Show me your music studio! Big or small, we enjoy them all!

Even if you're running a laptop and a pair of headphones, show us what you've got! Here's mine!

Very nice Simon! We had a HUGE post like this a few years back. Mine's mostly the same...

Studio Pictures.... show us your studios.

We have a couple different rooms depending on need

Oooh I thoroughly enjoyed reading through that previous thread, thanks Steve! Hoping to see some new setups in this one!

My studio is totally different from the other one.

This is a stand alone building in the back yard.

Nice, Herb!

Love the lava lamp touch.
Looks like someone swiped the back for your chair though. <grin>

Great photos Rharv and Guitarhacker, and thanks for the old thread sslechta, I hadn't seen that one yet!

Let's keep those studio photos coming!



Every studio needs a lava lamp or three! Mine is getting close to 30 years old, surprised it's lasted this long!

That chair was a freebee from one of my customers. He had a bunch of broken chairs in the back storage room and I asked if I could have one. For playing guitar and sitting down.... no arms and no back is the way to go.

I posted a photo on the old thread of our studio back in the analog days.

Nowadays our "studio" is a Mac, a Scarlett interface and several mics. We have a quilted table runner that hangs over a file cabinet and Janicefaces it when singing. She works up songs in another room with her old Martin box. I drag the upright bass into the computer room for my rare bass track. Nothing much to photograph but we love seeing the "real" studios folks post.

Bud

The office....

I can't believe how much I've changed my setup, gear-wise, since I posted that picture. One of these years when I get the space cleaned up, I'll take another picture.

I was thinking the same thing before I posted my current studio pics.... but I figured you can't see the spiderwebs and dust all that easily in the pic..... or the dog hair.

I was thinking the same too. I have to drywall the ceiling. At some point a previous owner made the ceiling with plastic lattice work over the wood beams. I also have to clean a lot of stuff out as the room has become my hoarding nest.

I just moved, which necessitated a large change in my gear setup. Got rid of about half my collection (including some guitars ). Gimme 6 months and my setup will be different again!



... Or the mass of cables under my desk that I covered with a couple gear cases just for the photo!

Added a 46" TV to the mix after getting a new one for the living room. Using it for flight sims and YouTube for now. I've got the concrete floors painted with concrete gray paint and added epoxy sealer to give the floor a little shine. Next step I have to do is tear out that ceiling and put in drywall. With the lattice ceiling every time we vacuum upstairs there's a dust storm here.... After the ceiling replace I'll replace the blue LEDs with multicolor ones and leave it bright white most of the time. WIP...

Mine's compact and tight!

Jeff

Nice Jeff!

A couple days ago, I pulled out the lap piano (ok, Martin calls it a '67 D12-35) for the first time in 12 years to make tracks for one of my church bands. Because my left arm is still paralyzed since 2009, I use a Spider Capo to get the chords I want, then record playing each chord to a separate track that I edit together. Fun, huh? This band will add their own tracks and vocals to the scratch that I've made and the church will hear the final on Palm Sunday. Here's a pic showing a bit of the process:



The mic is my go-to AKG C535, the iPad shows the muted P-Bass VI — I tap on the glass to play. Digital Performer on the iMac Pro with the chart on the left monitor: the pink is Am; the blue is G; the MIDI track is the melody that I use as a guide when recording everything else. The singers and instruments will all be adding tracks — it's possible that none of mine will be left on the final except the 12 — that came out ok.

Mike, fixed your photos. Somehow the IMG tag was not working.... maybe because the long address.... Cool Picture of that lap setup.

Photo1

Photo2

Thanks Steve, I hosted them on a different site and got them to behave.

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!

Jeff

Good day all....

Here's my current basement rabbit hole.
Except....I have updated that old Behringer mixer (10+ years) with the current Xenyx QX1622FX USB

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/behringer-xenyx-qx1622usb/j18395000000000?rNtt=Xenyx%20QX1622USB&index=2

Current studio pics (provided I did this correctly):
https://www.soundclick.com/artist/default.cfm?bandID=897733&content=picturesList

Have a great day....

Cool! You have a Proteus F/X. That's what I donated to Eddie after about 25+ year ownership. Nice sounding box.

Great studio and thanks for the share!

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)

Thanks for the comments....

chulaivet1966 - nice setup, quite clean!




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!

Jeff

Here is Southern Tide’s studio

Better shot not blurry

Looks like the file upload page doesn't like .jpeg. You will need to rename your file to .jpg and re-upload it.

Howdy Simon....

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$)

Thanks for the comment...have a great day all.

I could load the picture, though it was a bit blurry.
What are the keys?
Kinda looks like a Roland and a Yamaha .. but hard to tell.

My Home Studio

LOL, straight out of the Jimmy Fallon Show.....

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?

Jeff

Yep, I think James wins, we can all stop building studios now

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.

Well Howdy Jim....

Well...when I was playing live (that ended in 1980) I had a Rogers trap kit with Zildjian cymbals/hi-hat with Tama hardware and stool.
I do have a few originals recorded (prior to 1986) when I still had them up until I sold them in 1997....here's a few pics....loved that natural finish.
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/album.php?albumid=3002&attachmentid=34115
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/album.php?albumid=3002&attachmentid=34116
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/album.php?albumid=3002&attachmentid=34118
http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/album.php?albumid=3002&attachmentid=19663

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.

Thanks for asking Jim.
Have a great eve....

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

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.

I moved back in November 2020, and found a leased house that had this huge entrance room. I reassembeled my studio and took advantage of the larger space.

Very nice. Thanks for sharing!

Here is my studio.

Verrry nice setups! I especially like your four monitor arrangement!

Nice stuff there cfcboc and Scott! cfcboc - I'd probably throw down a rug or something to reduce some sound reflections. Scott - I want all those guitars, especially that double neck! What is it?!?

Rayc - I'm a bit of a cheat with every instrument I own, no worries on your position markers!

Hi Simon

The double neck was made by a fellow here in Edmonton. The artwork on the body is what drew me to it. That was me thru and thru in the late 60’s.

The second set of speaker play through a regular stereo headset. It is good for testing mixes.

cfcboc, Nice looking studio set up. What's the two track reel-to-reel in the left side of your photo?

No kidding! It looks gorgeous, bet it sounds as good as it looks too!

Jim Fogle wrote "What's the two track reel-to-reel in the left side of your photo?"

The reel-to-reel tape deck is a Revox A-77 that I've had since the mid-70's. I used it for a couple years in a home stereo rig (along with a Dolby unit I have), then packed it away into storage as I moved to a different city. it's been in storage for 40 yrs, and when I setup this studio, I decided to unpack it and use it as a retro decorative touch. I'll hook it up to playback some old tapes, but don't really have a use for it. It weighs a ton, but with the 10.5" aluminum reels, it looks kinda cool in a studio setting!

Nice decorative touch. The reel-to-reel pre-amps can add some nice analog "color" to the sound. Connect the reel-to-reel inputs and outputs to your patch bay and you can get some of that analog sound without rolling the tape. I'd hate to think what the current cost of a full reel of tape is.

Actually, a lot cheaper than you would think.

https://www.analogtapes.com/category/1-4-inch-tape

Regards,

Bob

Thanks for the tip. So one would hook it up like a sidechain and turn the power on?

Thanks for the site reference. I've got 5 spare 10.5' metal reels. Sounds like time to sell on eBay!

What I would do is connect the tape deck inputs and outputs as an insert of your mixer main out. That way all the audio going through the mixer would go through the tape deck pre amps just before the main out.