If you’ve been around the recording world for a while, you know that Pro Tools is pretty much the big daddy. Everybody uses it, everybody loves it, yada yada yada. Well let me tell you my little secret – I don’t use Pro Tools. I use MOTU Digital Performer. And I wouldn’t switch.

First, you should know that DP 6 is the leading alternative software to Pro Tools. Why is that? Because it does everything. I have never had a hangup using DP 6 that Pro Tools could have done better. I even switched up to DP 6 after it was released. I could have gone to Digidesign’s software instead, but I chose not to.

You get tons of flexibility in this software. All the bells and whistles of any other professional production software. And the plug-ins? Fantastic. They will get you off to a great start. I’ve mixed many projects using only the stock plug-in suite included with DP 6. The bottom line is that I love this software, and after you get past the learning curve, I think you will to.

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I know a lot of people that own this mic. Actually, I had one in my studio for a long time. It was probably 1 year before I ever hooked it up and tried it out (I have a lot of other mics that see more action). What did it sound like? Well…

I was completely shocked! Yes, and that doesn’t happen very often. Especially with such a cheap piece of gear. But the MXL 990 actually sounds great (caveat – for the price). Sure, you can get a $200+ mic and get better vocal reproduction. But if you have a small budget, get this mic first. It can get any job done and make it sound better than a cheaper or comparably priced mic. MXL really did a great service to the budget studio community with this microphone.

What didn’t I like about it? Well, after a side by side comparison with an Oktava mic, a Blue mic, and a Neumann U87, I realized what made this MXL sound so great. While the world class mics I compared it to are great for on-the-dot vocal reproduction, the MXL tends to artificially hype the high/high-mid frequencies in a vocal track. This makes a vocal recorded with the 990 condenser sit in an amateur mix much better. Yeah, it’s padding for inexperienced recordings. This is not a bad thing – it’s actually a great thing for most home studio owners.

So if you want a cheap mic and you need your vocal tracks to sound great out-of-the-box, get the MXL 990. It’s only a $60 investment, so if you hate it – you haven’t blown too much cash.

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There is a distinct line that separates recording engineers – those who own/use the Neumann U87 and those who do not. Period. Yeah, I know that’s a bit harsh, but it’s also more than a bit true. The U87 is not for everyone. And with a pricetag upwards of $3k it’s obvious why. But if you don’t have 3000 bucks to blow, you might not know what other differences exist.

The U87 is a try professional microphone. It’s not your uncle’s Shure large-diaphragm. This mic reproduces, not simulates. It doesn’t seek to do anything, it does everything. Need a vocal mic? You aren’t serious if you aren’t trying this on every singer. Guitars? Of course the U87 can handle it. Strings? Drums? Yes, it does it all.

There are a lot of readers that will call me elitist at this point. But that’s just because they’re too broke to own this mic. Make the money, save the money, steal the money if necessary. This mic is for real pros. Not the fake MXL crowd. So deal with it!

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The Neumann U87 In My Recording Studio

Need to decouple your monitors from your room? Yeah, I didn’t know what that meant either when I first saw these pads from Auralex. Honestly, I thought it was a gimmick. Auralex didn’t have enough low-price products available to draw in cheap new customers. But when I had an extra $40 to blow, I picked these up at Guitar Center. Here’s what I discovered…

Decoupling your monitors really does make a difference! Wow, I must have been an idiot to ignore these little foam pieces for so long. Think about it, if your monitor is sitting on the desk – then your desk vibrates with the speaker. Vibration in the desk colors the sound. You want to hear your mix accurately, right? Well you’re monitors need to be on these MoPads then!

I don’t know of any alternatives on the market, so these are my #1 suggestion to get the job done. If you really think they suck, I’m sure you can get a refund. But I know you’ll realize it was $40 well invested. And your mix quality will thank you!

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If you need a drum machine, you probably have looked at the Alesis SR-16 before. I bought this piece 4 years ago, and later lost it to a friend (don’t loan this drum machine to anybody! haha). Although there are better options available, this one is right on the money – for the money. Only $159. Cheap.

The sounds? There isn’t a ton of variety, but it’s enough selection to get just about any demo job finished. The straight up rock sounds are pretty good, the hip hop stuff isn’t great (get an MPC), and everything else is pretty much up to par. Try a few different combinations. And don’t be afraid to program your own kit. Fool around with the reverb setting on each drum, and the volume/eq settings too. You can probably come up with something better suited for your project, if you’re willing to invest a little time fiddling.

