What is your current recording rig?

[BrianVengeance]

Curious to hear what folks are recording with these days. Tell me about your...
- computer
- DAW
- interface
- recording chain up to interface
- monitors / cans
- room treatment

What are your use cases?
What works well for you?
What is the next problem to solve?
What are your desert island bits?

What is the one lesson you'd share about your journey?

 

[BrianVengeance]

I'll start...

- Computer: have recently upgraded to a Mac Mini Studio M2
- DAW: returned to Logic from many years with Reaper
- Interface: Currently a Focusrite 16line with a satellite Focurite A16 MK2
- Chain: Depends on the day, but have really been enjoying the Fender TBP-1 direct with a smattering of pedals to taste
- Monitors / Cans: Neumann KH120a and KH750 sub, have been favoring Sennheiser HD600 cans lately
- Treatment: some absorption, no bass traps, but the room is tuned with the Neumann MA-1 and software

Use cases:
- Lots of silent capture with preamps and Its, not currently for band purposes

What works well:
- Not gear related at all. Workflow, workflow, workflow. I am able to sit down and start working with a lot of patching, gear setup, etc.

What is the next problem to solve:
- Reworking my space to improve workflow beyond patching. More vibe, etc. Could also improve treatment and talent for laying.

Desert island bits?
- G&L SB-1
- SM7B
- KH120As and KH750
- Fender TBP-1

What is the one lesson I'd share:
- Perfect your craft, but be a good hang. Talent gets you through the door, chill keeps you in the room. Find the gear that makes you sound good, regardless of cost or popularity.

 

[EvilJ]

Comp: A Me-Built Intel 13900, 64g Ram, modified Win 10.
DAW: Reaper and Pro Tools
Interface: Cranborne Audio R8, 500 Rack
Various pre's and D.I.s, whatever fits the situation
Mons: Kali Audio IN 8's, Sennheiser HD 650, several pairs of Sony HD's for tracking
Treatment: Rockwool panels and bass traps

Tracking drums at the moment for a Metal band
Everything works great...until you have a bad ADAT cable...and then everything goes to $/-\!1
Continual process of improving workflow and better use of space

Zahl EQ 1
Audioscape 1176's
Audioscape D-Comp
Gainlab Audio Empress
Serpent Audio SSL Bus Comp

So many musicians will seemingly go out of their way to sabotage their own project!! "I HAVE to have MY tone man"

 

[Rickplaysbass]

Home built Intel setup.

Studio one

Avid Mbox Studio and RME HDSPE

Kemper or HX Stomp

Sennheiser HD598s for tracking and listening. Slate VSX for mixing.

Kalin UNF monitors

Most of what I do is simple in the box remote sessions for folks without the budget. I've got friends working in different markets and they know that if they need a bass but a band/artist is on a tight budget they can hit me up and I'll help out. I don't absolutely need the money and it helps keep me fresh to have new stuff come in so I'm cool with it.

The workflow is what keeps it enjoyable. Sit down, plug in, turn on the DAW and get going.

Man do I need a better room. Lol. That's one of my priorities for the next house for sure.

Desert Island bits? Honestly, my Kemper and My Warrior 5 string. I don't know what Bartolinis are in that thing or what pre it has but I'll be damned if it doesn't always just sit right where it's supposed to. I've tracked country records, hard rock, flamenco, and others with that bass. I've got other bases that all do their own thing, but that warrior could honestly fit anywhere I needed it to. The Kemper is just so darn fun and good sounding.

One lesson... Listen with your ears not your brain and always get a dry DI signal if any guitar or bass. Nowadays the plugins/modelers/profilers sound so good you're a fool if you don't. You can do anything you want to the DI track if the wet track isn't quite what you thought it was.

 

[pingvuiini]

I have two rigs. Downstairs I have an old rig with 2013 MacBook Pro, old version of Logic, Presonus AudioBox 96 direct dry connection to bass, JBL 305 monitors with no room treatment. I use this rig to practice with my amps and record/mix multi track recordings with Logic.

Upstairs I have a newer M1 MacBook Pro using Garage Band, Fender Mustang Micro headphone amp/USB interface with direct dry connection to bass, very old but trusty Sony MDR-V6 headphones with no room treatment. I use this for headphone practice late at night or very early in the morning and to do basic mixing of gigs and rehearsal recordings from an Olympus LS-11 pocket recorder and combining with video in iMovie. Major expense was the laptop, which I need for my graphic design work anyways. Garage Band and iMovie are free, Mustang was about $120 and the classic MDR-V6 can be had for around $100. For desert island, I can still use the Mustang to play along with my iPhone because of the bluetooth. This is a really great portable, versatile and affordable rig that can do pretty much everything that the older rig downstairs can do and more. So much so that I am thinking of selling most of the downstairs stuff in order to minimize redundancy.

