Seventies era Wurlitzer 200 Electric Piano:  won on eBay auction this week.  It hasn’t arrived yet, so it will require tweaking and tuning.  The eBay listing didn’t suggest it needed work; it appears to be in excellent condition, but I’m pickier than most about instruments behaving very well.  I’ll let you know when it’s ready to make its debut.

Digi Pro Tools 002 rack unit:  Another eBay purchase; this is scheduled to arrive today (January 26).  A handy rental item that will also interface quite nicely with my studio (www.SweetbriarRecording.com).  I am a Nuendo or Cubase 4 guy, but I realize that Pro Tools is still king of the DAWs in popularity.  This should make it relatively convenient for clients to bring Pro Tools projects into my studio for overdubbing, or start in Pro Tools and take it to a HD studio for mixing. 

DBX 160X:  Yet another eBay purchase.  (Sensing a pattern here?  I need to turn off my computer for a while).  A classic compressor, it will be useful for tracking, and will give a different flavor option to the stereo 1176 and the tube AMR compressors.   I should be getting it today too as it is in Bellevue.

Audio Technica AT4060:  Nicely rounds out my group of AT microphones.  Looks and sounds like brand new; I’m off to the ‘net to research replacing the stock tube.  It has the nice shock mount, too.

AKG C568 short shotgun microphone with shock mount.  This one was a small gamble that worked out.  On eBay it was listed as an “AKG H38″ microphone.  H38 is the number for the shock mount.  The microphone was completely hidden by the mount and the long windscreen.  Bottom line is that it is a nice microphone under the windscreen and a good value purchase.  First impression is good, similar in tone to a C460 with a tighter pattern.  I’ll be trying it on some acoustic instruments.

 Y’all know that you can post here.  Speak up, be heard, get famous! (or famouser)

There’s no arguing that it’s still mostly a Pro Tools world for DAW users.  I quit lurking in the Pro Tools listings on eBay and made a purchase today.  I’m easing in, not ready to commit to a big dollar HD system.  I won an auction for a 002 rack unit with the Factory software bundle.  It looks brand new, and should interface nicely into my studio (http://www.sweetbriarrecording.com/) where I can use my excellent RME converters to allow 16 channels in and out plus two channels through SPDIF.  The 002 looks like a nifty package with plenty of flexibility.  My dual core computer has 3 UAD-1 cards an a TC Powercore II  that can be utilized with RTAS wrappers leaving plenty of processing power for the native Factory plugs.

I figure that with the RME converters – or the 002 converters if preferred – and my fine selection of mics, pres, comps, and of cource the superior sounding rooms – clients can cut excellent tracks in ProTools format if they prefer Pro Tools to Nuendo; if needed they could move the tracks to other more expensive studios with big deal HD systems for mixing. 

 No surprise that I’ll also make the 002 available as a rental (cheap, too).  My next stop will be adding it to the recording equipment page http://www.thompsonmusicrental.com/recording.html

Took a Leslie model 145 speaker and Combo Preamp to my old pal Brian Siewert yesterday.  We were on the road together for a few years playing in Wynonna’s band back in the ’90s.  Brian is an Emmy award winning composer; he’s recording a tribute to the old style organ soap music for “A Guiding Light” this week.  One of the things I like about this work is seeing old friends more often than I otherwise migh.  It was excellent to catch up with the many succesful ventures of Brian.  He’s also trying out my BeyerDynamic  M160 ribbon mic on the Leslie.   Update:  Brian played me some of his work when I picked up the gear; I wasn’t sure if it was him or the original 50’s recording he used as reference.  Nicely done.

Tommy Simms was producing at Vibe56 (www.vibe56.com) studio last week, his assistant David called me to get some acoustics.  I took them my Taylor 910ce and the legendary Olson SJ (guitar of choice for Phil Keaggy and James Taylor, among others).  I think that they liked them!

Bought a few (eight - does that count as ”a few”?) high end Renkus-Heinz CE or CoEntrant series PA cabinets at an auction.  I never really wanted to get into the sound reinforcement side of things, (too heavy and too much really talented competition), but I couldn’t pass up the deal.  Anybody have an idea on what to do with these things?  They should sound great, they look pretty good, too. Interesting design; they are not overly large, but well packed with components – and heavy.  The subs are either dual 15″ in a push-pull arrangement or four 12″.  The mid/high cabinets have either four or six each of 6″ polycarbon cone speakers and four or six 1″ drivers mounted to the same wooden horn.  They are designed to be a point source, each driver originates at at the same distance from the listener.  There are also some three way cabinets with 12″ woofers, they don’t go really low, but are efficient and well designed.

Sound Emporium hosted T Bone Burnett producing Robert Plant and Allison Krauss.  T Bone’s equipment guy Paul called for my mid-sixties Vox AC-30 combo and the 1955 Gibson mandolin, I also arranged a ShoBro resonator (Dobro type) guitar from my friend Chas Williams for Norman Blake to play on the sessions.  Paul was a pleasure to meet and work with; as often happens we got started talking about favorite equipment, we could have gone on for quite a while. 
 

I provided full stage equipment – everything except lights – to a fine country music band from Ireland called “The Conquerors”, also known as the Mike Denver Band.  The boys played and sang very skillfully.  They played the Opry, the Wild Horse, and some shows at a hotel downtown for the Irish tour group brought in by Paul Claffey.   Frank Downey was the steel player who was the encouragement to buy the new Carter D10 double neck pedal steel.
 

I took some very nice stuff to Matt Collom and Mike Salaway who are recording in Murfreesboro with Jim Champagne producing.  They got a couple of Gibson acoustics, the Martin D-28, Hofner Beatle bass, AC-30, blackface Twin Reverb and more.  Seems to be an excellent project.

“Blogging” seems like an opportunity to share and learn.  I’ll post some impressions of rentals I’ve provided.  Perhaps we can have exchanges related to which equipment makes a good tool for specific uses, or have an argument about “which is better”.  Likely it will be a -make it up as you go- venture.  Guidance gladly accepted. 

Send me questions or suggestions about what you’d like to see discussed here or any equipment questions or requests. 

Use the “comments” button.  If I’m offended, I can always erase it.  I’d like to hear from you.