Sure, I could sit on these tracks for another year or so and release everything at once, but, clearly, that’s crazy talk! And it goes against the first rule of this album: Do not wait to release songs. Okay, so maybe there are no rules, but it is part of the plan. And, yes, I realize I didn’t use any of the album names from October. Mea culpa!

Anyway, here’s the release cover:

And the track listing (and lyrics):

1. Tour Guide
2. Need From Me

And the liner notes:

If Nothing Else… For Something Else was recorded, produced and mixed by Paper Plane Pilot in San Diego, California and mastered by Paul Abbott at Zen Mastering in San Diego, California. Cover design by Paper Plane Pilot and Eugenio Iglesias. Cover photo by Eugenio Iglesias.

In addition to grabbing it here from the website, you can also get the release from iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic and other digital retailers.

Happy listening!

But we didn’t have the choice we have today.

The digital world changes that. We have access to all artists and their libraries at all times. Mostly for free. We have YouTube and MySpace. Instead of buying the CD, we buy singles. Or we copy them off our friends. There’s no time to experiment. Music isn’t a product anymore — listening to a digital song is an experience. And with so many musical experiences being released each year, month, week and day, supply is killing demand. The time we do have — we can’t just throw that time away on an experiment.

The old gatekeepers and distribution channels meant that our choices in the analog age were limited. We were excited when we heard a new artist or album for the first time. We wanted to know everything about them. To go to their shows. To buy their entire catalog. Now we can’t get away from new artists and new albums. There’s thousands of them now. Maybe hundreds of thousands. Maybe millions.

We wanted choice, but now we have so much that we’re paralyzed by it.

In the digital age of limitless choice and limited attention, there’s no room for most. And that’s why we’ve shunned average. We want the most real. The best. The phattest beats. The most honest. Anything but average. Average falls somewhere in the middle. Even awful — with pants on the ground — is remarkable. Is better than average. Because no one talks about being average.

Be remarkable. Be great. Be strange. Be real. Be anything but average. That’s the lesson of this new digital world.

There is no denying that these days art and technology not only collide, but frequently morph and spawn the most interesting music. Dustin started Paper Plane Pilot in 2006, originally writing his music on a little 25-key midi controller. Now he uses a Digital Audio Workstation to write electronic pop music with an Indie twist. Think Lily Allen meets New Order, the kind of sound you would happily listen to at home with your headphones on. In his home studio Dustin embraces the latest technology, he has even become a bit of an expert on the subject of DAWs. I talked to him about it, to find out his views on the marriage of music and technology.

What or who got you into music?

While I was growing up, music was exploding everywhere and really coming into the mainstream. I was born the same year MTV launched, and when we finally got the channel when I was nine or 10, I remember spending countless hours watching all sorts of music videos. These days it’s hardly a shell of its former self, but back then the exposure to this new music media was nothing short of amazing, especially at that age.

Getting a record player, tape deck and CD player were also big moments for me. Being able to listen to music on demand was huge, and it was a nice departure from the top-down communication of radio and MTV.

But more than anything I have to credit all the great music that I grew up listening to. As I started getting into music in the late 80s and early 90s, there was so much innovative and interesting music available. Synthesizer-based music gave us a whole new musical experience, the influence of which continues even to this day.

How many instruments do you play?

I’ve picked up a lot of instruments over the years, many unsuccessfully. When I was five or six my parents got me lessons on the violin, but each time the teacher would look away I would flip it down to my lap and try to play it like a guitar. In sixth grade I tried my hand at the saxophone, and after just a few weeks I fell in love with the drums in music class. I wouldn’t get to really play drums for another 10 years, but the idea of rhythm really appealed to me.

My parents got me my first synthesizer I think when I was 13 or 14. It was an early 90s Yamaha keyboard, and unlike most of the sample-based, pick-a-sound keyboards you see today, it was a true subtractive synth that had tons of sliders and knobs. It was actually way too complicated for a young kid, but I would play with the built-in beats and write little melodies over them.

I started getting serious about trying to compose music when I got my first guitar in high school. Most of my output from that time was pretty lousy, but I managed to play locally in a few punk rock and indie bands with friends. I also picked up the bass and drums. No matter what I played or what kind of music we played, it was always fun.

Why do you use a D.A.W.?

