MARE STUDIO

MAIN HARDWARE

1. iMac (2019), 32gb RAM, 1tb ROM

2. WD Passport backup drive, 5 tb

3. NEKTAR Impact LX61 keyboard/Midi Controller (NEW!)(NEW!)

4. Behringer 8-input and 4-input audio interfaces, set up as an aggrevate (single) device

5. Shure SM-58 mics

6. MXL 770 mics

7. CAD AUDIO Stage 7 drum mics

8. Electro-Voice PL-33 kick drum mic

9. Sony MDR-V8 studio headphones

10. Realistic PZM floor/wall mount mic

11. Edifier R1280DB studio monitors

12. Casio MT-240 midi keyboard (1980s vintage, still works fine! Basically now in retirement)

13. NEKTAR Impact LX-61 Midi keyboard, a truly powerful and professional unit.

14. Fender Telecaster electric guitar (LH)

15. Guild acoustic guitar (LH)

16. SX Custom Bass Guitar (LH)

17. VOX VT-50 guitar amp

MAIN SOFTWARE DAW: APPLE Logic Pro

The latest version, 11.0.1, of course! Includes the full range of capabilities, including numerous software instruments, loops, midi tools, etc. Plus their 22 plug-ins for processing…but I have bought a lot of supplementals (see below).

THE FOLLOWING LIST IS PARTIAL IN REGARDS TO WAVES PRODUCTS…SEE NOTE ABOVE CONCERNING MY FULL SUBSCRIPTION TO ALL WAVES PLUGINS.

APPLE LOGIC PRO STOCK PLUGINS, plus…

ABLETUNES

Three elements to control attack, drive and stereo space.

ADAM SZABO PHAZOR

Emulates the phaser capabilities of the Virus synthesizer.

AUDIOTHING FILTERJAM

Produces multi-band ring-mod sounds.

EXPONENTIAL AUDIO EXCALIBUR

Controller for resonance and modulation.

IZOTOPE OZONE 9 PLUS

14 included tools, plus RELAY (gain, pan, filters controls); R7 (de-click, de-clip, de-hum, vocal de-noise); TOTAL BALANCE (multi-band EQ manipulation); VOCAL DOUBLER (enhance vocals).

INFECTED MUSHROOM WIDER

This plugin allows me great latitude is spreading a single instrument across the stereo field for more fullness. VERY helpful with a single track rhythm guitar that needs to “spead out”.

SOUNDTOYS MICROSHIFT

Another stereo widening tool

TAL-TOGU AUDIO TAL-VOCODER 2

Enhances vocals. Emulates 80s vocoder sounds across 11 bands.

VALHALLA SUPERMASSIVE

Reverbs, delays, feedbacks, etc. According to the manufacturer, “Get ready for luscious clouds of reverb, otherworldly delays, and swelling waves of feedback.”

WAVES TG MASTERING

Such wonderful control over all aspects of the final mix, with dynamics, EQ, balance, polarity, and other effects, with a ton of presets to get ya close to the finish line! I have my favorite pre-sets, but always tweak from there…

WAVES GREG WELLS MIXCENTRIC MASTERING

An all-in-one quick-mastering tool, that applies a balanced mix of EQ, compression and harmonic distortion to plus up a final mix. Can sometimes be enough! Good in a pinch, although I prefer doing a much more in-depth aplication of these and other mastering tools. There if we need it!

WAVES CR8/COSMOS SAMPLER

An easy to use sampler, with over 2500 free sounds and loops, this brand new tool allows me to create or modify almost an infinite number of sounds…and therefore MIDI-controlled instruments! 8 sample layers, 5 stretching algorithms, key/BPM real-time analysis, and Loop/Reverse/Freeze options. Also has on-board ASDR! And presets! Let the fun begin!

WAVES ABBEY ROAD STUDIO 3

This software mimics almost exactly the room where final mastering is done at Abbey Road. Now we can sit in that room and hear those top-end speakers, hear the sound change as we move our head, calibrate for distance from speakers, etc…WHILE WEARING HEADPHONES! Sounding just like that perfect room/speaker mix, we overcome the well-known mix-on-headphones limitations. I check it out on the studio monitors as well!

WAVES OCEAN WAY NASHVILLE

This software is a companion piece to Studio 3. It allows me to hear how the master sounds were it played in the mastering room of Nashville’s Ocean Way studio, again over my headphones! This allows me to have two different studios to hear the mix in. This room is tailored more to country and country pop, so it gives me that added decision point.

