As I promised to post this last week here is a list of equipment used by Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree in his No Mans Land Home Recording Studio (where all Porcupine Tree albums are produced) along with some quotes of a recent interview. If you find things you dont understand (due to poor translation) or if you need further information feel free to ask. Have fun.
No Mans Land: Recording Equipment
Computer:
Apple G5 (4 x 2,5GHz, 2 GB RAM, OS 10.4.8)
Recording Software:
Apple Logic Pro 7
I know it. Logic accompanies me as long as I work with computers. Its the language I speak. (On the question what he likes about the program.)
Plug-Ins:
Focusrite D2 & D3
You can hear this Equalizer/Compressor on every Porcupine-Tree-Track.
Line 6 Echo Farm & Amp Farm
I use Line 6 Echo Farm do simulate Analog-Delays. I dont like Reverb. I prefer Delays in combination with a Lowpass.
I often send guitars or even keyboards through the Amp Farm by Line 6.
Waves C1 Parametric Compander & L1-Ultramaximizer
The L1-Limiter is essential for me when it comes to Mastering.
Bomb Factory Voce Spin
Preamps/Interfaces:
Apogee Trak 2 & Rosetta 800
Monitors:
Quested H108
It doesnt matter which speakers you have in your studio, even if they are total crap. Its only important to know how they change the sound of your music.
Genelec 8030A
Mics:
Neumann U 87
I always use this mic for vocals almost since the beginning of my career. The signal goes into the Trak 2. In the computer I filter everything below 150 Hz with the D2 followed by a D3 usually in Flatline-Mode. Thats it. Simple but effective.
The Neumann U 87 is the only Highend-mic in my studio.
Shure SM-58
No Mans Land: Instruments
Guitars:
Gibson Les Paul Standard
PRS Custom 22
Guitar-Outboard:
Line 6 POD xt, POD 2.0 & Echo Pro
60 percent of my guitars go straight into the Line 6 POD.
Amps:
Various Marshalls
For the remaining 40 percent of my guitar recordings (mostly metal stuff) I use a Marshall into a 4x12 cab miced with a Shure SM-58.
Bad Cat Hot Cat
Software-Instruments:
Emagic EVP 88 & EXS 24 (incl. Mellotron-Library)
Keys:
C.-Becke-Piano
Fender Rhodes
Hammond XK-2
Even though Steve Wilson is a self-confessed control freak he keeps out of the drum recording process which is handled by Porcupine Trees drummer Gavin Harrison at his own studio.
Drum mics:
Audix D6 (Kickdrum)
Audix I5 (Snare Top)
Shure SM-57 (Snare Bottom)
Electro-Voice 408 (Toms)
AKG CK391 (Hi-Hat)
Royer 122 (Overheads)
Neumann 103 (Room, close)
Schoeps CMC5 (Room, distant)
Drumset:
Sonor Designer
Kick: 22 x 17
Snare: Sonor Black Steel, 14 x 5
Toms: 8 x 8, 10 x 8, 12 x 9, 14 x 12, 16 x 14
Cymbals: Zildjian 14-Oriental-China-Trash, 13-K-Hi-Hats, 19-K-Crash, 8-EFX, 15-A-Custom-Crash, 20-K-Ride, 18-A-Custom-Crash, 12-Oriental-China-Trash, 18-A-Custom-China
Various hints:
There is no EQing whatsoever during the recording of the drums.
Gavin is still evaluating the two Audix mics.
Drums are recorded with two Rosetta-800-Interfaces by Apogee into a Mac G5 with Apple Logic Pro 7.
It pays of to pull the Room-tracks a few milliseconds back so that they are parallel to the close mics. (Gavin uses an over dimensioned room).
No Mans Land: Recording Equipment
Computer:
Apple G5 (4 x 2,5GHz, 2 GB RAM, OS 10.4.8)
Recording Software:
Apple Logic Pro 7
I know it. Logic accompanies me as long as I work with computers. Its the language I speak. (On the question what he likes about the program.)
Plug-Ins:
Focusrite D2 & D3
You can hear this Equalizer/Compressor on every Porcupine-Tree-Track.
Line 6 Echo Farm & Amp Farm
I use Line 6 Echo Farm do simulate Analog-Delays. I dont like Reverb. I prefer Delays in combination with a Lowpass.
I often send guitars or even keyboards through the Amp Farm by Line 6.
Waves C1 Parametric Compander & L1-Ultramaximizer
The L1-Limiter is essential for me when it comes to Mastering.
Bomb Factory Voce Spin
Preamps/Interfaces:
Apogee Trak 2 & Rosetta 800
Monitors:
Quested H108
It doesnt matter which speakers you have in your studio, even if they are total crap. Its only important to know how they change the sound of your music.
Genelec 8030A
Mics:
Neumann U 87
I always use this mic for vocals almost since the beginning of my career. The signal goes into the Trak 2. In the computer I filter everything below 150 Hz with the D2 followed by a D3 usually in Flatline-Mode. Thats it. Simple but effective.
The Neumann U 87 is the only Highend-mic in my studio.
Shure SM-58
No Mans Land: Instruments
Guitars:
Gibson Les Paul Standard
PRS Custom 22
Guitar-Outboard:
Line 6 POD xt, POD 2.0 & Echo Pro
60 percent of my guitars go straight into the Line 6 POD.
Amps:
Various Marshalls
For the remaining 40 percent of my guitar recordings (mostly metal stuff) I use a Marshall into a 4x12 cab miced with a Shure SM-58.
Bad Cat Hot Cat
Software-Instruments:
Emagic EVP 88 & EXS 24 (incl. Mellotron-Library)
Keys:
C.-Becke-Piano
Fender Rhodes
Hammond XK-2
Even though Steve Wilson is a self-confessed control freak he keeps out of the drum recording process which is handled by Porcupine Trees drummer Gavin Harrison at his own studio.
Drum mics:
Audix D6 (Kickdrum)
Audix I5 (Snare Top)
Shure SM-57 (Snare Bottom)
Electro-Voice 408 (Toms)
AKG CK391 (Hi-Hat)
Royer 122 (Overheads)
Neumann 103 (Room, close)
Schoeps CMC5 (Room, distant)
Drumset:
Sonor Designer
Kick: 22 x 17
Snare: Sonor Black Steel, 14 x 5
Toms: 8 x 8, 10 x 8, 12 x 9, 14 x 12, 16 x 14
Cymbals: Zildjian 14-Oriental-China-Trash, 13-K-Hi-Hats, 19-K-Crash, 8-EFX, 15-A-Custom-Crash, 20-K-Ride, 18-A-Custom-Crash, 12-Oriental-China-Trash, 18-A-Custom-China
Various hints:
There is no EQing whatsoever during the recording of the drums.
Gavin is still evaluating the two Audix mics.
Drums are recorded with two Rosetta-800-Interfaces by Apogee into a Mac G5 with Apple Logic Pro 7.
It pays of to pull the Room-tracks a few milliseconds back so that they are parallel to the close mics. (Gavin uses an over dimensioned room).