I’ve been playing with computer-based recording for almost 10 years. I started with Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Audition) on a laptop that had no business running an audio program, but those experiences drove me to experiment and learn how to get the sounds I heard on other records. That’s where I picked up some rudimentary knowledge of effects and processing. Most of the music I recorded was live audio (vocals, guitar, bass, drums), and I didn’t get to recording electronic sounds for another few years.

These days, I use a computer because with a minimal amount of gear (a few synthesizers and a computer), I can make music that would have required a pretty serious studio just 10-20 years ago. Instant recall is also huge for me. I jump from idea to idea and song to song so being able to bring it up just as I left it is important.

It’s really great that the power we have in a typical computer these days enables artists to record and release their own music. Some people lament the fact that anyone can do it, but the democratization of the tools of production for music I think has largely been a good thing. I wouldn’t be able to make music without it!

I read who you have been compared to, but who are your influences?

I’m sure anyone doing electronic indie music these days will get The Postal Service comparison — they really brought the genre into the mainstream a few years ago. Owl City’s doing it again right now. And tons of rock acts today are incorporating synths in their music.

But my influences are a little more old school: New Order, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Human League, Kraftwerk and others. I don’t think I particularly sound like any of the above, but the sound that they captured in the 80s is definitely something that inspires me.

Interestingly enough, I’m also a big fan of ambient music (from pop-ambient to noise-ambient). I love texture and depth, and it’s definitely something I try to shoot for in my music. Some of my favorites are: Tim Hecker, Stars of the Lid, Fennesz, M83, Boards of Canada and Sigur Rós.

Do you have a day job, or is music your life?

In addition to music, another one of my passions is in web development. I’ve been building websites for probably 10 years, and it’s what pays the bills. It’s great, because I can use that stuff to help spread the word on Paper Plane Pilot, like with the paperplanepilot.com website.

I’d love to make a living from music, but I realize the challenges of doing that in today’s world. With so much music being created these days, each slice of the pie is getting smaller and smaller — there’s just so much available, and when you add piracy and the idea that all music should be free and on-demand, it’s even harder for an independent artist to make enough to live off off.

That said, there’s no better time to be a musician. Computers and the Internet afford artists the ability to record, release and promote their music more effectively than at any point in history. Unfortunately, though, the problem is one in the same… anyone can do it.

Do you ever play gigs and if so do you have any groupies?

Ha! I’d like to think I have groupies… and maybe some fans! But I’m not playing live right now so who knows if they would come out in support. But that’s what Internet fandom is for, right?

For me, the most rewarding part of music is in writing and creating. Some artists are strictly performers and that’s what they thrive on. Writing and producing music is secondary and is often done by someone else (or a team of people). I take a lot of pride in the fact that I write, record, produce and mix my music. I seek out the opinions of people I trust, but at 2 am I’m the only one in front of the computer turning knobs.

Once you start mixing your own music, it’s pretty amazing to see how much of your “sound” is developed in the studio. For all music, this sound is what defines them, which is funny when you consider that most artists have their sound created for them by someone else. That’s why I think it’s so great that more bands and artists are recording their own music today. They’re shaping their own sounds, which is authentically theirs.

From your blog I can tell how important is the internet is in promoting your sound, did you try traditional methods first, and what works best?

I spend a lot of time on computers and the Internet — professionally, musically and personally — so it just made sense to promote Paper Plane Pilot there. I’ve done digital distribution through the typical channels (iTunes, Amazon, etc), but I also provide full streams and downloads through my website. I have some things in the pipeline to do more with the blog, such as studio tips and other production advice, as well as trying some creative things with video, but there’s only so many hours in the day. :)

In addition to the site, I’ve used most of the social platforms with success: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, iLike, etc. Because everyone is using them, these tools are crucial in getting the message out there and promoting my home base, which is the website.

I’ve largely stayed away from more traditional methods of promotion. Aside from being ineffective without big budgets, the future of music is obviously digital. MP3 blogs and personal recommendations have replaced radio and MTV for music discovery, and the instant access of digital downloads are replacing CDs.

Earlier this year I did do a college radio campaign that was actually pretty successful with a few No.1 plays on some stations. Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of an impact on sales or fans, so it further reinforced my beliefs about the power of online methods.

What so you think about illegal downloads, do you have any ideas to get round it?

