[PaulAds]

Hello

I thought it might be interesting to see what people are using to produce the finished songs for review.

I've read quite a lot lately on here about DAW's and various plugins and fx etc

Maybe this will tumbleweed but I use

MacBook Pro 2010 (with ssd drive fitted)
Focusrite Scarlett solo interface
GarageBand with stock plugins/amp sims
Shure beta 58 for vocals
Cheap Stagg condenser mic for acoustic guitar
Stereo drum loops

I think that's it. I like to keep it as simple as possible.  Everything gets packed away after a recording session...except the MacBook.

I'm quite happy with the recording quality...it's the quality of material that concerns me more.

[pompeyjazz]

Here's my Setup 

Old Dell Laptop
Focusrite Scarlett solo interface (Aren't they brilliant )
Reaper with VST's
Cheapo condensor Mic
M-Audio Axiom Air Mini 32
Air Ignite Music Creation software
Aria Pro II Cardinal Series CS400
Revelation RTJ60 Jazzmaster (Purchased this week)
Electro Acoustic Bass (£25 from Gumtree)

A right mish mash really but does the trick for what I want to achieve

Cheers

John

[Doodles]

Hi Paul,

Good post, hope everyone chips in. Here is my makeshift recording set up...

Electro acoustic (Tanglewood) / electric guitar (Epiphone LP) / synthesizer (second hand Korg PS60)
Plugged directly into Boss RC 30 loop pedal...
which is pre-loaded with Loop Loft drum loops (layered in beforehand in Ableton/Audacity)
effects pedals if needed (dist, delay, wah)
Pedal capture then downloaded as Wav to laptop PC

Alternatively plugged directly into PC via Toneport UX1 and Geabox/Ableton/line 6 POD
(cheap mic used via toneport to record acoustic at times - usually balanced on something awkward  )

The former is great for capturing ideas on the spot, but all ends up on one track - can't adjust levels/apply effects to individual layers after recording. The later is much better for mixing/editing, but I find it cumbersome (software loading, lag etc) and haven't used for ages.  

Afterwards I send the wav file to a vocalist, with lyrics & melody and mix using Ableton/Audacity when the vocal file comes back.

[adamfarr]

My set up for the seriously budgetary challenged:

Prodipe ST1 condenser mic (Ebay, really like it, seems quite well known in France)
Alesis Multimix 4 USB Mixer (used as interface and soundcard - mixer part is totally unnecessary)
Lenovo T430 laptop (my work computer)
Reaper
For some reason years ago, I got a Behringer Tube Ultragain Preamp without really knowing what it was - yet to be used in anger
Just got some old AKG K141 headphones for mixing as can't yet stretch to monitors
Various fake guitars...

[Jamie]

Hi, I have an apple desk top with Logic Pro x(this is a pretty recent addition to my roster). An sE2200T condenser mic with stand pop shield etc. A korg Kronos keyboard, various electric guitars inc les paul and sg standard gibsons, and a custom fender strat.I have a Martin acoustic and fender jazz bass guitars. I also have a drum kit with sabian cymbals which I don't use for recording! This is an accumulation of stuff over many years, don't tell the wife!
I won't list my live band stuff!?!!

Cheers
Jamie

[MartiMedia]

Hi, great topic and nice to see what everybody is using!

I use a
-Desktop PC I built myself (Haswell CPU i7-4790K, running at 4,5GHz, 16Gb memory), solid state drives  for recording and for reading VSTi sampledata
-A Line6 UX2 audio interface
-A Rodes NT1A large diaphragm mic
-A cheap mic preamp (don't dare to mention it, but ok it's the Behringer MIC200 with a tube in the circuitry). I use this as DI for mic and el.guitar, and route it to the UX2 for record.
-A midi piano (cheap one I bought from someone 15 ys ago, has weighted keys and can output MIDI)
-A midi keyboard (alesis thingy, also cheap, that can be used also used to control VSTi parameters when playing)
-A midi drum set (alesis DM-10, with meshheads, to drive drumming plugins)

I use Reaper as a DAW.

Hope that's helpful!!

<Edit oops, forgot my guitars, both not too expensive>
-Acoustic: Fender CD-60CE All Mahogany
-Electric: Yamaha Pacifica 112V Old Violin Sunburst

Cheers!

MM

[Jambrains]

Built from parts PC with i7-4820 CPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD + 1TB SATA + 500GB SATA, 2 Grapich Cards driving 3 monitors (I wish I could find space for the last one)
Tascam US-144 MkII Sound Card
Cubase 8 Pro
Way to many plugs
Steinberg Houston Cubase Control Surface
Novation Launchpad configured to lauch various commands in Cubase
Focusrite VRM Box
Ibanez Prestige RG1421F
Ibanez Prestige RG1550 with Dimarzios
Ibanez RG3EX1
Ibanez RG7321 7-string
Ibanez Talman TC530 (lipsticks)
Epiphone LP with EMGs
Peavey Cirrus BXP 5 String Bass
Yamaha FG700 Acoustic
Ibanez GRGR321EX with transplanted Variax electronics
M-Audio Oxygen Midi Keyboard
SE X1 microphone with Reflexion Filter
Line6 Pod X3 Live

[PaulAds]

Thanks for all the replies...really enjoying reading this!

