The world of recording has changed a great deal in the last couple of decades. It’s more than likely that you have some or more of the same kind of gear and tools I use. And now we have in our project studios, the resources that were only available in professional recording studio facilities just years ago.
But gear (or ITB tools and plugins for that matter) has no bearing on making those instinctive and creative decisions that yield something unique and truly memorable. In Dave Pensado’s words, “you hire me for my musical taste” and not for what plugin I use. I firmly believe that we are in the most exciting (and democratized) time for musical creatives, with access to great production resources. I enjoy achieving the most creatively meaningful productions for others as much as for myself.
But just in case you want to know what tools I use, here’s some of my go-to hardware, software and gear. Some gear may be temporarily unavailable or aged-out and replaced by new tools. I will try to keep this as updated as I can, but it’s safer to shoot me a quick message and inquire directly.
Computing
- Apple Main: Mac Pro running dual quad-core Intel Xeon processors, 64GB of memory, a 3TB SSD local storage array (16TB NAS for backup storage).
- Apple Legacy: MacMini running a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of memory and 1TB SSD local storage (16TB NAS for backup storage).
- Apple Mobile: MacBook Pro with a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of memory and (2) 500GB SSD storage volumes, 2TB SSD mobile storage (16TB NAS for backup storage at studio).
- Windows Main: Custom Built AMD Ryzen 3700 octa-core processor with 64GB of memory, 4TB of local storage (16TB NAS for backup storage).
- Windows Legacy: Dell Optiplex 9020M Quad-Core Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of memory and 1TB SSD local storage. Legacy compatible Windows setup.
- UAD Apollo DSP Processing.
DAW and Software
I use a number of different daws for both flexibility and range of tools. It also allows me to receive full session work in some of the most popular digital audio workstation platforms (DAWs) around. These include:
- Logic Pro 10.7.3 (Latest Version) [Current main DAW]
- Avid Pro Tools (Latest Version) w. HEAT
- Avid Pro Tools 12 (Static, Legacy Compatibility)
- Persons Studio One 5 Professional (Latest Version)
- Steinberg Cubase LE 9
- Reaper 6 (Latest)
- Ableton Live 11
I used to use (have experience with) but have moved away from:
- Adobe Audition (Deprecated)
- Steinberg Nuendo (Deprecated)
- Image Line FL Studio (Deprecated)
If you work in any of the DAWs I no longer support but want me to mix for you, you can follow my mix project submission guidelines. These provide guidance on exporting stems and scenarios where printing effects on tracks may be necessary.
Plugins and Processing
I have far too many 3rd party plugins to itemize, but I will highlight some of the more important/often used in my projects. However, as a matter of approach, I actually mostly use the stock effect/processing plugin selection of each DAW.
Tone Emulation
- Neural DSP Fortin NTS Suite
- Neural DSP Fortin Nameless Suite
- Neural DSP Fortin Cali Suite
- Neural DSP Archetype: Nolly
- Neural DSP Darkglass Ultra
- STL Tonality: Will Putney
- TSE BOD 3.0
- Kazrog Recabinet (Full Suite, All Versions)
- Positive Grid BIAS Amp (Latest and Legacy)
- TwoNotes Torpedo Wall of Sound
- Ampeg SVT Suite
- Audiority HM2
- Audiority Klirrton Grindstein Suite
- Audiority Heavy Pedal MKII (HM2)
- Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555
- Brainworx BX Rock Rack Amp Emulation
Impulse Response and Sample Libraries
Amplification / Cabinet Libraries
- Celestion EVH G12 IR Collection
- Recabinet Legacy Collection (All Versions, All Variations)
- OwnHammer (r)Evolution – Full Catalog Bundle (1st Edition – Mono)
- OwnHammer (r)Evolution – Full Catalog Bundle (Revision – TrueStereo)
- Fredman Legacy Cabinet Impulse Responses
