Computers

• Apple MacPro Twin 3.0 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon workstation with 8 Gb RAM & Magma chassis
• Apple Mac G5 Dual 2 GHz
  
• Prism Orpheus AD/DA converters (8 channels) and master clock
  
• Motu HD192 converters x 2 (24 channels up to 192 kHz)
  
• MOTU 2408 i/o
  
• MOTU 24 i/o
  
• Logic Pro 8
  
• UAD-2 Quad card with all current plugins enabled
  
• IK Multimedia Total Effects Bundle
  
• Mass storage backup to network server in separate building
  
• Broadband Internet - WiFi for clients

Midi/keyboards etc.

• Yamaha G2 grand piano
  
• Fender 73 Rhodes Piano
  
• Hammond A-100 organ with Leslie cabinet
  
• Leslie instrument pre-amp (for guitars etc)
  
• Fatar Studiologic 1100 88-key controller
  
• keyboard - fully-weighted grand piano action
  
• Roland D50 synth keyboard
  
• Yamaha P70 electric piano
  
• Roland JV1080 module plus expansion cards
  
• Korg Legacy softsynth plus MX-20 controller
  
• Logic EXS24 software sampler including several soft syths and sampler
• instruments such as Bosendorfer grand piano, antique harpsichords, church organ, Garritan orchestra etc
  
• Emagic Unitor Mk II/AMT8 midi hubs x 3 (total of 24 midi ins and 24 midi outs)
  
• Parker Midi-Fly guitar for guitar control of sound modules etc.
  
• Technics PCM Clavinova-type piano (88 key). A bit dated but a jazzpianist friend says it's better than a Yamaha Clavinova, so who are we to argue?

Cue System
What makes for a great performance? Hearing yourself as you want to hear it. And musicians also hearing each other.

The core of the system is a new (2006) Trident/Oram S140 matrix mixer providing 8 separate mixes from 8 different inputs (all user-definable in the control room), so up to 8 musicians can individually dial in "more me" from the floor of the live room.

Various headphone splitter amps providing individual level control per user allow any of the 8 headphone mixes to be shared and/or distributed to other performance areas.

Trident/Oram's reputation for sound quality is unparalleled. It is no exaggeration to say this is probably one of the most sophisticated cue mix systems you will find in any studio, anywhere.

Beyer/Sennheiser/Audio Technica/Sony etc headphones - about 15 sets.

Desk
Audient ASP 8024 (May 2005). 24 channels for tracking, up to 56 channels on mixdown (hence the 80 and the 24 in the title - geddit?!) . Customised model with Mackie Control surface for Logic DAW system built into desk, providing the perfect "mix-and-match" approach to digital and analogue equipment.No other system does this short of spending several times as much on e.g. SSL equipment!

Additional tracking direct to hard disk is possible via dedicated mic pre-amps, providing even more options/channels as required.

Instruments/Amps
In June 2006 we acquired from the legendary Jacobs Studios ,a Yamaha Grand Piano and a Hammond A-100 organ, both instruments having been well maintained by Jacobs, and used on countless sessions by artists including Stevie Wonder, Robbie Williams, David Bowie, The Smiths, Radiohead....

A good range of acoustic and electric guitars, basses, amps, drums are available for use free of charge:

• 1961 (?) Gretsch 2 x 12 "Bass Amp" 70w valve combo (awesome)
  
• Orange Tiny Terror valve guitar recording amp
  
• Orange 4x12 guitar speaker (Vintage Celestion drivers)
  
• Mesa Boogie Nomad 1 x 12 50w valve combo
  
• Fender Frontman guitar combo (solid state)
  
• 1973 Fender Champ (valve)
  
• Headway 120w boutique combo for acoustic instruments
  
• Ashdown MAG 200 1x15 bass combo
  
• Ashdown 210T extension speakers
  
• Line 6 Pod Pro XT amp/cab emulation & FX unit
  
• Guitars:
  
• Gretsch (1959 Anniversary),
  
• Gibson (SG, Les Paul, ES335),
  
• Fender (Strat, Stu Hamm Bass),
  
• Taylor "Cujo" limited edition acoustic
  
• Taylor (6 & 12 string acoustics),
  
• Parker (Midi Fly),
  
• Ronnie Bennet lap steel 6 string
  
• Yamaha (Electro Spanish),
  
• Signed Vicente Sanchiz Flamenco nylon guitar.
  
• Sonor Drum kit with Sonor snare, vintage Gretsch 1950s snare, Sonor piccolo
• jungle snare, plus bongos, tambourines, percussion toys etc. Handmade
• "Bosporus" Turkish cymbals
  
• Keyboards etc - see under Midi.
  
• Pianos, organs, more synths etc can be hired.

Microphones

• Mics - Condenser/valve
  
• 2 x Neumann U47
  
• 1 x Neumann M147 (valve)
  
• 2 x Neumann TLM170R
  
• 2 x Neumann TLM127 (matched stereo pair)
  
• 3 x Neumann U87 (old version, new capsules 2006)
  
• 3 x Neumann KM84i
  
• 1 x Neumann KM140
  
• 2 x Neumann KM184
  
• 2 x Sennheiser MKH40
  
• 2 x BPM CR-73II (quality German U87 copies - new capsules)
  
• 2 x AKG C414B-TLII
  
• 2 x AKG 451EB
  
• 1 x AKG Solid Tube (valve)
  
• 2 x Groove Tubes GT66 (valve)
  
• 2 x Groove Tubes GT57
  
• 2 x AKG C1000
  
• 2 x AT4033a
  
• 2 x Naiant MSH1A omni (matched pair)
  
• 1 x ATM73A headset condenser mics (quirky, but useful for
  singing drummers, keyboard players etc!)
  
