sslechta - Nice look there, love the mood lighting! Flight sims would be pretty fun on that setup I think.
Jeff - Simple is good! Always liked the Rokit's for my kind of music (rock/metal), good mid-range response, and solid lows with the 8" version. Motu 828 in the rack on the left? I've got an 828 MK3 Firewire as a secondary interface - the firewire ports died, but the ADAT still works so I've got that patched into my Fireface. I'm just nerding out, don't mind me
Mike - Great idea with the spider capo! I'd love to try out that old Martin, and I love your studio "helper" as well.
Good eye there Simon. Yep, that's a MOTU 828MK3 on the left. I had the same issues with Firewire. Had to get a special Firewire card for my computer that was supposed to correct all the FW issues. Worked ok, but it was still hit and miss many times. Gave up and went USB, no problems since.
Buried further down in the pic, behind the Montage is a Yammy TX802 on the right and a MOTU MIDI Express XT on the left. Using the MIDI Express I can hook all of my synths up once and use them all as needed without playing with MIDI wires all the time. All audio feeds into the MK3.
The system is much more capable than I'll ever be...but such is the life of a hardware junkie!
Cool! You have a Proteus F/X. That's what I donated to Eddie after about 25+ year ownership. Nice sounding box.
Howdy Steve....
Ha....I bought that Proteus back in the early 90's if I recall correctly. It's a great module, been reliable and with (4) banks of patches. Although, that Roland XV5080 dwarfs it in the patch sense.
I've gotten much leaner in the module arena over the decades.
I had a 5' rack of analog stuff back in the 90's....mind boggling to think about now. (EDIT: see post #15 for a chuckle: https://www.tdpri.com/threads/why-aren%E2%80%99t-guys-as-precious-about-analog-recording-gear.1035249/#post-9951758 I also had a Teac M3 mixer which isn't in this view)
Good eye there Simon. Yep, that's a MOTU 828MK3 on the left. I had the same issues with Firewire. Had to get a special Firewire card for my computer that was supposed to correct all the FW issues. Worked ok, but it was still hit and miss many times. Gave up and went USB, no problems since.
Buried further down in the pic, behind the Montage is a Yammy TX802 on the right and a MOTU MIDI Express XT on the left. Using the MIDI Express I can hook all of my synths up once and use them all as needed without playing with MIDI wires all the time. All audio feeds into the MK3.
The system is much more capable than I'll ever be...but such is the life of a hardware junkie!
Jeff
Is your MK3 the hybrid one? Mine is Firewire only, no USB sadly. I've tried multiple computers (Mac Pro, iMac, Macbook, Windows PC with different Firewire cards), so the firewire on the MOTU is definitely dead. Still useful through ADAT, and thankfully it has two ADAT's so I can do all 8 channels at 96khz. Had to change Muxing mode on it (I think) as it was sending signal that my Fireface didn't understand.
TX802 is a nice one, been a long time since I've played with a hardware FM synth - nowadays I just use VST's.
Simon, right, my 828 is the hybrid one. Good thing too! I bought it thinking that firewire would be the cat's meow...turned out to be a dog even with a SIIG card with the TI chipset. Gave up on firewire and switch over to USB, no problems since.
The only on-going problem I've had with the 828 is teh display screen in it. Takes a while for it to warm up to be able to see it. Sometimes I have to let it warm up and then turn it off then back on to see it. Seems to be a well known issue with the 828 Hybrid. Next time I'll go with Focusrite.
Haven't used the 802 in a long time. These days its mostly a place holder to raise up the Motif, Fantom and Oberheim rack stack above the back of the keyboard so I can see them.
Know what you mean about VSTi's, got quite a few myself. But there just something about a hard synth that rings true to me. I'm a sucker for dials, sliders, buttons and flashing lights!
Well....I won't say it has always been that way during decades of countless studio incarnations and upgrades of one device or another.
But...after leaning things out some years ago I'm able to keep it that way pretty easily. Obviously, I'm not recording multiple people or sessions anymore so wallowing in miles of cable hell is easily mitigated. Just myself an a couple of other old fossils get together to keep our chops up. The only thing not in the pic are mics/stands and my guitar amp (at the bass player's studio) which is a Randall Commander II RG-120. (bought new in 1979 for 275$)
I think James is dealing with a different kind of equipment monkey on his back! Hey, no cable issue right? I wonder how he's getting along with latency?
I have a better photo now they are Alexis fusion and ensonique mr 76 Corey my son plays these . He has had the ensonique 25 years the alesis 13 years . I handle guitars and amps . Cliff
chulaivet1966, What are your drums? Back in time I use to have a Ludwig Club Date set with Zildjian cymbals but now rely on either a VSTi, Zoom, or Yamaha drum machine.
chulaivet1966, What are your drums? Back in time I use to have a Ludwig Club Date set with Zildjian cymbals but now rely on either a VSTi, Zoom, or Yamaha drum machine.
In 1987 when I was much immersed in writing/recording I bought the Kawai R-100 drum machine. (Lots of pics on google if curious) It was ok for that time but I outgrew it for a couple of reasons and upgraded to the Roland MBD-1 Bass/Drum module in 1998 or so. I still use it. (it's in my studio pic (bottom device on left).
There are some trap kits in Cakewalk but I haven't used them as of yet.
Sorry if I got to verbose but you made me think back through the decades. Now I need a beer.
Our current "studio" is a Mac, a Scarlett 212 and several good mics so nothing worth showing as it is also a workout room The same room 20-25 years ago might be of interest.
Janice at the Tascam Portastudio 8 track cassette likely recording me on the upright bass
A bit later with a Fostex VF 160 digital 16 track
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
I cleared my space last week so the painter could do the room. It needed packing up as we're moving house anyway. These snaps were taken about two years ago.... The book shelves are part shelving and part diffusers. the CD racks, have the had the CDs inserted to diffuse as well..necessary with that much smooth plastic. The rug & matressy ting in two corners are make do bass traps. Two interfaces for two computers - one is XP and the other W10. I have some great VSTs that don't bridge to 64 very well so it's easier to use them in that comp and then transfer the files. The older/larger interface is great with nice pres plus more ins n outs but doesn't work in W10 land either so if I want to record more than two sources I use the old comp & interface. You can see I'm a bit of a cheat with my cello.
Last edited by rayc; 03/28/2109:42 PM.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.