- Catharsis Legacy Cabinet Impulse Responses
- Eleven Effects Bundle
- NADIR KVR Ignite
Percussion / MIDI /Drum Sample Libraries
- Custom Produced Drum Samples (Christian Olmeda / Southground)
- TMF The Metal Factory – Drum Sample Library Bundle (2.0)
- Toontrack Superior Drummer Avatar Drums (2.0)
- Toontrack Drum Kit From Hell (Legacy)
- Toontrack Metal Machine (Latest)
- Toontrack Modern Metal (Latest)
- Toontrack Black Metal Library
- Toontrack Death Metal Library
- Toontrack Deathlike Fusion Library
- Toontrack Library of the Extreme: Blasts, Fills Library
- Toontrack Library of the Extreme: Death and Thrash Library
- Toontrack Library of the Extreme: Fill Insanity Library
- Toontrack The Metal Foundry Library
- Toontrack The Progressive Foundry Library
- Slam Tracks Library
- Clyde Stublefield Drum Library (Loops)
- BeatSkillz Synthwave Drum Library
- Ugritone Slam Death Metal Essentials Library
- Ugritone Beatdown Hardcore Essentials Library
- Ugritone Crew Hardcore Essentials Library
- Steven Slate Seismic Drum Samples (Vol. 1 and 2)
- Steven Slate Midnight Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Aurora Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Empress Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Axe Guitar Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Hip Hop Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Pasadena Pop Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Basshole Sample Pack
- Steven Slate EDM Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Caicos Sample Pack
- Steven Slate Vibrations Sample Pack
- Steven Slate 909 Drum Sample Pack
- Steven Slate 808 Deep Dive Drum Sample Pack
- Steven Slate EDM Sample Pack
- Brad Brunazzi Vintage Drum Machines Sample Pack
- XLN Addictive Drums Rock Pack
Virtual Instruments, Sample Controllers
- Spitfire Audio Orchestral – BBC Symphonic
- EastWest Hollywood Strings
- Toontrack Superior Drummer (2 and 3)
- Toontrack EZ Drummer (2)
- Steven Slate Drums Trigger (Ex, 2, Platinum)
- Waldorf Edition 2 LE
- Wilkinson Audio ZomBass 4
- Wilkinson Audio Simpulse Jimmy
- Wilkinson Audio Simpulse Dave
- Wilkinson Audio Simpulse Freddy
- Wilkinson Audio God’s Cab
- XLN Audio Addictive Drums
- XLN Audio Addictive Keys (Yamaha Studio Upright)
Processing, EQ, Effects
- Fabfilter Pro-Q (2 and 3)
- Waves SSL E-Channel
- Waves Vitamin Sonic Enhancer
- Waves Scheps Omni Channel
- Waves Scheps 73 (Andrew’s Neve 1073 Channel Emulation)
- Waves C4 Multiband Compressor
- Waves Scheps Parallel Particles
- Audio Assault – The Punch
- Audio Assault – Transient+
- JST Gain Reduction
- Eventide EQuivocate
- Eventide UltraChannel
- Eventide UltraReverb
- Soundtoys Tremolator
- Accusonus Voice Leveler
- Izotope Trash Distortion
- Izotope Ozone Mastering
- Izotope RX8 Elements
- Focusrite Studio Console
- SSL 9000 J
- Brainworx BX Masterdesk Mastering
- Brainworx BX Masterdesk Classic Mastering
- Brainworx Oberhausen Synth (Oberheim)
- Brainworx Clean Sweep (V1 and V2)
- Brainworx BX Solo M/S Monitoring and Stereo Imaging
- Brainworx BX Double M/S Monitoring and Stereo Imaging
- Brainworx BX Subfilter Low Frequency Handler
- Brainworx Ranger SPL EQ
- Brainworx Niveau Filter Frequency Balance
- Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
Universal Audio Subset
- UA 1176 Collection with three unique versions: Rev A, Rev E, and AE
- Teletronix LA‑2A Classic Leveler Collection.
- Pultec Passive EQ Collection
- UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection
- UA Pure Plate Reverb
- UA 610-B
- UA 1176LN Legacy
- UA 1176SE Legacy
- Ampeg SVT-VR Classic
- Marshall Plexi Classic
- Precision Channel Strip (Precision Mix Rack Collection)
- Precision Reflection Engine (Precision Mix Rack Collection)
- Precision Delay Mod (Precision Mix Rack Collection)
- Precision Delay Mod L (Precision Mix Rack Collection)
- Pultec EQP-1A Legacy
- Pultec-Pro Legacy
- Teletronix LA-2A Legacy
- Raw Distortion
- RealVerb Pro