Studio and filmmakingTools I trust.
The microphones, cameras and recording tools I use in my own work.
Chosen for sound, reliability and real-world use.
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Sennheiser MKH 8040 Stereo Set (Cardioid)
My primary classical guitar recording microphones. Used in all my studio recordings both at home and at The Guitar Collection. I’ve auditioned a lot of mics (Schoeps, DPA, Neumann, Gefell, Milab etc…) and these always seemed the most natural to my ears, without an exaggerated amount of detail. They are my favourite all around mic, used a lot on orchestra, opera and piano. They are incredibly small too.
Sample recording 1
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Royer SF2 Active Ribbon Mic
The most natural ribbon mic I’ve used, with the smoothest sound. Again, I’ve tried a fair amount of Ribbon mics from Samar, Royer, Coles, AEA, and the SF series has an edge on all of them in my opinion. Very low mic noise (some ribbons can really hiss). I sometime mix these in with the Sennheisers.
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Sennheiser MKH 8020 set
Full Disclosuer, for my omni directional mics, I use a modified set of AKG C460’s, which has won every single blind shootout with artists over the years. Unfortunately, you can’t get the mod done anymore, and the stock mics are slightly unremarkable. However, these Sennheisers have the same warm and rich sound I favour.
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DPA 4006
I own the older B&K versions of these. They are remarkably detailed and accurate. I use them a lot of the times as room mics, and they were the main pair in a choral album I recently recorded with Norbert Kraft. I was always stunned with the sound of that recording. They don’t win a in blind shootout with my usualy omnis amongst guitarists, but are always pleasing to the artist.
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Rycote InVision-6 Mic Mount
For small mics like the Sannheisers. Very sturdy, and pop back into shape after being buried at the bottom of a bag for a while.
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Rycote InVision HG MKIII Mic Mount
For small mics like the Sannheisers. Very sturdy, and pop back into shape after being buried at the bottom of a bag for a while.
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K&M Low Mic stand with boom
Cheap stands can be pretty frustrating after a while, trust me!
There are relatively low, but perfect for a guitarist who wants the mics to sit around their shoulder level. Also, easy to travel with, unlike the typical taller stands. If you want something slightly taller and heavier…
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K&M Mic stand with boom
Very solid with plenty of height and weight. The B&H link sends you to a 2 pack of stands.
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Metric Halo ULN-8 MKIV
My most recent interface/preamp. I have to say I love it. Originally purchased to augment the existing interfaces below via ADAT, and to have 8 channels handy that is easy to carry.
I think this is my favourite interface.
Sample recording 1
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Sound Devices MixPre-6 ii
Originally purchased when I was doing a lot of event recordings. This thing has become my go-to for a travel interface. The sound is great. Perhaps not as complex and beautifully natural sound as the Metric Halo, but i’m always very happy with the results. This one has 4 very good preamps, which is probably too much for the average guitarist recording at home, in which case I would suggest the version below. This records in 32-bit float, meaning you can recover clipped audio. Very handy for recorded live gigs when you can’t do a long sound check. This is a compact field-recorded and can be used as an interface at home, however, using it in this way may become frustrating.
Sample recording 1
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Sound Devices MixPre-3 ii
The 3 preamp version, otherwise virtually the same. I think this will be more than enough for any home recordist. Other features: Bus powered or battery (so no computer needed), records to an removable SD card, very rugged and durable design, yet feels high quality.
Sample recording 1
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Prism Sound Titan Interface
I’ve had this for a very long time and am always impressed with the sound. Prism is a British company known for making some of the best (and most expensive) converters. It is beautifully clear with very good preamps. I never wanted another interface after buying this. It will be going to Italy to be the main interface at Alto Studios.
Sample recording 1
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Prism Sound Lyra 2 Interface
The two preamp version of the Titan, and my first high end interface. It sits on the desk in my studio. Rock solid after more than 10 years.
Sample recording 1
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Canare Star Quad Cables
My main cables for over 20 years. Never had a faulty connection, and are much cheaper than Mogami.
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Sennheiser HD600 Open back headphones
Norbert Kraft turned me onto these after I had been using the AKG k701’s for a couple of decades., and I’ve never looked back. Very good representation of the sound and quite comfortable. The dual cables are definitely a weak part of the design, but they are replaceable. Just a solid, and affordable performer. These go on sale.
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Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Headphones
Great if you need some isolation from outside noise. I can’t say I’d trust them to judge mic positioning, but solid for editing in slightly noisy environments. To me, it makes things sound much closer. These go on sale.
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Sennheiser HD800S Headphones
Another Norbert Kraft recommendation. A few levels up from the 600’s, and I have to say they are WAY more comfortable, and the sound is wonderfully detailed and yet rich and almost too pretty. Wow, just wow. Significantly more expensive then the above headphones. I would say the money is better spent on mics/interface at the start. These go on sale.
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Sony A7IV mirrorless camera
A great hybrid camera, more than adequate for home and professional use. What you hear a lot of film-makers say is true, you don’t need the most expensive camera to get a stunning look, but need to understand and practice lighting. However, some creature comforts on this camera are incredible, such as the low-noise, 10-bit colour, and incredible auto-focus.
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Sony A7V mirrorless camera
For those who would like something a bit more updated, this has a few improvements. The auto-white balance is supposed to be better, and also better focus tracking.
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Sony 35mm f1.8 Lens.
My most used lens. This is very light weight, sharp and has a nice metal body. Perfect for me, especially as I mount my camera on a motorized slider sometimes, and the light weight makes it easy to balance. If you would like something a little better though….
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Sony 35mm f1.4 G master lens
I’ve tried a couple of “G” lenses and they are always stunning. Although a lot of YouTube comparisons will say there is not much a of difference between this and say the 1.8, for me, the quality of Bokeh in these lenses really sets them apart.
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Sigma 24-70 Art II
For those looking for a versatile lens while retaining high quality. I own this and use it mainly for travel photography. The quality however is excellent. For me f2.8 may be a little limiting in my typical situation, but for those with ample light this is excellent.
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Zeiss Batis 85 f1.8 lens
One of the few protrait lenses I could find with stabalization in the lens, which is not 100% necessary, but very nice to have. Optically beautiful, and actually quite light weight considering it’s size.
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Zeiss Batis 25 f2.0 lens
A wide lens is very nice to have. It can take a bit of experimentation to make a very wide shot like this look natural, but this lens helps a lot with it’s relatively low distortion.
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SanDisk 512GB SD Card
Tons of storage, and more than fast enough speeds for 4k 30fps. I actually have the older version of this card whcih only has 200mb/s and it has never had an issue. I’ve never tried anything beside SanDisk because they always work. Never a problem.
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SanDisk 256GB SD Card
A little less storage but you still get 3-4 hours at 4k, 24fps.
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Calibrite Color Checker video passport
An absolutely essential learning tool. Great for checking the white balance, shadow, mid tones and highlights. Also, essential for matching different cameras. I personally don’t use it to dial in colours as I am often in mixed lighting, which can really throw off the results. In perfectly controlled lighting it’s great.
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