Whats My Recording Setup???

追加: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]Hello, and a good morning, good afternoon, and a very good evening to you all. We're good and wonderful people with you. Hope all's well with you. I hope things are grand and all's well with you. Hello to everybody.

[00:00:08]Uh today's video I'm going to take you inside my recording setup. Quite a few people have asked me like, you know, what do you use for recording uh either Red Giant demos or the pseudo movie soundtrack music that I like to do a lot of.

[00:00:22]Uh so, I'm going to basically show you today how it all works and what I use and and what he not he. So, let's go over here.

[00:00:28]So, um DAW-wise I use Luna. Uh I really, really love Luna. It's so cool. I used Pro Tools for years, but I got so sick and fed up with it crashing. And yeah, I need to get a I need to get a a monitor that isn't gloss, so this kind of thing isn't a major issue when I'm Um but yeah, uh I used Pro Tools for years, but now Luna. I love Luna. It's so cool.

[00:00:53]And uh in um interface-wise I use the Apollo Twin X of Universal Audio uh thing. It's so good. I absolutely love this thing to bits. Does everything I want it to do and sounds grande. Uh computer is uh Mac M4. Uh recently upgraded from I had a Mac Not as a Mac. What was it? Just a Mac.

[00:01:15]I can't remember what it was. It's It was the all in one screen one, but it was that did me well for a long, long time until basically it it was that slow it just decided packing up. Um so, that's kind of basically all I use kind of like, you know, hardware. Oh, and also uh speaker-wise, this is what I mix on. They're little creative speakers.

[00:01:34]They're They're nothing special and they're quite dark, but cuz I've had them for so long and I mean, I think I got them in 2009, I know what these things sound like. And I've got a little um There's a little sub bass uh speaker down there as well. So, I know what these things sound like and I have them positioned yeah, on each end of the table here. And I know what they sound like. I know I like the way they sound and I know what I'm doing when I'm mixing on them now. And I know what to listen for, but I've really come accustomed to it.

[00:02:07]So, uh so yeah, that's basically all that kind of stuff. So, moving on, I'm recently re- I've recently I can't speak today, but hey, that's nothing new. I can never normally speak anyway cuz words jumble in my little dyslexic mind. Anyway, I recently switched from using my Marshall MG uh DI, which I used for decades to record guitars, to using the POD uh 2.0. And I love this thing. Um it's really, really cool. I've recorded a like a lot of my last load of kind of like soundscapey stuff has all been through the POD. Uh I'm not really using it for anything other than a clean platform to run pedals through it. I'm just using it like as as I would use a my MG. It's just a clean platform. But, I can uh pick any of the effects I want in here. I can use the reverb in here. I don't at this point. I do it every now and again. I've got the tuner in it, though I don't really need it. I've got it it's there if I need anything else, you know what I mean? And I love it a bit. And I uh I use the uh the black panel mode on which is a Fender Deluxe. And uh these are the settings actually. So, um I have the output mas- the output level is well, it's it's on seven. It's about 2:00. Drive is at 1:00. No bass, no middle.

[00:03:30]Check it out, PewTube. The world is definitely ending cuz Dave's using treble. But, that's because it's a really, really dark uh preset. And um so, I've got the treble up at 1:00.

[00:03:42]Channel volume is all the way up. I say reverb and effects tweak I have off unless I want one of the effects from in here or I want the uh spring reverb, which sounds really good, actually. Um And then, you have top I've basically just got it saved as it is. And I'm also using the this 412 cab emulation down here for the cab select.

[00:04:02]And that's what I'm using. And it does sound great as as you'll Yeah, as I'll I'll show you in a thing. And I'm just coming out in mono out of the left output. Another thing people are too I'm not doing is on the pod you have a direct mode and an amp mode. So, obviously amp mode is when you plug it into an amp. Direct mode is when you plug it into the thing. I'm still using the amp mode as direct mode sounds kak.

[00:04:24]So, the amp mode sounds way better. So, I'm using that. So, anything else to mention about this? No.

[00:04:31]So, from the Apollo, we come over here into the left input left output.