Lots of folks doing fantastic work without a boatload of expensive gear...well done

My guitars... a fireglow Rickenbacker 360WB, Gibson J45 acoustic and a Rickenbacker 4003 bass.

Ps SSD drives are the cats knackers!

[digger72]

PC running Ableton
Focusrite Saffire Pro 24
Rode Nt2a and Shure SM 57 mics
Marshall JVM 205c Amp
Akai MPK49 Midi board

Gibson LP Trad
Aria Pro2 Diamond Series wreck of a guitar
Cort Earth 700 acoustic
Seagull Coastline Grand
Epiphone Thunderbird Bass

Various guitar pedals

Various plugins

Addictive drums

Katja (The most important bit)

Spare room with no special treatment, a water tank and lots of noise.

[pompeyjazz]

Jeeeeeez  amazing what combinations there are out there. Main thing is that it's possible to record a great song with not much financial outlay

[Boydie]

Here is mine...

My setup needs to be compact as I have to get it out and put it away every time so I went for a PC Laptop system

Audio Interface: M-Audio Fast Track Ultra - if this ever broke I would probably go for a Focusrite one next time

Laptop: Vortex 17.3", i7 Quad Core (3740QM-2.7GHz-6MB), 32GB RAM, 240GB SSD for O/S & programs (Win 7) and 750GB Hybrid solid state/normal drive for audio, samples and storage

DAW: Cakewalk SONAR Platinum

Plugins: Loads - but my main current "go to" ones are:
The Pro Channel strip within SONAR for general compression and EQ
Amplitube - great for clean / tube guitar sounds
Guitar Rig - great for dirty more creative tones
EZ Keys
Addictive Drums 2
Sylenth
Komplete - Mainly use Kontakt & Massive
WAVES Gold Bundle - loads of different really high quality compressors, reverbs, delays and other toys
Chris Heins Horns Compact - awesome for hornz
Izotope Alloy 2 - a nice "channel strip" type effect with a really surgical EQ
Izotope Ozone - mastering
Magic AB - a great little utility for comparing/referencing your own mix with commercial releases


Microphones: sE2200T condenser mic and Shure SM58 (mainly for scratch vocals)

Keyboard Controller - Novation ReMOTE 25 SL, which I only get out and plug in when I need to program drums or play anything

Roland GR33 Guitar Synth - I use this with a Fender Strat I have with a GK3 pickup installed for recording MIDI via guitar

Focusrite VRM Box - this is crucial to me as I do most of my stuff on headphones and it is literally worth its weight in gold. If I had one "secret weapon" this would be it!

KRK KNS-8400 Headphones - the second most comfortable pair of headphones I have ever tried (after the Bose ae2w bluetooth headphones I use for non-music production stuff!)

Guitars:

Fender USA Strat Plus - I pretty much solely use this for recording my electric guitar parts
Fender '57 Reissue Strat with internal GK3 MIDI pickup installed
Gibson Les Paul Standard - I hardly use this for recording
Fender Jazz Bass
Martin OMC-16RE Aura acoustic
Crappy Nylon strung classical guitar that actually records quite well!

[mondobongo]

Here' mine (soon to change hopefully):

Fender Strat, Classic Vibe Telecaster, PRS SE24, Epiphone SG and Ibanez bass guitar. Current goto electric is Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Pro with coil taps.

AKG 3000B mic going into Behringer MX802A mixer into M-Audio Delta 24/96 PCI card.

PC is AMD Phenom X4 3.50 GHz, 4Gb Ram, with 60Gb SSD for programmes and 3 other HDs for recording audio etc.

Cubase 5 with waayyy too many plug-ins. Mainly use Nomad's Blue Tubes components for FX,

Alesis M1 active monitors and Beyer DT100 headphones

[shadowfax]

Always interesting to see what other muso's are using..
here's my stuff, also took a couple of pics last night..

Cubase 8, Shure KSM32 mic in my homemade soundbooth (cost around 200 quid to make) and it's just awesome having it, now when the dogs bark, I can't hear em..
SPL track one (which is also in the soundbooth)..
lorra lorra screens, I like a bit of space to spread things around a bit..
Yamaha N8 which has a really good plate verb for use during tracking..I hate singing dry...
I also have a screen in the booth for lyrics..got sick of holding bits of paper..
A cheap Casio piano with midi out...
Genelec 8030 monitors with a 7050 bass bin under the desk..
some Tannoy's and JBL's that I started with and have kept..
the usual too many plugins..
Pod pro,
Fender strat..Epiphone Les Paul standard..Furch Parabolic 12 string acoustic,
I made the room treatment you can see hanging from the  walls and ceiling and it made a significant difference to the room sound..much better for monitoring and very cheap to make..


thats it I think..

best, Kevin

[tboswell]

My setup is pretty simple. I have a MacBook Air and iPad and I use both GarageBand and Logic (usually starting on the iPad and moving to the MacBook and finally into Logic).
I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i interface and Grooves Tubes condenser mic. Then 1 small Korg midi controller and a full sized digital piano. That's the whole studio.
I have a Taylor acoustic, Rickenbacker 360, a Thinline Tele and a tenor acoustic (4 strings tuned like a cello).

I think that is everything. I particular enjoy that I can get the MacBook in a backpack and do mixing etc on the commute. The whole things is very portable which is great for collaboration.

Studio in a bag!

[PaulAds]

Cheers everyone...dead interesting!

Keep em coming!