at up to 96kHz.
CONDENSERS:
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Violet Microphones "The Globe Vintage" dark & warm LDC based on the classic vintage Neumann U47 sound
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JZ Microphones BH2 "The Black Hole" bright, airy and very detailed LDC, perfect for pop vocals
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AT4050 (x2) a true workhorse multi-pattern LDC
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Oktava MK012 with Michael Joly's "Premium Electronics" mod matched pair with full set of interchangeable capsules (LDC cardio, plus SDC cardioid, hypercardioid & omni) upgraded to sound just like Neumann KM84's.
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Line Audio CM3 SDC matched pair
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Superlux S502 SDC stereo mic in fixed ORTF config
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Naiant XO mini clip-on lavalier / soundhole mic
RIBBONS:
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NoHype Audio LRM1 (x2) matched pair
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ShinyBox 46MXL with Lundahl transformer
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Beyerdynamic Soundstar mkIII (x2)
DYNAMICS:
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Sennheiser MD408
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Sennheiser MD421
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Electrovoice RE20
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Shure SM7b
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Shure Unidyne III
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Beyerdynamic M88TG
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Audix i5
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AKG D5 (x3)
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AKG D12
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AKG D112
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AKG D190
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Blue Ball 48V phantom powered dynamic
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UHER M537 (x2)
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Peavey PVM520i
OTHERS
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Wasaphone mkI Great lofi mic made out of an old telephone receiver & a flour shaker - loads of retro flavour.
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Springbox - a box of springs with a built in contact mic that gives amazing trashy splashy reverb tones to any sound source you blast at it.
Our mic locker is always growing as we add more vintage and modern mics to our very versatile collection.
Focal CMS-65 (pair)
The absolute best speakers we could afford to buy! Look them up, they're great. Or better still, come here and have a listen ...
Superlux HD662F headphones
Great for tracking - high attenuation of external noise (which also means very little headphone spill into the mics), great clarity & flat frequency response for accurate monitoring.
UAD 1076 Channel Strip
Studer 289 Channel strips racked pair from vintage desk
Studer 900 Channel strip (x2) can't get enough Studer stuff :)
Handcraft Labs Affinity dual tube pre, handmade in Ukraine
Warm Audio WA12 (pair) very nice API312 clones
RFZ V781 (pair) two modules from an old East German broadcast desk, with two preamps in each module = 4 channels of fat Neve-like transistor magic
DAV Broadhurst GDNS No. 2 4 channels, based on the classic Decca Studios' preamp circuit design
Audient ASP880 8 channels of pristine, uncoloured hi-fi sound
That's up to 24 channels of boutique high-end preamps of many different flavours from all over the world. We think the variety of tone available from all these different choices gives us more flexibility in getting the right sound for you than a single mixing desk loaded with preamps which all sound the same.
Computer / Interface / DAW
Plugins
Microphones
Monitoring
Preamps
UAD - EQ, comps, limiters, reverb, amp modellers, etc.
Waves Platinum (+ other selected options) - huge collection of plugin processors of all types
NI Komplete 8 - virtual instruments & sample sets
EastWest Hollywood Orchestra - Diamond edition
East West Hollywood Brass
Soundtoys 5 - the complete suite! Some of the best sounding EQ, compression, drive & delay plugins we've heard.
We do most of our mixing and processing "in the box".
Although Logic provides some useful tools we have added an extensive range of the best plugin processors available including many modelled on legendary hardware (Neve, API, Fairchild, Pultec, Teletronix, etc.) to give you those classic vintage tones, and others which are of the more clinical variety at which the digital domain excels.
Vintage late-1960s Hayman 3 piece drum kit
looks beautiful, sounds great - big, punchy, classic vintage sound.
Gretsch Catalina Maple 5 piece drum kit
A great versatile modern recording kit - from open and jazzy to heavy rock, with tonnes of tone.
Premier 2000 series 5.5" snare very musical and responsive, but packs a big BANG too.
Bosphorous Gold Series 22" ride and 16" crash
Bosphorous 14" Dark Crash
Paiste Dark Crisp hihats very versatile for different styles
7.5" / 6" bongo set
Various hand-held percussion
tambourines, shakers, claves, triangle, guiro, cowbell, gogo bells, woodblocks, coconuts ... and others I've forgotten!
Schecter Diamond-J bass Fender Jazz-style with a twist
Westone Thunder 1A bass from the famous Matsumoko factory in Japan, made in 1984
Fender Standard American Telecaster (vintage)
Burns Steer (2003 reissue)
Westone Thunder 1A from the famous Matsumoku factory in Japan, made in 1983
Recording King acoustic guitar 6 string, 000 size/shape
Admira Sombra acoustic guitar 6 string (nylon) Spanish
Handmade concert ukulele
Casio VL-Tone VL-1
Hohner Melodica
2.5 octave glockenspiel
Shruti box drone instrument from harmonium family
Fender Twin Reverb classic guitar tube combo amp
Fender Bassman 100W head roars like nothing else
Marshall JMP2104 - vintage 50W 2x12, classic Marshall tone
Traynor YGL3 Like a vintage Fender Twin, but better :)
Fender Super 60 60W guitar tube combo amp - the best chiming Fender cleans we've ever heard
Selmer "Treble 'n Bass" RSV50 50W tube amp head w. reverb, our favourite for bass
Gem Mars 1x12 vintage hybrid combo - solid state input stage with tube driven output and oversized cabinet makes this amp bright and warm, crunchy and lush
Juketone "Royal Blood" - Princeton tone in a 1x10 5W combo
Crate "Blackheart" - Push this 5W combo and it sounds *really* plexi :)
Wharfedale 4x12 cab when things need to get BIG & LOUD ...
Electrovoice 1510 Bass cab perfect partner for the Selmer head as a bass rig, with a 15" and a 10" driver for depth and detail.
