I mostly work in my small but perfectly-formed studio at home in Wickham Market, Suffolk, UK. Imagine a cosy living room, with a whole bunch of pro audio equipment in it, and you’re virtually there. Sometimes I use other spaces (my favourite is Winston Old School Room near Debenham) for specific projects.
I think the most important thing I can tell you about my studio is that it feels relaxed, allowing you to be your most creative self. All the equipment we need is immediately to hand, whether its a guitar, a different microphone, my hybrid electronic/acoustic drums, the lovely mellow-sounding upright piano or a pot of excellent coffee (the beans for which I get from my friend Christopher Rayner-Green at the Suffolk Coffee Company) Frodo the very friendly long-haired chihuahua is often on hand for stress-relief (but he’s happy to be elsewhere if you don’t do dogs). I have amazing original artwork by my friend Pam Ibbotson, lots of natural light and field views. I don’t do grey acoustic foam.
Microphones:
AKG C414XLS
AKG D112
Sennheiser e609
Sennheiser e835 (x3)
Shure SM7B
Shure Beta56A
Shure SM86
Shure SM58 (x2)
Shure SM57 (x2)
Sontronics STC-1
Sontronics STC-1S Stereo Pair
Sony C-100
custom-made ‘sub-kick’, created by my friend Simon Edgoose.
Recording:
M1 MacBook Pro running Reaper. I love Reaper. It does everything you’d expect of a professional DAW, but to me, just makes more sense, much more quickly.
Universal Audio Apollo x8p interface.
Softube Console 1 running the SSL SL 4000 E console emulation.
FX plug-ins and virtual instruments by Universal Audio, Softube, Waves, Celemony, Native Instruments, Toontrack… too numerous to list.
Midas M32R + DL16 (for mobile recording and live sound).
Monitoring:
Genelec 8330A
Avantone Mixcube
Headphones: Ollo Audio S4X and S4R
Instruments:
Jarrett & Goudge upright piano
Roland RD64 digital piano
Cuenca nylon-strung acoustic guitar
Westfield bass guitar
Bod bodhran
Various hand percussion, shakers etc
Drums: custom-created hybrid acoustic/electronic 4-piece kit. The snare, toms and kick are electronic, enabling the playing feel of a real kit but with the choice of dozens of drums via Superior Drummer 3 software. I combine this with acoustic cymbals (Istanbul and Zildjian) recorded with mics in the traditional way for an authentic live sound. It really works!
I also have custom-made Swannell acoustic and electric guitars and a Yamaha Flugelhorn, which I’m happy to play for you, but only I get to play those!
Amps/Effects:
Boss GT-10 effects pedalboard
FAQs
The Recording Booth is located on the edge of the village of Wickham Market, Suffolk, UK.
If you like to travel by rail, we’re just 6 minutes’ drive from Wickham Market station. I am happy to collect you from the station and take you back there again after the session.
I set up this studio to work closely and comfortably with one or two other people, with everything we need immediately to hand. The room is 5m x 3.5m, with all my kit in it, so doesn’t have space to bring in extra drums or a full band. I have high-quality mobile recording equipment to make live band recording possible at other locations.