 

[Micha84]

Fun thread! I am recording on a ten year old iMac into Cubase 12 (no recommendation). I have a Focusrite Clarett+ and Focal CMS65 speakers, which are way too big for the very small room I am using. I plastered the walls with all kinds of absorbers, but it is impossible to treat the bass properly.

I record bass and guitar directly, sometimes I place a mic in front of an acoustic guitar, and I record my vocals. I am recording my own songs exclusively and use Addictive Drums 2 so I don't have to fire any drummers. I am a big fan of the Neural DSP plugins for amp sims.

I don't have any desert island gear, anything is replaceable. However, I like the SM7B and the Softube Console 1 controller has been an absolute game changer for me.

The most important lesson I had to learn? When it comes to gear, workflow is as important as sound.

 

[Sparkl]

- computer - Custom built AMD5800x, 64GB DDR4, Win10
- DAW - Reaper and nothing else
- interface - RME Fireface UFX+
- recording chain up to interface - I tend to record straight into the RME Preamp
- monitors / cans - Neumann KH310 // AKG K712 Pro
- room treatment - just some triangular foam, my room is surprisingly flat from the get-go, so not much was needed to correct

What are your use cases?

I record for many bands/projects so use cases vary from project to project, style to style.

What works well for you?

Recording flat into my RME. This way I can always remodel / shape the sound to satisfy any needs when working on a bass line for recordings. I tend to record (unless certain FX is needed to get the feel of the bass line, such as envelope filters or some reverbs, but then I will always record two tracks, one dry and one wet for reference).

What is the next problem to solve?

No major problems.

What are your desert island bits?

NA

What is the one lesson you'd share about your journey?

Start recording yourself as soon as possible. This is one of the best excercises out there, even if recording just for fun. Vast majority of people only realize they're overplaying the mix when they record themselves and listen to it when not playing. It's also easier to gauge if you're playing tight with the drums or you're playing sloppy. Another plus is that you can finally start to appreciate the importance of proper technique of string muting, to mute unwanted buzzing strings, especially in the low register. Also, every musician should know at least the bare basics of studio techniques, to better understand what they're after and how to dial that sound in when you need it.

 

[FatBoutedGirls]

I record on a Toft ATB32, through an Antelope Orion32 into an AMD Ryzen laptop with Waveform DAW. Monitoring is done on Tannoy Golds with Adam Audio sub. Lots of room treatment with homemade bass traps and diffusers. Very happy with the Toft, the channel eqs are worth the price alone. I also have some outboard equipment to keep my workflow as far out of the box as possible.

I do friends bands mostly, some radio ads, larger acts that play live at the venue for my personal growth. Trying to create a destination package for bands with ski/rafting/hiking/dining/lodging but we’ll see. Need to clean up the live room and finish the vocal and amp booths and add a control room divider.

I wouldn’t say I have any desert island bits, gear is always upgradeable or swappable for a different style/feel. Good sounding/neutral room with talented players is number one.

Lesson I wish I had learned sooner is that perfect is the enemy of good. Spend your time at the beginning to capture good sounds and mix it while it’s fresh and everyone is focused/engaged. Dragging the process out and playing around in the box trying to chase every little thing is counterproductive and turns people off.

 

[WG Plum]

Old Lenovo idea book, Scarlett 18i20, sometimes use a Joe Meek VC3Q mic pre, when recording bass I use a Broughton SSDI.

For live I use a Tascam Portacapture X8 with various mics (Aston Spirit, Telefunken, SM81s).

I need to get a new laptop at this point, but it's not a high priority.

 

[srosenthal13]

- computer: HP z230SFF, 32GB RAM, Windows 10
- DAW: Pro Tools Studio
- interface: MBox Pro
- recording chain up to interface:
-- Drums: Roland TD27 (USB connection to DAW; shows up as a Playback Engine in Pro Tools)
-- Bass: Radial J48 DI
- monitors / cans: I've got a couple pairs of Tannoy near-field monitors, but see room treatment; Headphones: Slate VSX
- room treatment: None -- no good space or treatment unfortunately; gotta work in phones

What are your use cases?: Songwriting with longtime music partner
What works well for you?: I always record to a click. I prefer bass first because it's easier for me to lay down drums to bass as a reference.
What is the next problem to solve?: Probably a replacement interface, possibly the SSL 12+; I want something that's capable of re-amping.
What are your desert island bits?: Some kind of solar generator. How else will I have electricity for recording if I'm on a desert island?