I understand why the big business side of music doesn’t like it. But they have as much to do with music as a paper mill; they’re in the business of making money, not music, so I’m not very sympathetic to their cries. Unfortunately, the idea of music as something that’s inherently free (or that can be “stolen” for free without penalty) is a problem for everyone, artists and fans. In the last few years, we’ve devalued music to the point where most people simply do not buy music anymore, yet as a society we listen to more music than ever. In the quest to fill our iPods, we’ve reached a state of digital gluttony. Why would we pay for that? Most of it is available for free, and you can download it right now.

But all is not lost. I think most fans want to support artists they like, and direct support does seem to be the future of music. We’re entering an age that allows us to support artists through donations, pre-funding their albums, or buying direct from the artists themselves. Illegal downloads are here to stay, and I think artists need to spend less time worrying about who is getting their music for free (they’re not buying anyway) and more about why they make music in the first place.

Was Sara Yune inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince?

That’s actually a great comparison! I never thought of that before. I was lucky to have her agree to do the illustrations for the website and the First Flight CD cover. In those two projects, we went back and forth on concepts and ideas, but when it came time to do the designs, I gave her the freedom to do whatever she wanted. I couldn’t have been more pleased. Sometimes I think the illustrations outshine the music itself!

What’s next for you?

Right now I’m in the studio putting the finishing touches on two tracks I’ll be releasing in the next couple months. It’ll be a collection of five two-song e.p. releases over the next year or so that will be wrapped up in another CD when it’s all said and done. With digital distribution, I think more frequent releases are the answer, but the quality still has to be there.

Where can fans download your music?

In addition to iTunes, Amazon and other online retailers, they can get it directly from my website at paperplanepilot.com.

I like this idea for two reasons. First, writing, producing, recording and mixing 10 tracks all at once is a ton of work. Second, the current state of digital distribution just begs for a more frequent release cycle.

So five little mini-releases just makes sense — it’s easier, and it means that more music comes out sooner. And after all five, I’ll wrap the 10 tracks together in a proper release.

Along with the music, I’m also playing around with album names and concepts. Because of the nature of the release, it’ll have to be something that can be separated out into five segments, and I’m still not sure exactly how that’s going to work out. But however it shapes up, it’ll be another release that plays on the Paper Plane Pilot name.

Some ideas I’m kicking around include (in no particular order):

• Permission to Land
• Flight Log
• Captain’s Log
• Cruising Altitude
• Air Traffic Control
• Takeoffs and Landings
• Crash Landing

I’m still a few months away from releasing the first segment and finalizing the album concept, so get in touch or leave a comment if you have any thoughts. Thanks for listening!

Looking back to where it all began, even back to the other sites I used before I settled on the Paper Plane Pilot name, version three represents a big step forward.

Version one of this site served as not much more than a repository for song ideas and a quick outline of the Paper Plane Pilot project as I worked on the tracks that would ultimately form First Flight.

Version two, on the other hand, featured streaming music, a store to purchase and download that music, and lots of other media and information. As Paper Plane Pilot grew, so, too, did the site. I changed and added sections, and for more than a year the site has held its own.

I liked the site, but as with many redesigns, I looked for a change that would update the look and feel of the site, as well as lay the foundation for things to come.

Here’s the homepage of the new site:

While there are a lot of similarities between v2 and v3, the new site, in my eyes, is better for many reasons.

• First, there’s a new logo.
• Second, the rest of the site got a refresh.
• Third, the homepage incorporates updates from Twitter and this blog.
• Fourth, low-resolution mp3s are now available for free from the site.
• Fifth, all songs are available as full streams on the site.

That fourth one is probably the most important part of the new launch, and I’m glad that anyone can download and enjoy Paper Plane Pilot music. I’ll be talking about this more in a later post, but in the meantime just head over to the download page and pick yourself up a download of First Flight or I Will Follow You into the Dark.

While you’re listening, be sure to check out the rest of the new site and drop me a line if you have any comments.

Enjoy!

The first music magazine I subscribed to was Future Music. In addition to experimenting on my own, blogs, forums and other online recording websites had formed most of my working recording knowledge, but I was looking for a more passive form of keeping up with gear and other developments in music creation. The depth of most online content is rather shallow (and shrouded in noise and heavy amounts of clutter); the beauty of print is that by definition the content needs to be succinct and relatively good, if only because people must be convinced to actually buy it.

