I often get asked about what equipment I use. I don’t make a big fuss of it as I don’t have banks and banks of flashing lights and huge mixing desks.
Having said that, there are some bits of gear in my arsenal that I wouldn’t be without. Here are some, in no particular order – click on the titles to go to their homepage and find out more:
This is a relatively new purchase, but I know I’m going to have a lot of fun with it. What a sound! Unreal mellow tones that are perfect for sound design work and intimate acoustic recordings, there’s a fantastic interface that lets you manipulate every aspect of the sound, from pedal and stool noises to tape sound and ambience. Basically, my dream instrument.
When I first got my studio, I had a set budget that meant I could either buy loads of equipment and it would look very cool, or I could just buy a few things and they would sound awesome. I chose the latter, getting an iMac, a good sound card and this incredible AKG mic, which have used on pretty much everything I’ve ever recorded. Works beautifully crisp and clear on vocals, acoustic guitar, pianos and more.
As I come more from the creative side of things than the technical, Logic gets me to where I want to be quickly and smoothly, and also comes with superb plugins such as Alchemy and Tape Delay.
This is a delay plug-in that was initially given away free by Native Instruments a few years ago; it now costs £44 and is worth every penny. I use it as a secret ingredient on lots of tracks, mainly for its lush delay/reverbs. There is now a new version called Replika XT, which does a lot more things, but I still prefer the original, just for the sound and the vibe. Beautiful.
Paiste Signature Series 17” Fast Crash
When I was 13 years old and got my first cheap drum kit, we could only afford nasty brass cymbals. I craved for the Paiste Signature Series which sounded smooth, transparent and powerful. Cut to 2015, and I found myself in a drum shop during a trip to Nottingham, trying out a beautiful sounding fast crash. The 13-year-old in me begged the adult to buy it, and the adult duly relented. It sounds as crisp and lovely as I’d envisaged all those years ago.
A couple of years ago I decided to buy a Les Paul. With the budget I had, I decided I could either get the lowest quality Gibson or the highest quality Epiphone. I chose the Epiphone and never regretted it. It’s become my guitar of choice, leapfrogging my trusty Strat with its full tones, lovely feel and lack of noise.