What is the one lesson you'd share about your journey?
DAWs can easily lead to decision paralysis. There's such a thing as too many options. I try to start with the mindset that this is just a glorified tape deck and I need to get it right through performance, not editing. I try to use plugins with the same philosophy: fewer knobs and sliders; fixed increments where possible ("I can only choose between 60Hz and 100Hz. Which sounds better?"). Mix with your ears, not your eyes, and commit to decisions quickly.

 

[amphlett7]

- computer - M2 Pro Mac Mini
- DAW - ProTools
- interface - Motu 828ES + Mackie Onyx 800R
- recording chain up to interface - Nada atm
- monitors / cans - PreSonus Eris 5XT / Beyer Dynamic DT770
- room treatment - Nothing until I set up a proper mix room in a new house.

What are your use cases? - Recording/mixing music for my friends bands and my own projects.
What works well for you? Stereo Ribbon on drum overheads.
What is the next problem to solve? - Monitoring. Once I have more room I want to get a better monitor setup and room treatment.
What are your desert island bits? Would kill for a good C12 but it's a pipe dream ATM

 

[Discount Bassy]

Home built, zealously H20 cooled 14th gen Intel, 48GB RAM, NVME x4 with profuse SSD backup/deep storage and Thunderbolt 3. A recent and significant upgrade in speed and fast storage. A gaming rig is delightful, multi-purpose overkill. 2x 43" video monitors for old, bad eyes.

Presonus Quantum 2626 for home. Presonus Audiobox 96 for the road. 56GB sample library plus Sphere included content.

Presonus Studio One since 2011. It came out when I jumped in and I bit...still chewing.

I am currently working on moving my giant pedalboard from feet to table height, integrating a mixer and Moog synth modules, custom foot controls, MIDI access for syncing my board clock with the Discountess' rig and generally shifting focus to solo/duo gigs in ambient settings until a decent fusion outfit is either discovered or created locally. Lighting controls.

Desert island bits have always been the same: Bass and a way to hear it. Maybe my bass and a well tuned coconut shell resonator.

Lessons? Read the manual. Hot keys and macros. Workflow. A bad recording is better than none. Focus on completion over perfection. The first take is worth having. Organization and consistent labeling strategies. Backups. Trust your gut. Listen. Delete nothing. Accept your studio's inherent limitations, but do what you can until things change. Chase tone in post and never in isolation from the mix. Seek advice when in doubt, but always proceed. Internet access is not a given; local files are always present.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Computer: HP all in one, whatever the max stats were.
Interface: Behringer XR18
DAW: Reaper
Signal chain for bass: Usually a Focusrite Isa428 MK1 set to Isa 110/Warm Audio WA76
I have my SGT-DI running in front of my Darkglass MT900 V2 post DI with a cab sim. Sometimes I bypass the SGT.
I got tired of fighting bleed, acoustics and general non existent treatment in my room. I made my set up completely DI. I have my home studio set up for everything set up and tracked DI, even went Electronic drums. Only thing within the room that makes noise is the vocals. I can play everything through my studio monitors or we can all wear head phones.
Drums are Simmons Titan 70 going stereo into a WA273EQ into a Warm Bus Comp.
Guitars either the DI of a Line 6 Catalyst 100 into a API preamp or a Boss IR200 stereo going into the Focusrite Pres/API have a couple other bits of gear that I patch in and out as well. Have a Korg MS2000 and a Casio CT401 that gets thrown in the mix sometimes.
Vocals are an SM7B, Neat King Bee, or a U87 clone into a Warm WA73EQ into the newish Warm Audio Tube Tech clone.
I just got a 500 series chassis so I’m currently itching to fill that bad boy up.
My whole set up is based around the ability to plug into anything in the room and it’s ready to rock and roll. All I have to do is arm the track. If it’s for my band, I have a template already set up to where all I have to do is press record, it’s getting tracked already pre mixed.
I got KRK Rokit 8s with the 10.2 sub, going to a presonus monitor controller which has 4 headphone amps built into it.
For mixing I have a bunch of plug ins or come out into outboard gear and back in. I control my Daw with a Behringer XTouch and an extender, which I can also toggle to control my interface, which I don’t typically have to anymore, I have everything pretty well dialed in on the front end.
I’d like to eventually start recording stuff for other people, but it’s been pretty much just jamming by myself or with my friends and whatever band I’m currently playing with.
It’s been unbelievably fulfilling to be able to capture ideas in real time.
I’ve been cobbling this set up together through trial and error for years at this point, Rome definitely wasn’t built in a day!

