Back from touring I need a workspace and my friend with the potential studio space for me is still waiting for the landlord to get the building up to code so…
I’m revamping the attic, again.
There is really too much going on up here these days (webshop, office) for it to be ideal for music but I have no choice, if I’m to get working soon.
The G5 (Antidepressant was recorded on it) seems to be dead, but I’ll take it into the shop to see this week. I think it’s just the hard drive – fingers crossed. This computer, if still working would go in the studio space, so as regards the current project it is semi-irrelevant, but it was the music computer up here…
I bought a MacBook Air for my office and travel at the end of last year, and it’s great but it is not a music computer (USB only). My old laptop – a MacBook Pro (bought to record The Whelan) is the only option unless I buy yet another computer which I can not and will not. I did my research – I can up the RAM to 4 GB for less than $100 and it should be fine. So I’m going with it.
I met with Roedelius in Vienna and wise old guy that he is his only advise re my studio was ‘keep it simple’. I will try. I want the hands on analogue echoplex vibe that I had in 1999, but I want to be able to take those loops (files) and process them further, and integrate them into DAW files. I also need to take the files Roedelius sent me and find ways to work with them, too. And I want to start demoing songs for my next song based project (whatever that is).
Here’s the system I came up with over the last couple of days (It’s not tested yet) –
Keyboards –
Main – Fatar VMK Studiologic (48 key piano weighted)
Aux – Arturia 32 key Analogue Factory
Computer – Macbook Pro (dual 2.2 Gig)
Second monitor (sits behind the Arturia keyboard to display virtual instrumets)
Interfaces –
Apogee Ensemble (8 in, 8 out D/A, A/D firewire)
Benchmark DAC – 1 (D/A)
MOTU Micro Lite (midi)
Software –
Ableton Live
Reaper
Bias Peak
Apogee Maestro (virtual mixer, router and controller of Ensemble)
Virtual Instruments –
TBC
Patchbay –
Neutrik 24*24
Sound Modules (I may add to these)
MiniMoog (rackmounted)
Elektron MachineDrum
Kurzweil PC2R
Dave Smith PolyEvolver (in the basement right now – Will Is using it – I hope to swap it out for Dave Smith’s new Prophet synth)
Audio Input –
API Lunchbox ( 2 @ 512b mic pres, 2 @ 550b eqs)
Daking Mic Pre/EQ
Daking Fet Compressor II
Empirical Labs Distressor
SansAmp PSA -1 (guitar)
VoodooLab Guitar preamp
FMR RNC Compressor
Outboard Effects (etc) –
Roland SDE-1000
2 @ Lexicon MPX-1
Oberheim Echoplex
(in the closet Roland Space Echo, original FET Echoplex)
Aardvark Aardspace
Also – this system allows for stomp boxes to be inserted into signal path. I will not list all pedals)
_Genelec monitors
_Bryston Preamp
_Sony CD player
_Panasonic DAT recorder
_Alesis Dual Cassette deck
Testing continues tomorrow.