The Creative Tools…
This list is probably out-of-date already; new ‘toys’ are added frequently in a process of continual reinvestment.
Recording Platforms
PRO TOOLS HDX ‘Ultimate’ with iZ ADA Nyquist Converters, Apple Mac Pro
HILL 8400 Concept Series 32:16:16:2 Desk
(12 Aux sends + 4 band eq on inputs, 3 band on monitors, 48 inputs with eq on remix, audiophile spec)
Alesis HD24XR
Microphones
AKG C414 ULS, C414 EB, Solid Tube, D224E, D112
AUDIO TECHNICA AE2500 dual capsule (the ultimate kick drum mic)
BEYER M201 (5 off), M88, M260 ribbon
BLUE Dragonfly (2 off) (superb drum overheads)
CROWN PZM (2 off) (ambient mics)
ELECTROVOICE RE20, RE320
JOEMEEK TB147 (2 off) tube multi-pattern, JM47, JM478
JOSEPHSON e22s (the ultimate snare mic)
JZ Black Hole mk 2 (2 off), Vintage 11, Vintage 67
MICROTECH GEFELL UM70S (2 off)
NEUMANN TLM103 (3 off)
PELUSO P12
OKTAVA MK219 (2 off)
ROYER R121 matched pair
SENNHEISER MKH30 (2 off), MKH40, MKH406 (2 off), MD441
Hardware Dynamics & EQ
APHEX 612 Expander/Gate (2 off), 661 Tubessence Expressor (2 off), 320 Compellor
FOCUSRITE Red 3 stereo compressor
UNIVERSAL AUDIO 2-1176 dual limiting amplifier
JOEMEEK SC2 and SC4 optical stereo compressors (digital i/o on the SC4)
T F Pro ‘Edward The Compressor’, and P38 optical stereo compressors
T L AUDIO C2021 valve stereo compressor, O2031 valve overdrive, EQ2011 valve EQ
BEHRINGER Composer, Multiband De-Noiser, Tube Ultrafex, Tube Composer, Magician Tube Interface
BSS DPR402 compressor/de-ess, DPR502 midi noise gate, DPR901 mk II dynamic eq
DRAWMER MX50 dual de-esser, Three Sum multiband interface (2 off)
ADR E500RS band selective processor
ADR 760 Compex, SCAMP RACKS containing various modules
Custom parametric eq, custom vocal enhancer
Hardware Effects
TC ELECTRONIC M5000, M3000, Fireworx, M One, D Two, Intonator (vocal pitch correction)
AKG ADR68K multi fx
LEXICON 200, PCM 81, PCM 91 reverb/fx
KLARK TEKNIK DN780 reverb, DN34 analogue delay/fx
EVENTIDE H3000B/SE Ultraharmoniser
SONY DPS-D7, -M7, -F7, -R7 multi fx
ALESIS Midiverb 2
YAMAHA D1500 delay
MXR Pitch Transposer
BELLARI Tube Sonic Exciter
SPL Tube Vitalizer, Qure, Charisma, Transient Designer 4, De-Esser
Digital Mastering
Mastering is now carried out entirely within Pro Tools, using a selection of specialised plugins too numerous to list, with LUFs measurement and inter-sample peak limiting to ensure delivery specs are met for all platforms, so avoiding distortion on streaming services.
Restoration/repair via iZotope RX10 Advanced and other specialist plugins.
DDP compilation, including metadata editing and CD burning, via HOFA software.