Future Music wasn’t a bad mag, but they canceled the U.S. version a few years ago and I had to hunt down a new subscription. I’d long since looked to pick up Sound on Sound or the UK version of Future Music, but both ran pretty close to $100 for a year’s subscription.

So I settled on Electronic Musician. For me it was a step back from Future Music. The gear reviews were all glowing, and the interviews and highlighted products seemed to be more the result of a PR effort than a real attempt at great content. Not that any music production magazine is published in a void, but suffice it to say that I ended up unsubscribing.

Fast forward a few years and Electronic Musician seems to be improving. I got a good rate and ended up resubscribing a few months ago. It’s better now, but isn’t as good as I think it could be. While many articles and tidbits were informative, I found myself skipping most of each issue’s contents. And like all print publications these days, the mag also seems to be losing a lot of weight.

That void was finally filled by Sound on Sound, which I picked up at a discount for a fraction of the full cost. The only real bad thing about Sound on Sound is that there’s so much great content in each issue that it’ll take you more than a few sessions to finish it all. I consider it the best music creation mag out today (even if I do get the alternate U.S. version).

In addition to Electronic Musician and Sound on Sound, I picked up Tape Op a few months ago and couldn’t be happier. If Sound on Sound is what Rolling Stone is to music review mags, Tape Op is Maximumrockandroll for the DIY recording musician. Great content minus the fluff. And the best part about Tape Op is that U.S. subscriptions are free! Yes, you read that right. They’ll send you free copies of their magazine if they can share your information with others. I know what you’re thinking, but they promise that you’ll only get offers for related products and services. If that’s not good enough for you, subscriptions can be had for a reasonable price.

So that’s it. Three music recording magazines that I subscribe to. Between those and the websites I check out regularly, it’s enough to keep me busy not making music.

I’ve broken up the list below into a few sections: Mac-only, PC-only, cross-platform and misc. The misc. section contains DAWs that are used primarily as songwriting tools or that are less full-featured than their pro counterparts.

It’s also interesting to note that most DAWs hover roughly around the same price. You get their entry level offering (usually a limited version of the pro package) for a couple hundred dollars while the premium package is about $500-$1,000 or more.

Mac

Digidesign Pro Tools Mbox 2 Factory Bundle
No discussion of DAWs would be complete without Pro Tools. Interestingly enough, Pro Tools is unique on this list in that you’ll have to use approved Digidesign hardware to run Pro Tools. That may turn off some users, but it’s not really that big a deal since you’ll need a specialized audio interface for any DAW (no, that Sound Blaster won’t cut it). Regardless of the choice allowed by other DAW platforms, Pro Tools is easily the pro audio standard, at least at the professional level. So if you have aspirations of working in a commercial studio someday, Pro Tools is probably your best bet.

MOTU Digital Performer 6
While not as popular as Pro Tools, many people swear by DP. In addition to audio editing, Digital Performer touts itself as an all-in-one solution for MIDI, mastering and even film scoring. It also plays nice with other platforms such as Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools|HD.

Apple Logic Studio
Quickly rising in pro audio circles, Logic Studio bills itself as the Apple alternative to Pro Tools. The GUI is a bit more user friendly and intuitive than many of the other DAW platforms, and it includes a wealth of plugins, instruments and loops that make it usable right out of the box.

PC

Steinberg Cubase 5 DAW Software
One of the first DAWs, and made by the guys that brought you ReWire and the VST protocol, Cubase is a full-featured audio and MIDI platform. Long a favorite of electronic music producers, Cubase aims itself at the engineer/producer with its advanced audio and MIDI capabilities. Version 5 brings a few new developments to the table including built-in pitch correction, a beat designer and loop mash-up tool.

Steinberg Nuendo 4 Advanced Audio and Post Production System
Developed by the same guys that brought you Cubase, think of Nuendo as Cubase + video.

Magix Samplitude 10 Pro Software
A relative unknown outside of pro audio circles, many engineers swear by Samplitude and its powerful audio editing and mixing capabilities. Samplitude is also a legitimate mastering platform, allowing you to take your project all the way to CD in one package. The bundled plugs are also some of the best available, reducing the need to rely on third-party effects.