 

[logdrum]

I have many interfaces but do not use them all. I daisy chain using ADAT to expand the capacity of my interface which is mostly Antelope Audio

Home Studio:

- computer Mac Mini and/or 2015 MacBook i7 (64 gig RAM)
- DAW Logic and Cubase
- interface Antelope Audio ZenTour Synergy or UAD Apollo Quad plus Audient Evo8 for additional mic pre's via ADAT
- recording chain up to interface - Art MPA Mic pre - I have 2 500 format lunch boxes as well with various pre's, EQ's and compressor. Lindell Audio Pultec copies. If mic has preamp use those, WARM DIs
- monitors / cans - Yamaha Hs5 and HS8 with Sub - HiFi Man - Focal
- room treatment -- Nothing really. Old Adobe House

When recording gigs and jams
- computer 2019 i9 Macbook - Also have an M2 that I will setup
- DAW - Logic
- interface - Antelope Audio ZenTour V1 and the Audient EVO8 for additional inputs. I also use my Zoom H6 and F8 as interfaces sometimes. They are actually good and easier to setup and sometimes - I do not even have to bring the Mac
- recording chain up to interface - The same 500-Series lunch boxes bring what is needed, radial and Behringer DIs
- monitors / cans - Sennheiser 6xx
- room treatment -- none

I have good mics for a very tiny studio and I am just a hobbyist, Honestly some I do not even use or used yet other than test.

Antelope Quadro (4 capsule), 1 Duo, 2 Solos and Edges. These guys can do mic emulation if you use the Antelope Interface. They are like Slate. They are also pretty good mics on their own.

AKG C414 pair
2 Rode NT2A
1 Rode K2
WARM 87
1 Rode NT1000
TLM5
AKG 820
older CADs

Various dymanics like Sonys, Tascams, Sennheisser and some Russian copies of RCA 77 ribbons. Cheap but surprisingly good Nady Ribbons

I acquired the WARM , TLM and the AKGs from a friend. He gave me some TASCAMs, Sonys and the Ribbon copies as well. The Antelopes were all brought for a bargain during COVID and I always had the Rodes and the CADs

 

[waveman]

Computer - 15" HP laptop with 32GB RAM and I5 proc
DAW - Reaper for recording and mastering, and Audacity for final touches, Steven Slate SSD4 and SSD5 drums and lots of free VST's for effects
Interface - Behringer UMC404HD
Monitors/Can - I run everything through my little home PA for playback, I have started using headphones for recording and those are Audio-Technica ATH-M30x
Room treatment - none. Though I have a homemade box with sound proof to record guitar amps to minimize any bleed from string noise and at one time from the monitor system itself since I was not recording with headphones.

Use case: I write and record my own music
What works well is recording with headphones on, once I started doing that, i got the isolation I needed.
Next problem to solve is getting good acoustic recording. I was using two paths, on SM 57 and one direct path with some effects. Going to move to two bigger condensor mics using a couple of suggested recording setups for that as well as using upgraded Tonebone acoustic DI
No desert island bits, just using what I can afford to put together.

 

[Smoove-Groove]

Tascam 388.

 

[Micha84]

mix it while it’s fresh and everyone is focused/engaged

Interesting, the opposite works for me. I like to have a few days between recording and mixing. I found that the more I hear stuff, the more I get used to it and the less critical I become. If I return to a mix after a couple of days I immediately find flaws and stuff to improve.

Of course, time is the luxury of a hobbyists home studio.

 

[elpancho]

Computer - Dell XPS Win 10 Laptop
DAW - Ableton Live 11
Interface - UA Volt 2 (tons of plug-ins)
Recording chain up to interface - Pedalboard into Ampeg RB112, DI Out into UA Volt, M-Audio Keystation controller for Virtual Drummer via MIDI, One Condenser Mic
Monitors / cans - Audio Technica ATH-M50
Room treatment - Garage

What are your use cases? - Personal Recording/mixing ideas for the Band
What works well for you? Recording with Headphones
What are your desert island bits? I'm sure I will think of something.

 

[Grinderman]

What if I were to disclose that I have gear to record at home?

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

Tone hammer preamp pedal -> focusrite -> reaper. Nuff said