The Mix This! Equipment List (with BC's comments) Updated 8/13/07 |
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No.
of Pieces |
Manufacturer/Item/Description | Comments & Observations |
The
Mixing Table |
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1 |
Solid State Logic 4072 G+ Analog Recording Desk | Rather modified, 72 inputs with Ultimation - this desk rocks! |
1 |
Speck Electronics "Xtra-mix" 40-ch. mixer |
Rack-mounted, for effects returns. |
Dynamics |
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3 |
UREI 1178 Stereo Compressor | Fantastic, but old & cranky - difficult to recall |
1 |
Focusrite Red 3 Stereo Compressor | Sounds & looks good but noisy and hard to recall - could use control markings |
4 |
UREI LA-3A Compressor | Classic & transparent on vocals - modified for low noise |
2 |
Empherical Labs Distressor | Excellent on acoustic guitars & many other things - great knobs! |
1 |
SSL FXG384 Outboard Stereo Compressor | Same as in the Console - great for piano or submixed drums |
1 |
Avalon AD2044 Stereo Compressor | Great on bass & guitars - difficult to recall |
2 |
BSS DPR-901 Dynamic Equalizer | For vocals, it's like cheating! Pre-Harman - great! Post-Harman - blows big time! |
8 |
DBX 902 De-Esser | Quite handy, but not for lead vocals |
4 |
Drawmer DS-201 Dual Gate | Great problem-solvers |
1 |
RCA Limiter B6A | Looks very cool with it's glowing tubes, but completely useless (I think it's broken) |
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Equalizers |
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3 |
Pultec EQP-1A3 | The best then, now and always will be |
1 |
Avalon AD2055 (Stereo) | Excellent alternative eq - extremely posh sound |
72 |
SSL E-Series (in mixing table) | Extremely underrated |
1 |
UREI Filter Set | Looks cool & protects against "Lame Studio Syndrome" |
Digital
Signal Processors (Reverbs, Delays, etc.) |
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3 |
Yamaha SPX-990 Multi-effects Processor | Not well-known, but versatile & sounds great |
1 |
Yamaha Pro-R3 Reverb | Very smooth &rich for long 'verbs |
1 |
Eventide H-3000 Mult-effects/Harmonizer | The old standby - lots of cool stuff in there (when it's working) Great sampling |
2 |
Eventide H-3500 Mult-effects/Harmonizer | Pretty much same as above |
1 |
Eventide DSP-4000 Mult-effects/Harmonizer | Excellent for tuning vocals, "tape" flanging and many other things |
1 |
Yamaha D5000 Digital Delay | The best DDL ever made |
3 |
Roland SDE-3000 Digital Delay | The second best DDL ever made |
1 |
AMS DMX 15-80S Digital Delay | Vintage 80's DDL, I still use it everyday |
1 |
AMS RMX 16 Reverb | Classic digital verb, a bit grainy & dark. Used Occasionally |
2 |
Lexicon PCM-70 Multi-effects Processor | "Concert Hall" with some mods is the bomb on piano |
1 |
Lexicon 480L Multi-effects Processor | Not my favorite, but very expensive |
1 |
Antares AMM-1 Mic Modeler | Makes most any mic sound better, or worse, which sometimes is better (or not) |
1 |
Ursa Major SST-282 Space Station | Disgusting, grundgy early digital 'verb, for a raggedy garage band sound |
1 |
Ursa Major SST-206 Space Station | New version of above. Not so disgusting.ok - good night |
1 |
MXR Phaser/Flanger Rack (2 of each in 4 unit rack) | Classic analog effects from the 70's - quite rare these days |
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Analog
Signal Processors |
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2 |
Sans Amp guitar amp simulator | The old, non-memory type - great! |
1 |
DBX 120XP Sub-harmonic Synthesizer | Kinda sucks (At Berkeley St.) |
1 |
Roland Space Echo 201 | Great classic analog tape delay effects - until the tape jams |
2 |
Live Echo Chambers | Ya' don't come across these much anymore - kinda like Motown verb. |
1 |
Funk Logic Valvecaster 1960 | This box makes everything better - very transparent, subtle effect |
1 |
Funk Logic Digilog Dynamicator | Of all the pieces of gear in the room, this is definitely one of 'em! |
Tape
Recorders |
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1 |
Sony PCM-3348HR 48 Trk. Digital w/remote meter | The best