Programming the SR-16 isn’t that easy. If you need something dead-simple to program, get Garage Band on your mac. You really need to read the manual before you’ll be able to program beats or songs into this unit. But there are a lot of options, giving you tons of flexibility if you have time to figure it out.

My overall thoughts: nice sounds, pretty easy to use, nice for songwriters that just need something to play along with. Although these days Garage Band can probably do it better and it’s free if you bought a mac (and you did buy a mac, right?).

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Got a home studio? Then you should have these headphones! I have two pair, and I hate to say it – but I paid $99 a piece for em. Now they’re only $85 at musiciansfriend.com… oh well. They are worth just about any price. And believe me, 85 dollars is a freakin steal for these babies!

The frequency response is 8Hz to 25kHz on paper. In real life? How the heck should I know? I can only hear 20 to 20! Either way, it’s a great sound. These headphones are collapsible, which is nice for travel. And the ear cups are more comfortable and snug-fitting than any others I own.

Do yourself a favor and listen to a pair of these headphones. You’ll cry if you are forced to leave the store without them.

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Buying an interface from TASCAM was a big leap for me – after all, Presonus has all the good marketing. But this interface looked like the biggest bang for the buck (and the buck wasn’t much at all). And I wasn’t too sure about USB 2.0, I thought firewire was the thing these days. I was wrong.

Let me repeat that: I was wrong. This Interface Rules! A LOT!

16 channels, 8 preamps, switch between line level/instrument on channels 8/9. USB 2.0 is faster than your regular firewire connection. Plus, SP/DIF and MIDI connectivity! What more could you ask for?

How’s it sound? Amazing. In fact, my band switched to tracking our new album with this instead of our Firepod. This thing sounds sweet. It’s easy to use, very easy to setup and install (on my Mac), and I couldn’t be happier. Long story short – give this interface a try. You won’t regret it. It’s staying in my studio for a long time.

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Home recording should be easy, flexible, and sound great in the 21st century. But this isn’t always the case when you’re buying a new interface. I say avoid the headaches, and buy the FP10 from Presonus. I’ve even been in commercial facilities that use these interfaces. That’s how great they are.

Easy to setup? You bet. Especially if you’re using a Mac. So get one! I have no experience with Windows, so you’ll have to check around for other opinions. Flexible? Oh yeah. But what do you expect from a great company like Presonus? You get 8 preamps, SPDIF, tons of outputs, this that, and whatever. It’s all there. Whatever you need, the FP10 has got it.

So how does it sound? I already mentioned that I’ve seen commercial facilities using these things. They’re that good. 24-bit sound, 96kHz. Top of the line.

If you need the best of the best, and a modest price, get this interface. It’s a surefire winner every time.

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My home studio needed some quality monitors, but nothing as big and bulky as an 8″ goliath. So I headed on over to the local music store to take a listen to some smaller options. These Alesis speakers hit the mark and exceeded my expectations.

Here’s what I love about them: after mixing a couple tracks at home and comparing them to tracks done in my commercial studio, I was stunned. The home studio mix was three times better! Unbelievable, I know. But it’s the truth. The bass was tighter despite these monitors only having a 5″ driver. And the highs aren’t all hyped up like some of the more popular monitors on the market.

The best part is the selectable bass control on the back. I needed it because I mix in the corner of a room. The option to roll the lows off and control them more precisely was just what I needed. That option alone makes these the perfect choice for any home studio. Go try them yourself. You won’t be let down.

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The Shure SM57 is an easy mic to review. That’s because they have been established for years as an industry standard. What that means for you is a quality, dependable mic with a proven track record. Despite its reputation, I’ll add my two cents.

You can use this mic for almost anything. I have personally used 57s for snare, kick, toms, hi hats, guitars, bass, vocals, and more. It’s like pressing “the easy button” in the recording world. Need a mic you can count on? Grab a 57. The truth is every studio should have at least a half a dozen of these babies. And that’s a minimum.

For under $100, you can’t beat it. It’s rugged enough for years of live use. You would have to be an ape to break one of these things. My final word: if you don’t own at least one SM57, you aren’t serious about your sound.

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