Guitar Gear Forum

Post your home studios and tell us all what your awesome, sneaky recording tricks are for finding the right amp or maximizing the tone of your current amp.



For sending a digital signal from my Two Notes Torpedo to my ID22 AI.



This thing is finally making me way more productive. I know it will never respond and feel like a real speaker cabinet. But damn it makes recording so easy and fun. No mic positioning. No swapping shit around. Just pick your cab and mic, check the levels and hit record.




Amps are still the coolest thing ever.




Big money.











OK, how hot do you guys run your input gain when recording a track? Do you run it as hot as you can get away with? Or do you bring it in at a lower gain level then raise it in the end with mastering?






Post your rigs.

Maybe I'll update with a pic when my new recording rig fully arrives. Had to order the soundcard.

But I've been using a rig I put together in 2003 for the last 14 years. It's absolutely ancient, underpowered, noisy(the computer fans) slow, BUT has run basically flawlessly the entire time. So, just picture a tower from the early 2000's covered in dust, with a shit ton of cables and other shit around it. There ya go. A true craftsman never blames his tools!! Haha

But, having a little extra money, but also selling off some stuff l, I've bought a new rig. I went with Apogee Element for the soundcard which is Thunderbolt since I went to Apple instead of PC. Gonna run Logic instead of Cubase which I've used for basically 20 years. Since Apogee should be a massive upgrade from my old school Emu soundcard I've used since 2003, I may end up ditching my trusty Universal Audio 610 mic pre. I love that thing, but I bought it back when they were $700 new, and now they are a $1000, so used prices are around $6-700. I could break even, while getting a ton of use from it. I'll a/b between them, but I'm guessing I'll be fine with the Apogee being my front end from now on. I'm excited for the change. I've gotten more than my share of use from my current gear, but because of its limitations I have to do certain things in most projects which usually ends up with my music having a certain sound to it, production-wise. I'm on to different things musically and I need a recording system capable of pushing some limits which my current machine really can't. It's essentially a digital "tape recorder" since I really can only use it as an audio recorder and not expand into other digital instruments, etc

OP some sweet amps !

I'll post when the remodel is done. Studio is a mess right now. Will be pretty cool in like 10 days or so, hopefully.

EndTime wrote:Since Apogee should be a massive upgrade from my old school Emu soundcard I've used since 2003, I may end up ditching my trusty Universal Audio 610 mic pre. I love that thing, but I bought it back when they were $700 new, and now they are a $1000, so used prices are around $6-700. I could break even, while getting a ton of use from it. I'll a/b between them, but I'm guessing I'll be fine with the Apogee being my front end from now on. I'm excited for the change.

Congrats on the coming upgrades, dude. I'm sure you will put them to great use.

I would NOT ditch your 610. I have used the Element, and the converters are awesome, but man, the pres aren't even close to your 610. They're great "interface grade" preamps, but they err on the side of being pretty clean and colorless, where your 610 is wayyy ballsier. Don't get rid of it!

Loop wrote:I'll post when the remodel is done. Studio is a mess right now. Will be pretty cool in like 10 days or so, hopefully.

Probably going halfway as usual
































I know it will be epic. Can't wait to see it.

Loop wrote:I'll post when the remodel is done. Studio is a mess right now. Will be pretty cool in like 10 days or so, hopefully.

Looking forward to seeing this!

Starting plans for soundproofing my basement, more as a jam space but will have basic recording stuff. Mics, interface, monitors, hopefully some treatments. Doing a lot of research on soundproofing techniques before I start plans and also going to consider designing the space for sound to avoid common pitfalls. I'll be doing all the work myself and it's still going to cost a lot but hoping I can afford to get it going this summer sometime.

I'll be watching this thread to see what you all have for music space!

TurboPablo wrote:

Loop wrote:I'll post when the remodel is done. Studio is a mess right now. Will be pretty cool in like 10 days or so, hopefully.

Probably going halfway as usual




I know it will be epic. Can't wait to see it.