WAVES CLA-NX

Another mastering studio, this time LA-based Chris Lord-Alge’s LA-based studio. This now gives me three different studios to check how the master sounds for real, not over my headphones.

WAVES RENAISSANCE BASS

Designed to enhance very low bass frequencies, this plugin produces low frequency content through harmonics that is not actually there, allowing them to be heard on systems that otherwise would not reproduce them.

WAVES EMI TG12345

Wonderful replication of the famed Abbey Road channel strip eq, comp, etc. This really transforms each instrument, making it brighter and more present, giving it that “Beatles secret” enhancement.

WAVES ARTS TUBE SATURATOR

Enhanced saturation (warming)by inducing small amounts of distortion. I also can use the J37 plugin for this effect.

WAVES ABBEY ROAD SATURATOR

Saturation (distortion) as well as “companding” (compressing then expanding) of input/output signals, with a whole gamut of sounds…yet another brilliant tune to add warmth to your digital recordings. This processing tool was developed in the early 60s, and was what gave the Beatles recordings such a louder, brighter presence than the competition. It, along with the TG12345, was an EMI “secret weapon” for several years.

WAVES ABBEY ROAD J37

A specialty tool that mimics the famed Abbey Road tape machine, to give your tracks a saturated, analog feel that cannot be beat. Straight sound manipulation , with various tape-speed and head options to boot, from the classics recorded there!

WAVES ABBEY ROAD VINYL

Vinyl disc effects re-creations (produces record-player warmth, including clicks, etc., if asked for), utilizing different cutting heads, tone-arm positioning, etc. used in Abbey Road master discs for years.

WAVES F6

Precision to wide EQ manipulation, across 6 different bands, allowing incredible fine-tuning to your sounds. I can pull out one pesky EQ spike...or boost a specific tone…without effecting anything else in the mix.

WAVES RS56 PASSIVE EQ

From Waves: “features three bands with four selectable center frequencies for each and six different filter types, plus independent or linked control over the left and right channels. The result is an extraordinary equalizer that is as effective today as it was when it was created over half a century ago.”

CLA EFFECTS

From Waves: “Filtered vocal? Check. Telephone FX? Check. John Lennon “I Am the Walrus” vocal distortion? Check and double check. Multiple delays with tape phasing? You got it. Reverb, tape slap, and long echo all at once? Yes, yes, and yes. One of my favorite features is the echo throw section: Hit the throw button and add long delays to just the words you want, with one click!”

CLA MIXDOWN

Another Chris Lord-Alge product, which assists in bringing that final magic to mixes…in Waves’ words, “One of the secrets to his signature sound have been his unique punchy, smooth, in-your-face mix buss chains”

CLA VOCALS

A powerful processor that gives you “the right amount of bass, treble, compression, reverb, delay, and chorusing/doubling”

WAVES ABBEY ROAD RS124 COMPRESSOR

A precise replica of the famed Beatles compression. From Waves: “The custom-built RS124 compressors were the secret weapon of Abbey Road engineers during the ‘60s – favored by Geoff Emerick for punchy bass sounds; by Ken Scott for lush guitar treatment; by Norman Smith for lightly gluing the entire rhythm bus. RS124 was also a popular choice for mastering in Abbey Road’s cutting rooms." he RS124 sound is especially famous for the thick, creamy bass tones it produced on Beatles classics such as “Rain” and “Come Together.”

WAVES CLA-2A COMPRESSOR

The 2A COMPRESSOR is used in much of the industry to nail down guitars, bass and vocals!

WAVES C1 COMPRESSOR

Compressor plugin with gate and sidechain. Way cool!

• Compressor/Expander, Gate/Expander, Filter/EQ modules

• Split-band dynamics

• Internal and external side-chaining

• Look-ahead feature for precision transient processing

WAVES SSL G-MASTER BUSS COMPRESSOR

The go-to tool for that last bit of compression at the end of the mastering process. It is a very subtle but obvious booster, again to bring out the max brightness and presence of your track!

WAVES VITAMIN SONIC ENHANCER

This new tool has almost as much EQ options for really achieving a bright sound as F6 does. It can supplement the Abbey Road Saturator, if needs be…or simply stand in its place. This plugin can be used on individual tracks to bring them out to their fullest, or even in the mastering process to do final tweaks. I have a lot of mastering options, but this just adds yet another way to get it “just right”...either track-based or in the mastering phase.