Digital Plugins
Over 500, too numerous to list, but including:
2C AUDIO Aether, B2 (reverbs)
BRAINWORX BX Control V2, BX Dyneq V2, BX Refinement, BX Saturator V2, BX Stereomaker, BX XL V2
CELEMONY Melodyne Editor 2 (pitch correction)
EASTWEST Quantum Leap Complete Composer’s Collection (orchestral, ethnic, drum and instrument samples)
ELYSIA, Alpha, Mpressor, Museq
EVENTIDE Anthology II bundle (including H3000 Harmoniser)
EXPONENTIAL AUDIO Phoenixverb, R2
FLUX Full Pack 2.1, Ircam Spat, Ircam Verb, Verb Session
FOCUSRITE D2, D3
HOFA IQ-EQ, IQ-Reverb
IK MULTIMEDIA Amplitube 3 (guitar and bass amp models)
IZOTOPE RX3 Advanced (restoration suite), Alloy 2, Trash 2, IRIS (sound design), Insight (analysis)
JOE MEEK Compressor, Meequalizer
LEXICON PCM Total Native (reverb and classic effects bundle)
KUSH Clariphonic, Pusher, UBK-1
NOVALTECH Character, Vocal Enhancer
NUGEN Stereopack 2
ProAudioDSP DSM V2
PSP 608, EasyVerb, NobleQ
SLATE DIGITAL VBC, VCC, VTM, FGX, Trigger 2 Platinum (drum replacement)
SOFTUBE Spring Reverb, Tube Delay
SONNOX Elite Native bundle, Fraunhofer Pro-Codec (MP3/AAC coding)
SPL Passeq,Transient Designer, Vitalizer Mk2-T
TC ELECTRONIC Non-lin, VSS3 (reverbs)
URS Saturation, Phat C
VERTIGO VSC-2
WAVE ARTS Master Restoration Suite
WAVES Mercury Native bundle (400+ plugins)
WAVES SSL bundle
WAVES Vocal Tune bundle
Additional Formats Available For Transfers
Analogue Tape
SATURN RESEARCH 824, two-inch 24-Track, 30/15 ips, external Dolby A, SR or DBX
SOUNDCRAFT 762 Mk 3, two-inch 16-Track, 30/15 ips, external Dolby A, SR or DBX
FOSTEX G24S, one-inch 24-track, Dolby S (or external DBX)
FOSTEX G16 and G16S, half-inch 16-track, Dolby C / Dolby S (or external DBX)
FOSTEX E8, quarter-inch 8-track, Dolby C (or external DBX)
TASCAM ATR60-8 and TSR-8, half-inch 8-track, DBX
OTARI MTR-10, half-inch 4-track, 30/15/7.5 ips, external noise reduction
OTARI MTR-10, quarter-inch 4-track or stereo quarter-track, 15/7.5/3.75 ips, external NR
OTARI MTR-12 quarter-inch, half-track stereo or full-track mono, 30/15/7.5 ips (external Dolby A, Dolby SR, DBX type 1)
OTARI MTR-12, half-inch stereo, 30/15/7.5ips (external Dolby A, Dolby SR, DBX type 1)
FOSTEX E22, half-inch stereo (with centre timecode track)
TECHNICS 1500 quarter-inch, half-track and quarter-track stereo, 15/7.5/3.75 ips (DBX type 1 or 2)
AKAI GX630DB quarter inch, quarter track stereo, 7.5/3.75 ips, Dolby B
TASCAM 122 mk III stereo cassette deck
TASCAM 234, 4-track cassette, 3.75 ips, DBX
YAMAHA MT44, 4-track cassette, 1.875 ips, Dolby B or C
Digital Tape & Disc
ALESIS HD24XR, 24 track hard disc (12 tracks at 96kHz)
ALESIS ADAT M20, SVHS cassette
TASCAM DA98HR, DTRS cassette
SONY PCM 2700A DAT (no SCMS, error status monitor)
SONY F1 Beta (pre-DAT digital stereo for archive tapes)
Vinyl Disc
TECHNICS SL-1200GEG-S special edition turntable with ORTOFON 2M Quintet Bronze moving-coil cartridge
TECHNICS SL-7 direct-drive parallel-tracking turntable with ORTOFON OMP30 cartridge/stylus
Instruments and Amps
A growing selection of software (virtual) instruments and samples, plus hardware:
ALESIS QUADRASYNTH plus piano
KORG WAVESTATION SR synth
RHODES VK1000 drawbar organ
ROLAND JX3P synth – analogue sounds, R8 drum machine with extra sound cards
ASHDOWN Evo II Bass Magnifier
MARSHALL speaker simulator/amp dummy load
MESA BOOGIE Rectifier 4×12 V30 guitar speaker cab
PEAVEY valve guitar combo
YAMAHA guitar combo
If you got here after reading this whole page you really should get out more!