Cross-Platform

Ableton Live 8 Full Version
Ableton Live markets itself as the creative person’s DAW. While this may be more a marketing ploy than anything else, Live attempts to establish a more creative work flow and process than some of the more cumbersome interfaces found in other DAWs. Strict musicians interested in quick editing and an easy interface might want to consider Live. Engineers will probably want to look elsewhere.

Cakewalk SONAR 8 Producer
As yet another audio+MIDI DAW workstation, Sonar is a 64-bit platform with VST, DX and ReWire support. Sonar also provides loop editing, a step sequencer, several virtual instruments and Guitar Rig 3 LE in its bundle.

Misc.

Sony Sound Forge 9 Digital Audio Editing Production Suite
Primarily a two-track (stereo) digital audio editor, Sound Forge focuses on its no-frills, powerful interface to detect, fix and enhance stereo and multi-channel audio files. Sound Forge also supports the use of third-party plugins.

Bias Peak Pro 6 Single
Technically more a mastering tool than a full-featured DAW, Bias Peak Pro edits audio, video, and also supports VSTs. Bias is popular with mastering engineers and in post-production work.

Propellerhead Reason 4 Premium Edition Bundle
While Reason doesn’t support the ability for you to record your own audio (MIDI in only), and therefore isn’t technically a DAW, it does support sending its audio into a DAW via ReWire. Think of Reason as the world’s biggest rack of synthesizers and sound generating modules, all packaged in a very intuitive plug-and-play interface.

Image Line FL Studio 8 Producer Edition Software 5 Pack
What started out as a simple drum machine has evolved into a feature-packed music composition software package. Most similar to Reason, FL Studio does, however, record audio.

Sony ACID Pro 7
Billed as the re-mixer’s platform, ACID gives you extensive loop editing tools in addition to standard audio/midi recording capabilities.

What I Use

Personally, I use Cubase. I don’t think it’s necessarily better than the other DAWs out there, nor do I think another DAW is better than it. But Cubase has been stable, extensible and powerful enough to handle everything I’ve thrown at it. Cubase works well for me — I especially like its advanced MIDI support and external hardware integration — and switching at this point would probably be more a step sideways than any sort of measurable step forward. If I were to switch, however, there’s definitely no shortage of platforms to choose from!

Closing Thoughts

While just about all the DAWs listed above include their own effects and plugins, some engineers (myself included) prefer the sound and capabilities of third-party plugs. If you’re looking to go this route, make sure that you factor these costs into your budget when choosing a DAW.

Once you’ve picked a digital audio workstation, stick with it. Read the entire manual — yes, cover to cover — and use it for at least a few projects. Once you get to know the platform, you’ll develop a working knowledge of all DAWs and the differences between each package will start to fade. If, at that point, you find yourself frustrated by your DAW, then, by all means, switch. But know that it’ll take a while to get up and running again.

Happy recording!

Note that this list is not intended to be a complete list of digital audio workstations available. These are just DAWs that I’ve used or are familiar with. If your favorite DAW isn’t in the list, feel free to bring it up in the comments.

A new batch of First Flight CDs are now available for order at CD Baby:

The CD is also part of their 3/$15 promotion - buy 2 other CDs and get all three for $15. How cool is that!

First Flight was printed on paper digipak and the final product came out just great! Here are some pictures of the packaging/CD:

If you’re in the San Diego area you can also pick up a copy of the album at Lou’s Records in Encinitas and Spin Records in Carlsbad. Just ask for the local music section. If they’re out, tell them to call me so I can give them more copies!

And if you think a record store near you would be interested in carrying the CD, let me know and I’ll send you a few copies at a reduced price. If they sell, you keep the rest.

If CDs aren’t your thing and you’d rather have a digital version of the album, head over to the download page or look up Paper Plane Pilot at your favorite online retailer (iTunes, Amazon, etc).

And lastly, if you’d like a media kit, send me your information.

While many producers and engineers prefer either a pure software or hardware approach, I like to use both and don’t really favor any one method. Obviously, space and budget will determine most decisions here, but I find that good results can be achieved with either method and that, honestly, the engineer plays a much larger role in the final result than the gear does. That said, nice gear makes everything just that much easier once you get past learning how to use it all. Yes, that means reading the manual cover-to-cover for every single piece of gear you buy. It’s not the sexiest part of making music, but you’ll be better off for it.