• 1 x ATM75 headset mic
  
• 2 x Schoeps CMC5 (Colette system) with omni and cardioid capsules

Mics - Dynamic

• 4 x Sennheiser MD421
  
• 2 x Sennheiser MD441 (new capsules 2006)
  
• 1 x Sennheiser 541 Blackfire
  
• 1 x AKG D12 kick mic
  
• 1 x AKG D25
  
• 1 x Audio Technica ATM25 kick mic
  
• 1 x Electrovoice RE20
  
• 1 x Yamaha Subkick mic
  
• 1 x AKG 202
  
• 1 x AKG D2000E
  
• 4 x Sennheiser Evolution 855
  
• 3 x Shure SM58
  
• 6 x Shure SM57
  
• 4 x AT dedicated drum mics (for toms etc)
  
• 2 x PZM boundary mic (room ambience)
  
• 1 x Electrovoice RE27 (high gain version of RE20)

Mics - Ribbon
2 X Beyer M160

Monitoring

• Westlake Audio BBSM10 main monitors
  
• Mackie HR824 active nearfield monitors
  
• Yamaha NS10M monitors
  
• Tannoy Little Reds
  
• Tannoy Reveals (talkback and playback in live rooms)
  
• Auratone 5c grot boxes (mmmmm....!)
  
• 1970s (?) pair of Technics hi-fi speakers... er...
  
• Dynaudio DCA450 power amps (2 x 450 watts ) (Two)
  
• Sony 2 x 150w amp
  
• Technics Class A amp
  
• Meridian amp
  
• Quad 303 amps x 2

Processing

• Audiojuice channel strip (high end Neve 1073 pre-amp coupled with Neve 1081 EQ and optical compressor/limiter)
  
• Chiswick Reach stereo valve compressor
  
• TLA EQ1 "Classic" stereo valve EQ/dual mic pre-amp
  
• Crane Song Trakker compressors x 2 (stereo linked)
  
• SPL two channel de-esser
  
• TLA Ivory stereo valve compressor
  
• TLA Ivory Channel Strip/pre-amp
  
• API 3124+ 4-way mic pre-amp
  
• Drawmer 1968 Mercenary Edition stereo bus compressor
  
• DAV BG1 dual mic pre-amp
  
• Prism Orpheus - 4 x pristine mic pre-amps
  
• A&D Gemini comp/limiter (stereo)
  
• Urei LA4 comp/limiter (mono)
  
• Universal Audio 1176LN compressor (mono)
  
• Focusrite ISA 428 mic pre-amps x 4
  
• Focusrite ISA 220 channel strip
  
• Groove Tubes "The Brick" tube pre-amps/DI boxes x 2
  
• TC Electronics Voice One channel
  
• Line 6 Pod Pro XT guitar channel
  
• Huge range of processing within Logic e.g. EQs, reverbs, delays, compressors, gates, limiters, multi-band mastering
  
• EQ/compressor and special FX e.g. Autotune etc. Universal Audio UAD1 DSP cards (x 2) with comprehensive range of UA plug-ins enabled.
  
• Celemony "Melodyne".
  
• Focusrite "Liquid Mix" - convolution sampling of 40 vintage compresors and 20 classic EQs.
  
• Audiojuice channel strip (high end Neve 1073 pre-amp coupled with Neve 1081 EQ and optical compressor/limiter)
  
• Chiswick Reach stereo valve compressor
  
• Crane Song Ibis Stereo Parametric EQ
  
• TLA EQ1 "Classic" stereo valve EQ/dual mic pre-amp
  
• UAD-2 Quad card fully loaded with all UAD plugins

Recorders

• Hard disk - Logic Pro running on Apple dual G5 and PC formats
  
• Otari MTR90 - 24 track 2" tape
  
• 24 channel Dolby SP ™ noise reduction
  
• 2 x Otari MX5050 1/4" tape
  
• Fostex VT160 hard disk recorder (16 channels)
  
• Various cassette, minidisk etc.
  
• On site short-run CD burning.

Reverb/FX

• Lexicon 480L - industry standard main reverb/FX unit
  
• Lexicon PCM 70
  
• Alesis Q20
  
• Numerous software reverbs e.g. Logic Space Designer convolution reverbs, UAD-
• 2 Quad card with all plugins enabled, IK Multimedia Classic Studio Reverb etc

On noise...
The best kit in the world is no use to you if you can't hear it in all its glory! All our "noisy" kit is isolated. The 24-track tape machine lives in it's own little room. Amps, computers and things with fans in them like mixer power supplies also live in dedicated soundproofed housings. These are ventilated to take excess noise and heat out of the studio complex.

As someone once said about a rather classy car, once you are in the control room all you can hear is your watch ticking... until you turn the music on.