Project Studio

I have a small-but-growing project studio in my basement.  It’s fully digital, based on Steinberg Cubase SX3.  I have 16 channels of analog input and output at 44.1kHz sample rate, or 8 channels at sample rates up to 196kHz (never tried that yet).

It’s mostly used to record jam sessions.

Recording gear:

• MOTU 896HD Firewire audio interface.
• Mackie Control Universal control surface.
• Presonus Central Station studio interface (see my comments about it.)
• Behringer Ultragain Pro-8 preamp with ADAT in/out.
• Behringer TRUTH B2031 active studio monitors.
• Alto HPA6 6-channel headphone amp.
• Behringer ULTRAPATCH PRO PX2000 patchbay.
• Behringer ULTRAPATCH PRO PX3000 balanced patchbay.
• ART SLA1 power amplifier.
• Paradigm Titan bookshelf speakers.
• Numerous SM-57 microphones.
• PG-58 microphone.
• PG-81 microphone (cheapo version of the SM-81).
• Radio Shack PZM microphone (placed on the floor under the snare drum).
• Apex 460 large-diaphagm condensor tube mike.
• Dell PowerEdge 550SC server, transplanted into an Antec Sonata quiet case.
• 1 GB of RAM, four 100GB hard-drives in a RAID configuration.
• Matrox G200 MMS dual VGA card.
• Pair of 17″ LCD displays.

Instruments:

• Ampeg V4-B bass amp.
• Mesa Boogie guitar amp.
• A drum set.
• A pretty decent Fender Precision Bass knockoff.
• A Fender Strat copy my brother made.
• M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 weighted MIDI controller.

Software:

• Windows XP Professional
• Steinberg Cubase SX3
• Steinberg Studio Case, including

• Cubase SE
• Halion SE
• Groove Agent SE
• The Grand SE

I created a MS Word template that can be used to create labels for the PX3000 patch bay.

Wish list (any of these would make a great birthday gift…):

• One or two eight-channel extenders for the Mackie Control Universal.
• Custom-made mixing desk.
• Separate control room and studio.
• Drum booth