Tag: Music

Studio Gear Update – Part 1

Every now and then I take a look at my studio gear and try to figure out better ways to use everything.  Mostly my studio is ITB (in the box), meaning it’s pretty much all computer-based.  Other than my guitars, a few pedals, some mics, an audio interface, speakers, and headphones, everything is zeroes and ones and lives inside my Mac Studio.  I’ll do a couple of future posts on my guitars, pedals, and other gear, and in this post, concentrate on the computer side of things.

I’m still a Logic Pro guy and probably always will be.  At this point, it feels like home and by and large does what I’d like it to do.  All of the editing (MIDI and audio) is great, terrific automation, creating lead sheets and notating parts is a breeze, and the plugins are first-rate.  The overall performance of Logic on my Mac Studio (M1 Max) is incredible, so in terms of computing power, for what I do, I don’t need any more horsepower than I already have.

If you’re just starting out, I think you can do great work with just the stock Logic plugins.  Even with all of the third-party plugins I have, I still use many of Logic’s stock plugins — the Session Player(s) sounds and loops are great, Alchemy is first-class, the reverbs get a lot of use, and the Gain plugin, as simple as it is, is always handy.  That said, I have lots of third-party plugins that are my first choice.  I keep thinking one day I’ll do a whole track using third-party plugins and then redo the track using stock plugins as a comparison.  My guess is it would sound pretty darn close, but it would be nice to actually do the “experiment”.  So here are my go-to, third-party plugins (in no particular order) broken down by category:

MIDI

  • Spectrasonics Omnisphere — Reach for this one on everything I do.
  • Spectrasonics Trilian — For the times when I don’t have a live bass player.
  • Spectrasonics Stylus RMX — An oldie but a goodie.  This plugin needs an update, but it’s still incredibly useful.
  • Toontrack EZDrummer 3 — Fantastic sounds, great drum part editor, and terrific grooves.
  • Plugin Guru Unify — This plugin is slowly moving its way up the ladder.  I’m more familiar with Omnisphere, but Unify really does live up to its name — pulls together all of my plugins and more.  Looking forward to their new release with multi-outs.
  • Spitfire Audio Originals – Intimate Strings — Gorgeous textures and blends well with other string libraries.
  • Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra — I have the free version, and it sounds terrific.  This is another library that layers/blends well with other orchestral plugins/samples.
  • Modartt Pianoteq 4 Stage – I need to update this guy, but if I need a piano sound, this is the one I reach for.
  • Kirk Hunter Symphony Orchestra Emerald — This is an older sample library that I still use all the time blended with other libraries/plugins.

AUDIO

  • Brainworx bx_console SSL 9000 J— I have a few console-type plugins that all have their strengths.  The SSL 9000 J is the one console that I keep coming back to and use it on just about every track in every project.
  • SPL Iron — Great compressor.  If I had to choose just one compressor, this would be it.
  • SPL PQ — This EQ works the way I hear.  I have no idea why it sounds better than most of my other EQs — it just does.
  • AMEK Mastering Compressor — A top-shelf compressor that I primarily use on my mix bus, but it sounds terrific on just about anything.
  • Brainworx bx_limiter True Peak – I’ve been using this as my final limiter for the last few years.  This limiter sounds fantastic on just about everything, so I don’t know if I’ll ever need another one.
  • Black Box Analog Design HG-2MS — One of the best saturators out there.  For me, a little goes a long way.
  • ADPTR MetricAB — A beyond useful plugin.  It does all kinds of monitoring from LUFS to stereo info and it lets you easily compare your track to other releases.
  • iZotope Ozone 11 — I was trying to remember when I first picked up Ozone — probably 15-20 years ago.  I’m sure I could do mastering without it, but it wouldn’t be as easy or sound as good.
  • iZotope Tonal Balance Control 2 — Great for a quick check of the frequencies in your mix/master.  I find it particularly helpful for bass/kick levels in my mixes.
  • PSP Xenon — One of the best limiters I’ve heard.  Set up correctly in “C” mode and not pushed too hard, this limiter is amazingly transparent.

So that’s a quick look at my current favorite plugins.  I’m sure in six months the list will have some new names on it, but this is where I am in Spring 2025.  I’m always interested in trying out new things, so I’d love to hear what your go-to plugins are!

Summer in the Round (Live in the Studio)

Toronto in the late seventies/early eighties was an incredible time for music. Even for someone like me, who was a little too young to get into the clubs, there was so much great live original music happening. Got to see Yes at Maple Leaf Gardens, Kraftwerk at the Masonic Temple and the Police (and a bunch of other terrific bands) at the Police Picnic.

All of that was (obviously) amazing, but what really stands out to me was the Ontario Place Forum. For just the cost of getting into Ontario Place (I think it was something like $5), I was able to hear music SO many first rate bands/artists. Like who? How about Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Chuck Mangione, UZEB, Michael Hedges and many, many more.