[00:04:40]And then, out of the input of the pod, we come down here to my recording pedalboard. Which again, fits really nice and neatly under the under the desk I use. And uh the only thing that would make this set up perfect at this point in time would be if I had a Mel 9 instead of a String 9. The String 9 is really really cool, but the Mel 9 is way more versatile. This is just string sounds, which is really really cool and I've used it a lot, but I I really want to get a Mel 9, so when I can, I'm going to get a Mel 9 there to replace that. So, that's kind of like that's subject to a change at this point in time.

[00:05:18]But [snorts] other than that, it's basically like a small version of my main board. We've got the Zoom G2, we've got the Echo Head delay from Marshall, Marshall Guv'nor, Marshall Jackhammer, Boss DS-2, and an original GCB95Q Also, I have a Lehle Splitter Box back there.

[00:05:36]And what that does, people are too, that allows me to um I I I get really bad ground loops in this room. So, when I'm recording, I have to have the ground loop switch in.

[00:05:52]When I'm playing guitar in here just through my amps behind me, I have to have it out. It's really I don't know understand I'm not some kind I'm not a genius when it comes out that kind of thing. But anyway, the latest splitter box there is is is there so I don't have to unplug things. So, if I want to play through my amps back there, uh, I can. So, the MG runs all along into there and the pod is the orange lead going into there and then obviously into the pedal board. So, I don't have to kind of like keep on plugging things and stuff like that and getting in the way of stuff. So, if I want to play guitar through my my Marshalls back there, I can. If I want to use the pod for recording, I can. I just have to uh, remember to flip uh, the uh, the ground loop.

[00:06:33]I don't have to worry about phase cuz I'm not using I'm not using them together. So, there's no issues there.

[00:06:39]Um, and that's it. That's that's basically it. And again, like I use a lot of effects coming from the GT-2. Uh, reverbs, you know, choruses, stuff like that. I use the Echo Head obviously for delay.

[00:06:51]Um, and also I do use the delays inside the pod as well cuz they're really really good. Um, but that's my that's my pedal board and over here I have my piano which is a Yamaha Clavinova PF P100.

[00:07:07]This was given to me by my very good friend Mr. Dan Cobley, uh, Duke's of Lude of Fame, and I love it to bits. It sounds fantastic. It's got really nice, um, kind of uh, piano sound.

[00:07:20]>> [music] >> Let's turn it up a bit.

[00:07:26]>> [music] [music] [music] >> It sounds really really nice. And for some reason, I I do have a sustain pedal kind of thing, but it's backwards. So, it sustains when my foot's off it, not on it. So, I have to I've had to learn to play with this backwards. Anyway, and also I have a a little synth theory. It's a Korg Monologue, which I use not a great deal, but I use it every now and again for just messing around and like, you know, just kind of like kind of textural kind of stuff in the backgrounds of things. There's a lot of kind of like really droney kind of synth stuff that I can do with this.

[00:08:17]And basically, all I do is this lead here goes into the back of the Apollo there.

[00:08:24]Excuse me.

[00:08:26]And just plug that into the headphone socket of the Korg or the Yamaha.

[00:08:32]Or if I'm recording drums, this goes into the Boss, what's it called again?

[00:08:41]Drum every looper that I've got. I forget the name. DD something, I don't know. That's that's that's the fool.

[00:08:48]I've got the the Boss the looper that I've used forever. I really like the drum I really like the drum sounds on that one. So, I always have that on the floor there if I'm recording if I need drums.

[00:08:57]And that just goes into there. It goes into input two.

[00:09:02]When I'm recording vocals, I use a trusty SM58 and that's this lead here.

[00:09:08]So, all I need to do is basically unplug the guitar, the pod here. Focus, please.

[00:09:14]>> [snorts] >> Unplug the pod, plug that in and I've got it on the like the you know, the uh what's it called? The podcaster swingy out arm thing just so I can um well, if I if you know, if I'm recording vocals, I can just do it really easily and and nothing's out of a way kind of thing. It's really easy and just makes life very, very pleasant. Uh I don't like when I'm recording, I like everything to hand. I like everything really really close. I don't want to have to walk across the room. It sounds really lazy, but I I I get into this mindset where I need everything really really close to me.