Without further ado, here’s the list:

Hardware

Interfaces

TC Electronic Konnekt 24D FireWire Audio Interface
The heart of my studio. That is, if you don’t consider the computer itself. This baby runs all audio into and out of the computer and even comes with some excellent plugins, one of which is a very nice reverb I use for monitoring when recording vocals. The preamps and converters are great and the unit can hold its own against some of the best firewire interfaces. I did have issues with drivers when it first came out, but recent software updates have made the 24D rock solid for me.

Behringer ADA8000 Ultragain Pro-8 A/D/A Converter
Provides 8 additional i/o via lightpipe for the Konnekt. Yes, it’s a Behringer, but this thing seriously rocks. In a blind shootout on Gearslutz this thing actually beat out a $3k Lynx Aurora 16. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Sometimes you get a lot more. This is one of those cases.

M-Audio USB Uno 1X1 MIDI Interface
I own a few of these. You get a MIDI interface and cables all in one. I use them to hook up my synths to the computer.

Behringer BCR2000 B-Control Rotary
I use this one to control MIDI parameters of my synths. Unless you like editing synth sounds with a mouse, the BCR2000 is a lifesaver. It allows me to get better sounds quicker. If you have a Microkorg or Mopho (or any other synth that doesn’t have a dedicated button for each parameter), the BCR2000 is a complete necessity.

Roland TD-3 Electronic Drum Set
I used to drum a bit and while I don’t use the TD-3 much when writing music, it’s great for fleshing out drum ideas or to play around with.

Korg padKONTROL USB MIDI Controller Factory B-Stock
Like an MPC without the overhead. Finger drums, anyone? The build is solid and the pads are really responsive and feel great to play.

Frontier Design Group AlphaTrack DAW Controller
For a true studio experience, you need faders. You can either get a big mixing board and spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, or get an Alphatrack. It’s got one motorized fader and the ability to communicate with your DAW (the LED even shows track names) and makes it a lot easier to find the right track levels when mixing.

Behringer Xenyx 502 Mixer
I use this for running a cue mix while recording vocals. The idea is that you run your stereo mix into this with a secondary vocal out. Then you can mix those levels together and raise and lower the headphones while doing vocals without changing your recording levels. I have mine on a shelf right next to the mic stand.

SMPro Audio Nano Patch Passive Volume Attenuator
Yes, it’s a $60 volume knob. And yes, it’s one of the most used pieces of gear in my studio. With this thing you can put your audio interface anywhere (mine’s on a stand a few feet away from me and therefore out of reach). It’s passive, which means it won’t do weird things to your signal chain, and its even got a handy mute button. Highly recommended!

Listening

Yamaha HS50M 5″ Powered Studio Monitor
Modeled after the famed NS-10s seen in just about every professional studio out there, the HS50Ms are a steal for just $200 each. Sure, you could spend more (way more!), but these things really translate well. Just make sure you get a sub if you’re doing any kind of music that has a lot of low-end energy.

Yamaha MSP3 Active 2-Way Studio Monitor
My secondary set of speakers. I switch between these, my HS50Ms and a pair of old Rolands to make sure that the mix sounds roughly the same on different speakers. Imaging on the MSP3s is excellent.

KRK V12SII V Series 2 Powered Subwoofer
You can’t make music with low-end without a sub. This means all electronic, hip hop, rap and bass-driven rock music. Just make sure you calibrate the thing or else you’ll overcompensate for the additional bass by removing it all from your mix.

Auralex Great GRAMMA Speaker Isolation Riser
I put my sub on this to make sure that I’m hearing the bass instead of just shaking the house. A must for any sub.

On-Stage Stands SMS-6000 Monitor Stand
Not the best monitor stands in the world but they do the job. I have my Rolands on them at the moment.

Sennheiser HD280 Pro Closed-Back Headphones
I use these for tracking vocals and sometimes for reference while mixing. Pretty damn good headphones, especially for the price.

Auralex DST D108L Roominator Kit Burgundy
While I wouldn’t rely exclusively on foam to tame the acoustics in a studio, foam panels can go a long way towards getting rid of flutter echoes and bad comb filtering when used wisely. In addition to foam spot treatments, I have 12 custom broadband traps that helped out the acoustics a great deal. Remember, you can’t mix if you can’t hear things accurately. Studio acoustics are hugely important.

Auralex MoPad Monitor Isolation Pads
Great for decoupling your monitors from your desk. I’m not using them at the moment, but if you have your monitors on your desk you definitely need these.