multitrack recorder ever made - even better with Apogee converters! Used basically as a hard drive shelf, nowadays. |
1 |
Sony 7030 DAT | The best DAT machine - chases timecode - not easy to operate |
1 |
Sony 7010 DAT | Looks like the 7030, but is very different. Records code but won't chase |
1 |
Tascam DA-88 Digital 8-Track w/timecode | Used with the PSX-100 for "bit-split" 88.2 Khz stereo mix safeties |
1 |
Tascam DA-38 Digital 8-Track | Used for L-C-R stems for movies, but not much anymore |
1 |
ADAT XT Digital 8-Track w/BRC | I'm glad this spends most of it's time in the closet nowadays! |
2 |
Tascam DA-302 Dual DAT Recorder | Great foe double-speed DAT copies |
6 |
Tascam 122 Mk. III Cassette | The best cassette machine, but hardly used anymore. Wanna buy one? |
Digital
Converters |
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1 |
Apogee AD-16X 16-channel A/D converter | Fitted with the X-HD card.—Don't even mention anything else - on the front end of the multitrack ProTools HD system |
4 |
Apogee DA-16X, 16-channel D/A Converter | Fitted with X-HD cards.—On the back end of the multitrack ProTools HD system |
1 |
Apogee Rosetta 800, 8-channel A/D, D/A Converter | On the other ProTools HD system |
2 |
Apogee Trak 2 Stereo Mic Pre & A/D Converter | The best mic pre going, with the best 2 ch. A/D, 8 ch. D/A and AMBus |
3 |
Apogee PSX-100 Stereo A/D-D/A Converter | Great for mixing double-wide 88.2/96 Khz stereo to a DA-88 |
2 |
Apogee AD-1000 Stereo A/D Converter | That classic Apogee digital sound |
1 |
Apogee AD-500 Stereo A/D Converter | Even more classic Apogee digital sound, with "Soft Saturate" |
4 |
Apogee DA-1000 Stereo D/A Converter | The old standby D to A |
1 |
Apogee DA-2000 Stereo D/A Converter | Cello used to sell this great box for about 6 grand. |
1 |
Apogee FC-8 ADAT/TDIF Format Converter | They won a "TEC" award for a format converter! |
Mic
Preamps & D. I.s |
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3 |
Apogee Mini MP | Portable stereo mic pre - these things ROCK!! |
2 |
Apogee Trak 2 Stereo Mic Pre & A to D Converter | An amazing mic preamp (that happens to have an Apogee A/D attached) |
2 |
Avalon M5 Mic Preamplifier | Great classic sounding mic pre. |
2 |
Avalon U5 Active/Passive Direct Box | Perfect for bass & electric guitars. |
Computers,
DAWs & That Kind Of Stuff |
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1 |
Macintosh G5 dual-processor 2 Ghz | Running ProTools HD and Logic Audio with the AD & DA 16-X's (mix multitrack) |
1 |
Macintosh G5 dual-processor 2 Ghz | Running the 2nd ProTools HD system with a Rosetta 800 (mix destination) |
1 |
Macintosh G4 733 MHz | For doing backups to the VXA & CD copies on the CD tower |
1 |
Macintosh 2 Ghz X-Serve | Server for SessionTools, e-mail router, Now Up-To-Date & remote file transfers (ftp). |
1 |
Macintosh G4 Powerbook (Titanium) | The original - runs SessionTools & Virtual VTR in the C. R. |
1 |
Apple Orange iMac | Prints SessionTools J-cards, labels & CDs in the Lounge. Client's Web access. |
1 |
Digidesign ProTools HD (64 ch.) | On the Dual-Processor 2 GHz. G5 - this is our multitrack that we mix from. |
1 |
Digidesign ProTools HD (8 ch.) | On the 933 G4 with the Rosetta 800 - this is what we mix to. |
1 |
E-Magic Logic Audio | Uses the DAE and Apogees, if someone needs it. |
2 |
Digidesign Sync I/O | One for each HD system. Great synchronizer, but only ProTools can use it. |
1 |
Opcode Studio 3 SMPTE/MIDI Interface | Not used much anymore, but did serve us well. |
1 |
Microboards DSR 8800 CD Duplicator (5 slaves) | Not used much anymore. |
1 |
Yamaha CDR 1000 CD/CD-RW Recorder | Great for one-offs from the desk or DAT safeties. |
3 |
Kengsington Data Express Hotswap Drive Bay | For when we need more disk space... NOW! |
1 |
VXA Tape Backup Drive | Faster backups, and less expensive than AIT. |
1 |
AIT 4 Tape Backup Drive | Faster & more expensive than the VXA |
Other
Stuff |
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1 |
Dolby "Dolbyfax" ISDN AC-2 encoder/decoder | Incredibly handy when the client can't be here for the mix |
2 |
TimeLine Lynx Synchronizer Module | Still the standard |
1 |
Brainstorm Timecode Destripalyzer |
