Focusrite is a UK based company that makes outstanding gear.  I use the Focusrite Saffire as my dedicated audio firewire interface.  It’s a pretty powerful little package with nice converters and some very use-able effects built into the software/hardware.  These little desktop wonders are perfect for your project studio, they wont cost an arm and a leg and they deliver the goods. 

The front panel gives me knobs I can turn to adjust track volume in realtime and I can even see the faders and knobs move in the software when I’m tweaking externally on the front of the box.  I think that this piece offers the most bang for the buck and recommend it to anyone.

AKG mics are known for quality.  Sure you can re-finance your house in pursuit of the perfect vocal mic with pristine signal response or you can spend nominal money and get a great all around performer like THIS one.  My fave mic (in my small humble collection) is this AKG C 3000 B. It’s a wonderful vocal mic, fairly quiet with little coloring of the signal.  Not bad for acoustic instruments either. 

I mix in the digital realm so the only thing standing between capturing my true voice is the quality of the mic and the quality of the AD/DA converters (which are pretty good on the Focusrite audio interface I use…but that is a subject for another post)

I also use it for room ambience when recording electric guitar.  I like an SM 57 on the side of the speaker, one in the back (of my Ampeg All Tube Superjet) and THIS AKG placed 6 to 10 feet away picking up a more dispersed room sound.  Blend all three signals with a little compression into one stereo track and even Mutt Lang would be proud of the fat electric guitar sound you can obtain…but I digress.

So…you want radio quality?  Then this mic isn’t for you but if you want “near” radio quality for your project studio?  Have at it….the C 3000 B wont let you down!

As I have said already, Digitech is the pinnacle of smooth, cool, slick, bad ass, kickin, rockin, you name it.  I LOVE their stuff!  The GNX-3 (the 4’s are out now) is no exception.  Mad Tone with an 8 track multitracker all controlled from your feet.  Use this in conjuction with the Digitech Jam Man and you may just have an aneurism the possibilities are so endless ;-)  This one box is all you need to gig with but doubles as your portable writing tool.  Another great application is for use as a solo act.  Love it…Recommend it…think it’s down right sexy.  You will too!

It all started for me in 1991.  I was on the road and my band broke up with no warning in Joplin Missouri.  I came to Kansas City with one of my Band mates and stayed at their house for about a month while I looked for a new gig.  That was the first time I met Jesus…it was also the first time I saw the incomparable Mr. Phil Keaggy live.  Folks…let me tell you it was a night of mixed emotions for me.  I wavered between inspired and depressed as I saw one of the generations masters do things with an acoustic that could only be described as virtuosic!  Yep it was inspiring and humbling (VERY humbling) at the same time. 

Phil used a Jam Man back then (a rack mount dealy that was made by Lexicon…now sold to Digitech)  So it was  that day that I vowed I would become familiar with this type of live looping and now in 2007 I’m still not worthy to carry his guitar case ;-) Well…I may not have arrived but at least I’ve left.

The Jam Man…BUY IT!

I’m a big fan of the POD stuff.  I have been a die hard Digitech fan (and still am) for 2 decades but POD makes too solid an offering to ignore.  The POD XT Live is a powerhouse of versatility.  What ever tone you need to emulate it’s in here.  It’s got a familiar user friendly interface with real knobs to tweak parameters.  Outstanding! 

Godin Guitars makes some of the most outstanding performance instruments anywhere!  I LOVE my Multiac Steel Duet and cant imagine playing another instrument.  These guitars offer quality, tone and yes they are not the cheapest but still much less than a high end Taylor or Martin.  Check em out!

I started with Cakewalk way back in 1999.  Then it was considered a consumer package.  This is NOT the case anymore.  They have developed a seriously robust package for digital audio production as well as video scoring.  Forget Protools and Cubase, this package is affordable and gets the job done!  No not just compatible with Direct X plugins but VST as well.  This audio editor is Da Bomb!