Sonic Valentine

So I am not proud? I will admit I don’t have a lot of money. Hell if you are reading this right now I am willing to bet that you don’t have a lot of money. But I will also admit I really do like the sound of gear that tends to be expensive. Over the course of the last few years I have spent big bucks on pre-amps, compressors and monitors. I have spent an insane amount of money on computers and software (isn’t that a sign of the times?). One area of my gear list that has always been lacking is microphones. I have your requisite twelve SM57s, and a few 421s and all sorts of small diaphragm condensers. Many of you know that whenever I am working you will find a pair of Sanken CU-31s on a stand somewhere. I love my Sankens… no let me rephrase that, I am IN LOVE with my Sankens (according to an old girlfriend there is a difference). Until recently I have yet to find another microphone that I was so totally in awe of and honestly confident using in any setting.

(continue reading…)

Man I wanted to buy this box… but I just couldn’t. This review is an addendum to what we said in the podcast… so you will want to watch that first.

From the moment that I heard about the API A2D I was extatic. Two API 312 preamps in the same box as API’s new analog to digital converters. I call that heaven. You see I grew up an API lover. The first studio I worked in had a 1972 API in one room. I loved that board, I miss that board. Thanks to the boards old owner I still have eight of it’s 550As in my rack. But I have been jonesing for the love of API’s amazing preamps.
(continue reading…)

JBL 4328 Powered Monitors

Every engineer starts to worry about his or her monitoring situation.  There will inevitably come a day when you wonder if your are not hearing everything that you need to hear, thus producing bad mixes.  This time came for me about six months ago.  I had been monitoring with a trusty pair of Yamaha NS-10s and a pair of Audix A-1s.  Both great passive monitors but both left me wondering about what was really going on in my mixes.  The NS-10s never had enough low-end will the Audix’s always had too much.  What I needed was a powered set of speakers that were close to full range and didn’t cost me an arm and leg.

(continue reading…)