Lets ya' know what ya' got (but not what to do with it) |
1 |
Brainstorm Dual Timecode Distribution Amplifier | Makes sure there's enough code to go around |
1 |
Grass Valley Video Sync Generator | NTSC house sync |
1 |
Sigma Electronics Blackburst Video Sync Generator | PAL house sync |
1 |
Russian Dragon | Tells ya if you're rushin' or draggin' |
1 |
DTS CAD-4 Decoder | For checking them surround CD refs. It'd be nice if it had alternate output configs. |
1 |
Studio Technologies StudioCom 5.1 Monitor Control | Crank up all those six speakers at once - needed a mod for a pre-fade line out to connect to the lounge 5.1 hi-fi system for alternate listening |
| (—we've actually done that mod with some help from Lucas Van Der Mee at Apogee—works great!) | ||
1 |
Mitsubishi X500-U Professional Video Projector | We show synched Quicktime movies with this when mixing to picture |
1 |
Alera Technologies CD Shredder | Gets rid of unwanted ref CDs while avoiding bodily injury |
1 |
Voice Master | Voice disguise - good for slating takes |
|
Microphones |
Most of these live over at Berkeley Street now. | |
2 |
Neumann M-49 Multi-pattern Condenser | Great vintage tube vocal mics. |
1 |
AKG C24 Stereo Multipattern Condenser | Excellent on the Boesendorfer. |
2 |
Royer R-21 Ribbon | Very warm & smooth |
1 |
Royer SF-12 Stereo Ribbon | The best for the top of the Leslie, or drum overhead. |
1 |
Mojave Multipattern Condenser (David Royer Custom) | Hand-made by D. R. The power supply is in an ammo case. |
4 |
AKG C460 B Condenser | Two of these live in the live chambers. One's missing - do YOU have it? |
2 |
AKG 414 Condenser | Not thrilling, but OK on the piano |
1 |
Octavia MC 012 Condenser | Good, strong Russian sound |
3 |
Shure SM-98 Condenser | Great mic for toms. |
2 |
Shure SM 58 Dynamic | The most versatile mic ever created. |
3 |
Sennhiser MD-421 Dynamic | The classic tom or bass drum mic. |
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Speakers |
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5 |
Dynaudio BM-15s self-powered monitors | The bomb for 5 channel monitoring |
1 |
KRK S-12 Self-powered Subwoofer | Great for the ".1" |
1
pair |
Audix N5 | Really nice, but they're in the outdoor kitchen now. |
3
pairs |
Yamaha NS-11M Studio | The old standard - anyone got any spare drivers? (Ours go to 11) |
3
pairs |
Apple Powered Computer Speakers | My personal faves (Click to see 'em) |
5 |
Monitor Audio | In the Lounge - the best, inexpensive hi-fi speakers I've ever heard |
1
pair |
Mackie HR-824 Self-powered | These make the live chambers sing |
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Amplifiers |
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1 |
Hafler Trans-Nova 9500 | Excellent with the Audix N5's |
1 |
Yamaha P-2700 | Now powering to NS10s at Berleley Street. |
1 |
Yamaha P-3200 | Perfect for the NS-11M's |
1 |
Sony ES-444 Surround Receiver | Fantastic surround receiver - would be much better without all the bullshit DSP |
Musical
Instruments |
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1 |
Bœsendorfer 6' 9" Grand Piano | The only better piano might be a larger Bœsendorfer - I wish I could play it! |
1 |
Wurlitzer Electric Piano | The classic! Brought back to spec by the amazing Keyboard Mark |
1 |
Hammond B3 with Leslie 122 | The wife got this classic for me for our aniversary—now lives at Berkeley St. |
1 |
'74 Fender Jazz Bass | Charlie Sexton gave me this amazing instrument after my previous one got stolen from The Powerstation in NY. |
1 |
Custom "Robin Trower" Fender Stratocaster | Thanks, Robin - has come in handy many times |
2 |
Guild Acoustic 6 String Guitar | Excellent recording acoustics - plenty of midrange |
1 |
Authentic set of hand-made Scottish Bagpipes | A lovely gift from Wet, Wet, Wet - I have no clue how to play them, or even hold 'em! |
1 |
Antique Autoharp | A gift from my wonderful mother-in-law, Dolores Bennett - thanks Grammie! |
1 |
Fingerbeatz | Fun, obnoxious percussion |
1 |
Cat Hair Remover | A unique instrument |
| Assorted Percussion, including the Rhythm Tech Tamb. | Great for the last minute, finishing touch overdub | |