Golden Rocket Pony

Here’s one for you DIY recordists, band sound guys and gear sluts out there.

Since we started the band, me, MB and Big J have done OK when it comes to sound – demo recording quality, live monitoring, etc. We have amassed a decent sound rig over the years and we record out own demos in the rehearsal space.

I have done the DIY sound man job for a few years now, in a couple of different bands and recording projects, and I am at least getting a hold of a few things. Out of the handful of gigs that we have done, only once have someone else done the sound.

I like tinkering with all the gear, experimenting and trying to get the best sound possible. Some musicians interestingly don’t seem to be very sensitive to how things sound, but to me it is a big deal. Those moments when everything sounds just right and the band finds the groove is what the musician in me lives for. I know when performances are good – it’s when the hair on the back of my neck start to stand up.

The downside of being the band’s sound engineer that sometimes technical matters distract you too much from being a songwriter, singer and guitarist. It is hard being inspired when you get feedback, voltage drops, humming cables and a computer that keeps freezing. Luckily Jonas has done a fair bit of recording on analog consoles and helps out.

I have heavily relied on my MacBook Pro and Logic for all mixing and effects, with an 8-input MOTU soundcard (actually only 7 have been working lately) and a cheap Behringer mixer for outputting signal to the band PA and floor monitors.

Things have been fine most of the time, all faders being in a computer program and one mono monitor output for 3 monitors is not very practical when things start feeding back during a concert. That’s when you want a knob or a fader that you can adjust mid-gig.

I have been looking around for a suitable solution for a while, and when Simon recommended the Presonus StudioLive 16.4.2 mixer i think I found it. 16 inputs, 6 aux sends, 4 subs, reverb/delay FX, full firewire integration, filters, gates, compressors, eq’s on every channel – yum yum yum!

So I saved up for and ordered one about a week ago. I am getting it tomorrow and we are using it for the first time with the band on Wednesday. For the first time I will be able to ring out the monitors properly. My plan is also to record entire gigs and rehearsals and publish little gems right here on the web site. We will also use the new mixer to record the new EP. I’ll get back to you with a review once I have tried things out a bit.

I have also got a new member in my guitar effect pedal arsenal; the Skychord Truck Loud, that might replace the Tube Screamer for low/medium dirt sounds. We’ll see if I love it or hate it.

Now, get off the internet and go outside and have an ice cream!