instruments,
gear and toys

Below is a marginally (dis)organized heirarchy of all the gear worth noting. Naturally, there's much more, but these are the things that make the sound.

signal routing

  • All devices accessible via fully-balanced, military-gauge 1/4" patch bays

ANALOG MULTITRACKING

  • Otari MX5050 1/2" 8-track

ANALOG MIX PRINTING

  • Ampex AG-350 1/4" 2-track—
    This is the solid-state version of the 350 and the first solid-state machine Ampex made, circa 1965.

ANALOG tracking+mixing+summing

  • Aries Apollo 24 channel, 8-bus recording console

ANALOG OUTBOARD PREAMPS

  • Eisen Audiotechnik LBN283 (2)
    Prototype Neve 1272 clones with a big, open sound
  • Groove Tubes "Brick" tube mic preamp and DI box (2)
  • FMR Audio RNP Preamp (2)
  • Seventh Circle Audio A12 (2)
    API 312 clone
  • TNP Audio ACMP-73 Preamp and EQ
    Neve 1073 channel strip clone
  • True Systems P-Solo Mic preamp

ANALOG OUTBOARD line-level processing

  • Valley People 610 Stereo/Dual Mono compressor/expander (2)
    A rare-ish and undervalued beauty
  • FMR Audio RNC Compressor (2)
  • Chameleon Labs 7720 Stereo/Dual-Mono Compressor
    An SSL 2-bus compressor clone
  • Intersound PRV-1 Analog Reverb
    Classic spring reverb with an EQ and (unintentional) overdrive section that sound great on their own

DIGITAL MULTITRACKING+editing etc.

  • Power Mac G4 Mirrordrive—Dual 1.2 gb processors, maximum RAM
  • MOTU Digital Performer 5.5 for Mac OSX
  • Propellerhead Reason 3.0 for Mac OSX
  • Bias PEAK for OSX
  • RME TotalMix software
    ...which handles all my headphone mixes and outside-the-box routing of digital audio

DIGITAL INPUT+OUTPUT

  • RME HDSP9652 PCI card
  • RME ADI-2 two-channel AD/DA
  • Black Lion Audio-modified MOTU 2408 MkIII eight-channel AD/DA (3)
  • M-Audio Keystation 88es
    88-note velocity-sensitive USB/MIDI keyboard, semi-weighted action
  • MOTU MicroExpress Midi/SMPTE Synchronizer
  • MidiMan USB MidiSport 2x2

RIBBON MICS

  • Wes Dooley AEA R84
  • Shiny Box 23C (2)

CONDENSER MICS

  • Chameleon Labs TS-2 Large Diaphragm Multipattern Tube Condenser
  • ADK Humburg Large-Diaphragm Cardioid
  • Silicon Entourage SE-2000 Large-Diaphragm Cardioid (2)
  • Oktava MK012 Small-Diaphragm Cardioids (2)
  • Groove Tubes GT Convertible

DYNAMIC MICS

  • Audix D1 hypercardioid dynamic snare mic
  • Audix D2 hypercardioid dynamic rack tom mics (2)
  • Audix D4 hypercardioid dynamic floor tom mic
  • Audix D6 cardioid dynamic kick drum mic
  • Sure SM-7B Broadcast Microphone
  • Sure SM57 Hypercardoid (3)
  • Sennheiser e609 Hypercardoid (2)
  • AKG D112 Hypercardoid (2)
  • Blue Ball Phantom-Powered Dynamic

MONITORING

  • A|D|S Passive 2-way Monitors
  • Adcom GFA-545 power amplifier
  • Audio-Technica ATH-M50 Headphones
  • Extreme Isolation Headphones
  • Studio Kans Headphones
  • Sony MDR-V700 Headphones (2)
  • Pairs Sennheiser HD212 Monitoring Headphones (5)
  • Nady HPA-4 Headphone amplifiers (2)

DIGITAL OUTBOARD PREAMPS

  • Line 6 POD Pro Digital Modeling Guitar preamp
  • Line 6 Bass POD Digital Modeling Bass preamp

PLUGINS

  • Universal Audio UAD-1 Card
    With some of the good ones activated
  • FishFillets Dynamics Bundle
    Damn good freeware...oft-used

GUITAR+bass AMPS

  • 1972 Traynor YBA-1 Bassmaster all-tube 50-watt head
  • 1968 Fender Twin Reverb
    Silverface plate but Blackface-correct guts
  • 196? Valco Head (unbranded) with minor mods
    Best. Overdrive. Ever.
  • Randall RG100 Head
    The original Dimebag Darrell "Vulgar Display of Power" model...in green tolex no less
  • 2006 Li'l Dawg Amps "Champster" HEAD
    A killer line out, Hammond 3-watt output transformer, N.O.S. RCA tubes. Slaves nicely to bigger amps.
  • 195? Make-Unknown teeny-tiny tube combo with 6" alnico speaker
  • 198? Peavey Ginormo Solid State 700-watt Bass Head

DIRECT BOXES

  • Groove Tubes "Brick" tube mic preamp and DI box (2)
  • TNP Audio ACMP-73 Preamp and EQ
  • FMR Audio RNP Preamp (2)
  • True Systems P-Solo Mic preamp
  • Some utilitarian Behringer and Art boxes

RE-AMPING

  • Radial Engineering X-Amp
  • Little Labs STD Signal Transmission Device (2)

STOMP BOXES

  • Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer Vintage Reissue
  • MXR Phase 90
    The "Van Halen" model with switchable "script" mode
  • Voodoo Labs Tremolo
  • Russian-Era Electro-Harmonix Big Muff
  • BYOC Analog Chorus.
    An EHX Small Clone...um...clone.
  • Electro Harmonix LBP (linear power boost)
  • Electro-Harmonix Memory Toy Delay
    Same as the Memory Man sans most of the modulation controls
  • BOSS Graphic EQ
  • BOSS Chromatic tuner

INSTRUMENT SPEAKER CABINETS

  • Marshall 1960 TV 4x12"
  • 2x12" cab originally from my '68 Fender Twin Combo
    Speakers replaced with Weber Signature Alnicos
  • 196? Sunn 1x15 Bass Cab
    w/new Hemptone Speaker
  • 198? Peavey Ginormo 2x15 Bass Tower
    w/Fresh 400-watt Black Widows
  • Handbuilt (by me) Double-Walled Guitar Speaker Isolation Cabinet
    Loaded with a single Celestion V30 and 3 Mic Inputs

way too many damn guitars

I will admit I have a problem. Scroll horizontally to see the full collection, and click on any guitar for a big picture and description.

1968 Gretsch
Streamliner
1971 Gibson
SG Deluxe
1977 Takamine
Jumbo
197? Tokai
"Stratocaster"
1987 Fender
Japan Dreadnought
Hair Metal
Shredder Hybrid
200? Fender
U.S.A. Telecaster
Handmade Michael
Dolan Telecaster
Frankencaster 2005 Eastwood
Sidejack
2007 Hagstrom
Swede Reissue

other MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

  • M-Audio Keystation 88es
    88-note velocity-sensitive USB/MIDI keyboard, semi-weighted action
  • 196? Ludwig domestic Drum Kit
    Birch rack tom, floor tom & kick. Chrome-plated brass snare (which sounds awesome)
  • Ziljian A-Custom Crash Cymbals—15" and 17"
  • Zildjian ZBT Ride.
    This cheap-ass ride is better than you think for recording purposes
  • Tabla Drums (pair)
  • Doumbek Drum
  • Misc. Percussion


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