"Mike did a great job of explaining how effects, EQ and all of the other settings were shaping the recording during the mastering process." Barry James
We record everything direct to Pro Tools, for the best sound, most options and the least surprises. You can choose sweet mics and preamps for a really pure sound, or you can go for the strange with a weird mic and an udu pot. There are oddball instruments all over the place, from pots and pans to a maniacally altered Speak n Spell.
Basic Rig
Everything pours into a world-class Pro Tools HD rig, with a hyped-up Mac supplying the brains. For you tech types, we're running through a 192 I/O interface, DigiDesign's top of the line. For you non-tecchies, the silver and purple box to my left.
Mics and Preamps
We keep a cabinet full of classy mics from Neumann, Rode, Royer, AKG, AT, Sennheiser, etc, plus a set of crazy, barely useable, cool-sounding mics (sometimes you have to make a mess). Preamps from Focusrite, Avalon and Joe Meek keep things sweet.
Software
Inside Pro Tools we've added some slick plug-ins that give us a huge sonic pallette. Some add the perfect grunge, some just add the perfect perfect. Reason and Sample Tank will let you build loops in no time. And the modelling reverb will take you from a European cathedral to a loft in SoHo, to a bathroom in NY, to a barrel in Wisconsin.
Outboard Gear
Our outboard gear includes a Pod amp modeller, a Fender DeVille amp, all kinds of pedals, and a tc Electronics Finalizer for fun and sport.
Keyboards
There are always keyboards and sound modules coming and going. Right now we have a Nord Electro 2 and a Roland JV-1080 with World Card...but just wait until you hear the sounds from Ivory's software pianos! It's just like sitting at a Bosendorfer, or a Steinway, or a Yamaha, just amazingly rich.
Noisemakers
There's all sorts of stuff to thump on, including a Yamaha drum kit, Matador congas and bongos, tons of hand percussion, a Theremin, a bass, a bass harmonica, random electronic gizmos...and of course the demented Speak n Spell.