In this post I'm just going to geek out a bit about the setup and the gear we're using now. If gear talk makes your eyes glaze over, go here for a break, and check back later. On to the fun.
Starting with the software, we're using Reaper. It's pretty much the best thing since sliced bread. Every bit as good as the more well known names like ProTools, Logic, and Cubase, but about one tenth the price. And it operates on sort of an open source code model, very flexible, customizable, and it updates frequently. The slew of plugins it comes with is also very good. Brad is using Reaper, it's plugins and a few additional VSTi's. I've got myself loaded down with a lot of extra stuff. One of the best things about Reaper is it (and it's own plugins) are fiarly light on the computer. You can run a lot of tracks on even a moderately powerful machine before it bogs down. You can even run it off a thumb drive. I do a lot of midi work as well and Reaper does lag behind Cubase in the ease of working with midi. Or it did, version 4 just came out and I haven't had a chance to dive in yet.
The interface we're using is a Tascam US-2000. 16 inputs including 8 mic preamps. I've been using this one a while myself and I've been very happy with it. Rack mountable, level meter lights, phantom power. It connects via USB2 which made me a little nervous at first, but I've run it as high as 9 in/2 out so far without a hitch.
A couple of those mics aren't well known. The GLS Audio ES-57 is a Shure SM-57 copy. A little bigger around, to my ears it's a touch brighter and hotter than the Shure, and at $85 for a three pack, it's a no brainer. You can see it on the photos below, between the two higher toms. Brad's kit set up is a little tricky to mic, it's compact and the cymbals are pretty low, so that's where the snare mic could fit. I've mic'd the bottom of the snare in the past, but never used it in the mix. I'm happy with what I get from the top and the overheads.
Fitting mics in a small space is also what got me on the trail of the Karma Audio Silver Bullet. The toms are especially hard to fit a mic on. A 57 might be a go-to choice, but by the time you add the cable, you have a 7 inch tube to stuff under the cymbals. After researching smaller mics, I took a chance on the Silver Bullets. They come in pairs or a 7 mic kit. I got the kit, and just for fun we tried micing the whole kit with just those. It worked actually pretty good, but wasn't the right sound for snare or overhead. They sound really good up clode on the toms and they are tiny. They look like they were engineered to fit inside an XLR plug. Made in China? Sure, but that doesn't mean they won't work great. And it was $90 for the 7 piece kit.
Here's a little photo tour
And here's another video. The audio is just off my camera.
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