WAVES TORQUE TONE SHIFTER

This tool enhances the sounds of snares, toms, kicks or the entire drum set. This allows drums to be tuned to the track without losing any dynamics.

WAVES SAPHIRA

NEW A new tool that allows me to add harmonics where they are missing, both to sharpen and/pr to warm a track. This adds some dynamics to instruments, voices, etc, helping them stand. out a bit more in the mix. Very nice addition to the family

WAVES x-NOISE and Z-NOISE

NEW Two programs, both of which reduce background noise from recordings, with X the first version, and Z the newer, more spohisticated version. I am restoring old tapes from decades ago...so a handy tool!

WAVES HARMONY

NEW A brand new tool as of Dec 2022, which allows simple to sophisticated additions of harmony notes/sections to vocals and other tracks, as much as 5 deep from the original track. Can’t wait to see some of the uses this can be put to in less traditional ways. For now, I still sing my own harmonies…

WAVES MAGMA LIL TUBE

NEW Brand new as of DEc 2022, this is a very simple saturation tool. I have several of these already, of course, but this was a freebie, so why not? Because it is so simple…just mimics an analog tube in adjustable amounts, it could make life quite easy.

WAVES ABBEY ROAD SATURATOR

From Waves.com: “Modeled directly from time-proven saturation chains at Abbey Road Studios, Abbey Road Saturator provides inspiring saturation and distortion unlike any other device. The plugin offers two versatile desk distortion flavors: the crunchy tube REDD sound, and the rounded solid-state TG12345 tone—with the sophisticated input, gain and output stages of both consoles calibrated to perfection by Abbey Road’s engineers. But it doesn’t end here. Abbey Road engineers were known to experiment endlessly with the wealth of original EMI gear at their disposal—pushing the equipment to its limits and reaching “happy accidents.” Abbey Road Saturator captures the very happiest of such accidents.”

WAVES L3 MULTIMAXIMIZER LIMITER

THE tool for the end of the mastering process. This is a MULTI-BAND LIMITER, so if there is a large spike in just one part of the track, we can zero in on that part and limit it further, allowing the rest of the mix to stay louder. A wonderful “secret” weapon for max brightness and loudness! One can also use this in conjunction with the Logic multiband compressor (Multipressor) to really nail down the sound.

WAVES C1 GATE

A very useful tool that offers compression, expansion, gating, and equalization, all in one module!

WAVES NS1 NOISE SUPPRESSOR

My latest purchase. This wonderful little tool is a “live noise gate”! It monitors your track as it plays and adds the noise reduction seamlessly and quickly, and in the amount that you request. Almost a set-it-and-forget-it. Came in VERY handy on my recent Eddie Knows remaster, where the vocal had a noise floor that a normal gate couldn’t handle. NS1 was a fabulous choice.

WAVES ABBEY ROAD (REVERB) CHAMBERS

From Waves: “The Abbey Road Chambers plugin recreates a defining part of the studios’ legendary sonic signature – the echo chamber used by Abbey Road’s pop engineers to create exciting reverbs, delays and other unique spatial effects on countless classic recordings by the Beatles and beyond. Complete with the original valve Neumann KM53 microphones and Altec 605 speaker, as used on almost every pop recording done at Abbey Road during the 60’s. Also featured is a complete recreation of Abbey Road Studios’ original S.T.E.E.D. (Send. Tape. Echo. Echo. Delay.) setup.”

WAVES REVERB PLATES

Various Abbey Road Studios mic/room combo reverbs. Want some of those classic sounds from the famous Abbey Road recordings? Here they are…

WAVES VOCAL RIDER

This plugin allows me to keep the vocal(s) perfectly balanced against the music without having to do prolonged automation curve manipulations. It makes bringing the vocals to the sweet spot easy and consistent!

WAVES TUNE REAL-TIME

This software corrects fine- or major-tunes vocals, either live or after recording. There is a lot of finesse available, so what we WON’T do is alter your vocal beyond what you consider acceptable. It WILL take a lot of the rough edges of any mis-tunes. While Logic has a pitch-tune correction ability, this one does it on the fly and can save a lot of time.