Which brings me to this “Live in the Studio” video of my tune “Summer in the Round”. For those of you who don’t know the Ontario Place Forum, it was an outdoor, covered venue that was built around a circular, revolving stage. Of course, being an outdoor venue, the concerts were held during the summer and the seating was festival, so it was first come, first serve. I would get to the venue crazy early to get front row seats (if they were available), and often I could listen to the bands/artists soundcheck. So… circular stage/venue, summer concerts… “Summer in the Round”… never said I was a deep thinker : )

This “Live in the Studio” version of “Summer in the Round” features Dave Patel on drums and Henrik Bridger on bass. The piece was originally on my 2009 EP “St. Joseph Street” which, in addition to Dave and Henrik, also featured the phenomenal Bill McBirnie on flute.

As always, thanks for listening/watching and I hope you like the video!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – New Single & Video Release

Just released a new single and video of the Christmas classic, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.  The track blends my nylon string acoustic guitar with fretless bass (played by California-based bassist/composer Henrik Bridger) and is supported by an ever evolving orchestral meets jazz meets pop arrangement.  Henrik also played upright bass and recorded both his parts in his own studio (with some great gear!) — so a huge thanks to him for all of his creativity and work!

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is my third single release for 2024 following “Drivetrain” (April 2024) and “For All” (September 2024).  I have a number of releases planned for 2025 as well as continuing my Live in the Studio video series — so stay tuned.  You can listen to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” right here by playing the video or you can check out the music on pretty much any streaming service (I put a couple links below).  As always, thanks for listening/watching!

— Stream “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” —

Apple Music

Spotify

For All – New Single & Video Release

Happy to announce the release of my new single (and video), “For All”. I’ve always loved introspective, poignant ballads that feature a blend of acoustic sounds and synth textures. This track really is defined by that blend, with my acoustic nylon string guitar floating above a slow moving, rhythmic synth pad. “For All” is available right now on just about any streaming service (I’ve included a couple links below) and/or you can check out the music right here by playing the video. As always, thanks for listening/watching and I hope you like “For All”!

— STREAM “FOR ALL” —

Apple Music

Spotify

Violet Skies (Live in the Studio)

There’s just something about contrast in music that I’ve always liked. On “Violet Skies”, from my 1997 self-titled debut album, I tried to capture some of that contrast. I put percolating percussion loops right beside programmed drum machine parts, played an ambient synth pad to compliment my fast strummed rhythm guitars, and I think just as importantly, I wrote a (mostly) slower melody that floats on top of the overall “up” vibe of the track. On this Live in the Studio version of “Violet Skies”, I went back to the album track and learned the solo pretty much note for note.

I have to give a huge thanks to my brother Randy for putting together this video. He’s been an amazing help in getting me (somewhat) up to speed on the videos that I’ve edited in the past and, with his stellar work on “Violet Skies”, I know I sure have a lot more to learn about video in the future. As always, thanks for listening and I hope you like the video!

God’s Counting on Me, God’s Counting on You (Live in the Studio)

The rarest, and my personal favorite, type of protest song is a positive one.  Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt’s “God’s Counting on Me, God’s Counting on You” brilliantly combines protest lyrics with a sense of community and personal responsibility wrapped in an instantly catchy melody.  It’s just the kind of song I love.  But, I think what drew me to this song initially was as much about the song as seeing a Pete Seeger video of him playing the tune live.  He had an amazing ability to connect with the audience and was able to get everyone singing right along with him.  Literally putting the folk in folk music.

I did a video of this tune years ago in a stripped down format  — just guitar and voice.  Sometimes all you need is three (or four) chords, the truth and a guitar (or, in Pete Seeger’s case, a long neck banjo), but I wanted to do a more arranged/produced cover of the song.  So that’s what’s in this video… As always, thanks for listening and I hope you like the music.

Financial Black

I like to try to keep my musical world in the financial black and as a mostly obscure indie musician, that’s never easy. Exactly like just about any other small business, I have to figure out costs versus income. The tricky part is that some spending is more a guessing game than science.

The production side of things is one area where it can get tough for me. Does a new guitar or plugin mean I’m going to make “better” music? Will listeners notice the sonic upgrade of a new audio interface? Is spending more money on gear going to hurt or help me? If a new tool speeds up my ability to make records that’s a good thing, but not if I slide into the financial red.

Just like many things in life, it’s the art of balancing. Part of finding the sweet spot is knowing who you are and how you like to work. I’m someone who likes to figure out minute details. That means, for me, overly complex systems slow me down. Massively slow me down. A plugin with a million moving parts is an absolute black hole of time suck. Same thing with too much of anything production or performance related. Combinations and permutations are not my friend.

What’s the answer? Truthfully, I really don’t know, but there are some broad, overarching things that make sense for me and for my career. I can’t go out and buy a $200,000 ’58 Les Paul. Or hire an orchestra to play my string parts. Or spend huge bucks on ads à la Bloomberg — not that I have, or ever will have, billionaire level resources. But the flip side is also true. Buying less than pro gear and ignoring marketing are not sharp things to do. So here I am right back at the start with more questions than answers and keeping my fingers crossed that I keep finding that elusive sweet spot.