Rack Gear

ART PRO VLA II Tube Compressor
Probably one of the greatest deals in the history of compressors. The VLA is a stereo tube compressor used by a lot of mixing engineers in all sorts of applications from vocals, to bass to drum overheads. I use mine on the 2-buss from time to time. Vocals, too. I’d classify the sound as sweet and transparent. Put in some NOS tubes for an even better deal. I have a pair of Mullards in mine right now.

ART MPA Gold 2 Channel Microphone Preamp with Variable Impedance
Most people use preamps for mics. I use this one to warm up my synths on the way into the computer. It’s definitely the easiest way to give thickness and life to synth sounds with minimal effort.

Radial ProD2 Passive Stereo Direct Box
I run my synths into this and then into the MPA above. This allows me to take full advantage of the MPA and tubes by running a mic-level signal into the pre. Provides extra definition and weight.

Behringer PX3000 ULTRAPATCH PRO Patchbay
A simple patchbay. Plug all your equipment into the back and route things to each other via patch cables on the front. Plug stuff in once and never touch it again.

PreSonus Central Station
Plug in different monitors and switch between them at the push of a button. Hugely helpful when mixing as it gives you an immediate reference to another system. A monitor switcher is mandatory if you don’t want to constantly check your mixes on other systems.

Behringer Feedback Destroyer Pro FBQ2496
Forget the feedback destroyer part. This thing is a 20-band parametric EQ that I use to address the low-end peaks and valleys (<500hz) in the studio. Warning: Don’t try this unless you really know what you’re doing. You need to measure the acoustics in your room (averaged from several different locations in the listening area) and then stick with cutting under 500hz. More on this in a later post.

Behringer Feedback Destroyer Pro DSP 1124P
Same as above for the MSP3s.

BBE Max-X3 2-Way Stereo/3-Way Mono Crossover
I actually only use this as a stereo crossover for my sub as it provides a better roll-off filter than the one built in the sub.

Raxxess Black Oak Studio Rack 4 Space
Two of these flank my computer screens and hold 6 pieces of my rack gear. My monitors are on top, which puts them at the perfect listening height.

SKB Roto-Molded XRACK4 Shallow Rack Case
Most rack cases are ridiculously long. This shallow rack case takes up less space and is built well.

Raxxess Phillips Head Rack Screws with Washers 100-Pack
To install your rack gear. Simple, but easy to forget.

Alesis PicoVerb Digital Multi Effects Processor
A simple reverb/delay box. I’d never record with it, but it works for monitoring or on-location.

Mics

Shure SM7B Microphone with Switchable Response
Used on Thriller and countless other hit records. One of the best mics in the world at any price (and a steal for $350!). Requires a lot of clean gain so make sure your preamp is up to it.

Rode Microphones NT2-A Large-Capsule Studio Condenser Microphone
This multi-pattern mic is great for recording just about anything. From vocals to drums, it can pretty much do it all. This was the main vocal mic on First Flight.

MXL 990s Condenser Microphone
At $70 it’s easy to like the price. But it does surprisingly well as a second or third mic. Even as a first mic it does a solid job, all things considered. Personally, I use it for backup vocals.

Behringer ECM8000 Microphone
I use this mic for measuring studio acoustics.

Galaxy CM-130 Check Mate SPL Meter
83db is the suggested monitoring level when mixing or mastering audio. This corresponds to the level at which our ears have the flattest frequency response. Personally, it’s a bit loud for my tastes, but I use an SPL meter every once in a while to verify that level.

sE Electronics SERF Reflexion Filter 3.5
For vocals cut in bad acoustic places, this filter isolates the mic so that your vocal recording is a lot easier to work with down the line. Think of it as a little mini vocal booth.

Grace Design m101 Microphone Preamp
One of the cleanest preamps out there. Tons of gain, too. Perfect for the SM7b or any other dynamic or ribbon mic.

Stedman Proscreen XL Pop Filter
Yeah, it’s a $70 pop filter. But the clarity it gives you is easily worth twice as much. For close mic’d vocals it’s a must.

Nady Pop Filter
A simple pop filter. I use this one for background vocals.

DR Pro Tripod Mic Boom Stand
My main mic stand.

On-Stage Stands Tripod Mic Stand with Boom
A secondary mic stand.