WAVES VOCAL BENDER

Working in real time with zero latency, Waves says, “Vocal Bender is the fastest and simplest way to getting “that sound.” Yes, you know the sound. Travis Scott’s deep-voiced ad-libs. Billie Eilish’s other-worldly vocal doubles. Frank Ocean’s pitch- and formant-shifted lead vocals. The high-pitched vocal topline in every EDM drop. Vocal Bender will quickly twist your vocals for the sounds of modern pop, hip hop, R&B, electronic and many other genres.” PITCH and FORMANT controls, loads of presets, and more, yielding the sounds of today’s vocals….from soft brush additions to hard core “all the ways”, this transforms your vocals as you would have them.

WAVES OVOX VOCAL RESYNTHESIZER

Can be used as a star alone on any signal. Also can be triggered via MIDI. Waves says: “Transform your vocal productions with the next-generation voice-controlled synth and vocal effects processor. Create a limitless palette of vocal morphing, tuning, harmonizing, vocoder & talkbox effects and beyond, with depth, clarity, and intuitive control. Available as a plugin or standalone app." OVox’s MIDI Out feature lets you play any virtual instrument (whether by Waves or other manufacturers) using your voice, in real time. You can sing or hum melodies; OVox will convert your voice to MIDI, then send the MIDI out to the other instrument. You can also use the Note Mapper to quantize your MIDI to scale, or generate hundreds of chord progressions easily. You can even route the other instrument as a carrier back to OVox, and use OVox’s formant filter to modulate the other instrument!”

WAVES KINGS MICROPHONES

Could come in handy for certain sounds! From Waves: “Used exclusively by the royal family for speeches on momentous occasions, each of these three priceless microphones dating back to the 1920s and 1930s was tailored and tuned especially for its specific user: King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth. Beautifully designed and decorated with gold, silver, and chrome adornments bearing the royal coats of arms, each is a one-of-a-kind aesthetic masterpiece with its own distinctive sonic character. The King’s Microphones plugin offers stunningly accurate recreations of the originals’ unique frequency responses, with three proximity settings for each.”

WAVES BUTCH VIG VOCALS

From Waves: :Designed for those looking for a creative approach to shaping vocals, Butch Vig Vocals features intuitive EQ controls, a compressor and a de-esser, and several tools for coloring your sound in numerous shades, including Tube and Solid State saturation, a unique Focus knob, and other inspiring features, all carefully crafted by Butch himself to help you realize your vocal vision.”

WAVES ONE KNOB PUMPER

From Waves: Designed for achieving an instant ducking effect, OneKnob Pumper simulates sidechain compression, saving you the need to route the kick track to the sidechain input of a compressor. This extremely handy and easy-to-use plugin is ideal for making either your entire mix or individual tracks pump with the beat.

WAVES METER BRIDGE

The all-important levels checker, although many plugins also provide this service.

WAVES ELEMENT ANALOG SYNTH

Fat, warm sounds for you. “Searing leads, gritty basses, lush pads, electro-percussion, sequential motions, mind-blowing FX and lots more’, including a 16-step sequencer.

WAVES BRAUER MOTION

From Waves: “Brauer Motion takes Michael’s mastery of the sound spectrum and lets you control the movement of your sounds unlike anything else in your toolkit. This super-creative plugin comes with four different panning modes to direct the motion of the sound; four different trigger modes for a variety of on/off options; two panners with full control; a dynamics section; pre-delay, motion filter, and precise control over the speed, width and depth; and a master section with gain and wet/dry controls.”

WAVES FLOW MOTION

Circular auto-panner, for exceptional panning options, dynamics.

WAVES INFECTED MUSHROOM IMPUSHER

Controls frequencies, dynamics, widening, boosts and limiting. There to PUSH the tracks to their max!

WAVES S1 STEREO IMAGER

You guessed it! This plugin can treat both single tracks and mixes to bring out some very cool stereo spread as well as fix those little nasties that just aren’t sitting right in the pan field.

LOFI SPACE (VINTAGE REVERB)

From Waves.com: “Lofi Space is the perfect effect for those attention-grabbing ear candy moments. With bright saturated delay and two flavors of analog-based spring and plate reverb, Lofi Space lets you add splashes of vintage ‘verb color and bold analog echo to your tracks. Instantly, without tweaking, you can create deep, gorgeous lofi-tinged effects, suited for any production in need of that vintage touch.”

WAVES SCHEPS OMNI CHANNEL/PARALLEL PARTICLES

OMNI: Saturation, compression, 4-band EQ, DS-2 De=esser, Gates. Numerous (almost too many to count) presets to dial in just the right amount of effect to make a single track step out of the mix enough! PARALLEL: boosts various aspects of the track sound for a richer, fuller result.