Ha!. It's going to look wayyyyy better, but I'm not spending a ton. Just new paint, replacing carpet with hardwood, and making some acoustic treatment tweaks. Also doing in-wall wiring to the amp booth, and running racetrack along the trim line to carry tie lines from the desk to the rear racks. All of the construction upgrades are costing me less than $1000, since I'm doing it myself.

On the gear side, I'm recabling everything with custom cable at exact lengths (no more spaghetti), a new interface, and some new amps too. That's the spendy side.

Orion Studio 2017CE (inbound)
Taylor GSMini (inbound)
2 More Avid Artist Mix controllers (inbound)
Diezel VH2 (here, waiting in box)

After this, I'm done for a while. I still want a Korg Kronos, but damn, I've been spending at a breakneck pace this year.

My goal for the end of the year is to have the Two Notes Torpedo Live racked with a Warm Audio TB-12. That along with possibly some new Monitors.

I built a new DAW computer last year which is insanely overpowered but should last for a long time. It's running my old FireStudio Project, which needs a serious upgrade. I've been eyeing an RME UFX but just can't justify the money right now due to poor student status and not having tons of free time for recording. My old 8" monitors aren't even hooked up and I've been mixing off of headphones.

Everything is ITB for me, no amps (left them back home), just software. I'm envious of all your fancy setups!

I have some B&W's handy of the studio. It's gutted right now while we're renovating, and these are all I have on hand...
















The piano...(after I converted it to a bar, but before it was moved from the garage down to the studio)



Moving the converted piano bar down to the studio.



Lava lamps are cool, but I needed some old school entertainment for the studio. Tekken Tag!



My mobile rig I built and used for a while...Well, home mobile. I had it in the garage with tie lines running to my upstairs studio in the old house.



The desk I had in the old house.

That's so rad.


Hey Loop, if I wanted to grab a small but versatile keyboard/synth, where would you suggest I start looking? Mainly for Rock&Roll piano stuff. But having some cool bizzarro settings would be rad too. Not full sized. But with a shiftable octave range for the keys.

Is something like a MicrKorg a good candidate?

I'm totally green to what's out there.

TurboPablo wrote:That's so rad.


Hey Loop, if I wanted to grab a small but versatile keyboard/synth, where would you suggest I start looking? Mainly for Rock&Roll piano stuff. But having some cool bizzarro settings would be rad too. Not full sized. But with a shiftable octave range for the keys.

Is something like a MicrKorg a good candidate?

I'm totally green to what's out there.

Microkorgs are cool, yeah. I'm super partial to the Novation Mininova. Love that one.

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Loop is the go-to man for gear suggestions! Novation makes great keyboard controllers.

My Novation Impulse 61 (controller) is awesome. It syncs instantly with most DAW Software and you can use the sliders and knobs to control track volume, effects, etc., during mixdown. You click on a function knob on the computer monitor then you press a knob (or slider) on the keyboard and the that keyboard knob (or slider) controls that particular DAW function in real time.

Oooohhhhhh.


How much?!?

Controlling the DAW with it was something I hadn't considered.

TurboPablo wrote:Oooohhhhhh.


How much?!?

The 61 key version goes for about $400. I got mine for $350 at Sam Ash... open box discount.

Most keyboard controllers can operate DAW functions, these days. The tap pads are cool for playing drum beats

To be clear, Ajax is showing you a MIDI controller. No sounds without software. I'd suggested a synth, since that what you were asking for, though the MiniNova I'd suggested also works as a controller.

Reading up now.


How many sounds does it come programmed with?

Yes... midi-controller.... I have Native Instruments Komplete Ultimate 10 for synth, drum, piano, etc, to supply the sounds

TurboPablo wrote:Reading up now.


How many sounds does it come programmed with?

I bought the Native Instruments software at the same time so, I never looked into what the Novation Impulse came with!
Just checked on line... after buying it, you can register online to get four, free piano plugins:
Yamaha U3 upright piano sim
Steinway Model D grand piano sim
Yamaha CP-80 electric piano sim
Fender Rhodes sim

I'm sure there are other keyboard controllers that come with better software packages.
Mike likes Native Instruments, Massive synth program

Yay! A new rabbit hole.