top of page
The Shady Tree
‘The Shady Tree’ is the name I have given my recording environment. At its core, the Shady tree exists to facilitate my creative endeavours. It has taken many different configurations through the years and undergone constant upgrades. At the moment, the central nervous system revolves around Logic Pro X running on a Macbook Pro interfaced with a Universal Audio Apollo Quad Core. While I do have outboard gear, I am becoming increasingly focused on using Universal Audio’s vintage plugin collection. In terms of microphones, I actually do 90% of my recording using a Neumann KM-184. On occasion, I pair it with a Neumann TLM 103. I have numerous other microphones collecting dust on my shelf - a testament to my evolving knowledge and, thankfully, budget.
Another central component of ‘The Shady Tree’ is the instruments. My goal has been to have at least one high - quality instrument in each of the areas I focus - guitar (acoustic and electric), bass, piano, and drums. At the moment, the highlights include a Japanese made Yamaha U1 upright and a set of vintage Ludwig Standards. It is an exciting time to be a musician. Having started recording on a Tascam 4-Track in the early nineties and then graduating to a Fostex R-8, 1/8 inch reel to reel with a Mackie 1604 VLZ mixer, the current state of technology would have been inconceivable to me back then. While the tools of creation are certainly more accessible, the knowledge of how to effectively use them remains a life-long pursuit.
bottom of page