Synthesizers

Korg microKORG Synthesizer/Vocoder
Uses the same engine as the famous Korg MS2000. My MK sits in the middle of my desk; the small size makes it a perfect fit for an on-the-desk keyboard and key controller for my other synths.

Dave Smith Instruments Mopho Monophonic Analog Synthesizer
One of the sweetest deals in synths today. Its size makes it another perfect desk synth but the lack of knobs means that you’ll need to pick up a controller like the BCR2000 referenced above.

Additional Synths: Roland SH-201, Navation Bass Station Rack

Cables

Mogami Gold Neglex Quad Microphone Cable for Studio Neutrik XLR 15 Foot
A bit pricey but great cables nonetheless. Not much to say except that you can’t go wrong with Mogami.

Mogami Gold TRS Patch Cable 10 Feet
More cables for wiring the studio together. Make sure to get TRS for your balanced gear and TS for unbalanced. If you have to connect the two use a patchbay or DI box.

Blue Kiwi Microphone Cable 20 Foot
My mic cable of choice.

Live Wire TRS-TRS Balanced Patch Cables 8-Pack 17 Inches
For the patchbay. Again, make sure you use the right TRS and TS cables.

Software

Studio Workstations

Steinberg Cubase 5 DAW Software
I’m still on Cubase SX3, but Cubase 5 is looking pretty damn good these days. With built in tuning and crazy MIDI support and bundled synths, effects and plugs, Cubase 5 looks like the update Cubase 4 should have been.

Propellerhead Reason 4 Premium Edition Bundle
A limitless virtual rack of synths. Great for composing or rewiring into your DAW of choice for further processing. The new Thor polysynth is pretty crazy and really takes software synthesis to a new level.

Sony Sound Forge 9 Digital Audio Editing Production Suite
For analyzing and editing audio files.

iZotope RX Audio Restoration Software
For cleaning up and fixing bad audio (clicks, cracks, pops, noise, etc).

Sony Vegas Pro 8
A multitrack editor with video.

Plugins

Waves Diamond Native Bundle
Contains pretty much every kind of plugin you’ll need to mix songs for any genre. Waves plugins sound great and are very versatile.

Waves Renaissance Maxx Native Bundle
If you only had the cash for a few plugins, this is what I would get. The ren plugins are modeled after the characteristics of their hardware counterparts and sound great.

Waves Studio Classics Collection Native
SSL, API and Neve eq and compressor emulations.

Antares Auto-Tune Evo Pitch Correcting Plug-In Software
The standard in vocal tuning.

Celemony Melodyne plugin
An alternative to Auto Tune. Some like the workflow and results better than AT. I think it’s more a matter of taste than anything else.

Fxpansion GURU Beat Sequencer Software Hybrid
Drum sequencing software with that electronic drum machine feel.

Fxpansion BFD2 Acoustic Drums Module
Realistic sounding drums in a plugin.

Overloud BREVERB Reverb Plug-In
Most digital reverbs can sound harsh and clinical. Not Breverb. It’s my go-to reverb.

IK Multimedia CSR Classik Studio Reverb Education Edition
Another great analog reverb emulation plug.

iZotope Ozone 4 Complete Mastering System Software
Not my go-to mastering solution, but it can do a decent job in a pinch. Be careful, though. You can easily ruin a mix by going overboard with the modules in Ozone.

iZotope Trash
Mangle, distort and alter sounds. Good for adding “bite” to recorded sounds. Also easy to go overboard with.

Antares AVOX2 Antares Vocal Toolkit
A collection of vocal processing plugs. Not the best processing plugs out there, but definitely usable in many situations.

Instruments

Korg Legacy Analog Collection
Emulations of classic Korg synths. For when you don’t have access to the real thing.

Arturia Prophet V Virtual Analog Synthesizer
An emulation of the classic Prophet V.

Arturia ARP-2600 V Software Synthesizer
An emulation of the classic ARP2600.

Arturia Jupiter 8V Virtual Analog Synthesizer
An emulation of the classic Jupiter 8.

Arturia V-Collection
A pack containing the above and a few more.

That’s it! Be on the lookout in the coming months for more in-depth explanations of some of the gear mentioned above.

Note that I’m not necessarily using every single piece of gear outlined above. Some I’ve sold, some I used temporarily, and some I’ve demoed. But it was important enough at some point to be included in this list.