[00:09:51]Uh I can't have like things all over the place, you know what I mean? And also, I have my guitars here at the YouTube. Um so, I've got my Les Paul, I've got my '79 Strat, got my '62 Strat, got Mr. White, uh and I've got my two John guitars at this point in time. So, I've got my John Shannahan Telecaster and my John Shannahan Strat. They're up here because, again, being in a Tube for a Tube band now, I've been practicing the Slane Castle set a lot up here. So, um So, yeah, that's that. And uh Yeah, so so that's everything. So, let me show you how it sounds. We'll interrupt this video to say, if you like this channel and like to support it, there is a link to a Patreon in the description box below, as well as links to my guitar course, Dave's Guitar World, and links to a PayPal me. Anyway, back to the recording video.

[00:10:39]Okay, so I don't use a great deal of uh plugins because I tend to like using my pedals and the pod, or before that, the MG, to EQ my guitar. So, >> [clears throat] >> the only thing I do use is an EQ on the guitar. And what I use that for is to just dump all the low end, you know, just to just to to to high pass it, get rid of all the low end cuz you don't need it. And as a result of that, it makes the guitar sound very very bright.

[00:11:09]>> [clears throat and music] [music] >> Yeah, that's that's kind of my dirty clean kind of thing. This is distortion.

[00:11:27]>> [music] [music] [music] >> And the reason it sounds so bright and beautiful is because when I'm recording I like to layer guitars and if I have my usual kind of darker sound they don't stack well. So when I'm recording I always always high pass uh guitars to make them as thin as possible because then I can stack them.

[00:12:04]I can mix them easier with the bass and the drums and they're not going to get in the way of anything I'm doing low end. Like if I'm again bass or if I'm playing piano the the guitar won't get in the way of the low end chords of the piano.

[00:12:18]Uh or anything like you know simfy kind of thing. So it just gets it out the way.

[00:12:24]And uh that that's that's one of the most important things I think when recording is to kind of you don't really want a dark guitar tone. It doesn't really sit very well.

[00:12:35]But I still really like it. I just realized it's panned as well, isn't it?

[00:12:38]So I always pan my guitars left and right as well.

[00:12:42]>> [music] [music] >> So um without the um EQ'ing it sounds like this.

[00:12:59]>> [music] >> You can see it was so much low end it's actually peaking the speaker out.

[00:13:06]>> [music] >> And then when I put the EQ back in it ditches all the the low end.

[00:13:11]>> [music] >> It's still the kind of same tone.

[00:13:19]It's just there's just a lack of bottom end.

[00:13:21]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> So, that's that's it. You know, that that that is basically it. I plug the bass through the same sound as well.

[00:13:55]When I record bass, I put it through the same sound. I just have a different preset for that. So, it's just a different EQ setting, basically. Drums, I have a reverb and a another EQ just so I got control of it. Acoustic guitar has an uh uh an EQ and a reverb. If I'm recording acoustic, I use the SM57.

[00:14:15]Uh just mic it up, basically. Uh piano has the same deal as well. They all have EQ. Some have reverb, some don't. All the vocal tracks have reverb. Um I don't use buses. Uh I don't send everything else to buses. I just have it kind of linear, if you will.

[00:14:34]Uh just so you can see it across the board, kind of thing.

[00:14:37]Um and I have a template. I call it Dave plate, cuz you know, I'm I'm inventive.

[00:14:42]But, um that's it. It's very very simple, beauty. And basically, like I said, I I record with uh my Boss the digi- uh my Boss looper drums most most of the time. That's what you hear.

[00:14:54]It's kind of what you get. And I I can trigger it to do fills and whatnot. I tend to play guitar, do the drums, and then go back and redo the guitar, sometimes. Unless I have a take is good. Um but, yeah. Like I said, guitar tone-wise, >> [music] >> it's very thin.

[00:15:14]>> [music] >> But, again, that's because like I want it that way. So, when I put the bass in anything else like piano, synth, the drums, you know, vocals, it gets it out of the way. And I said I always pan my guitars left and right. I don't like guitars always down the middle.

[00:15:34]Sometimes the song will require that, but it it's very very song dependent and most of the time I don't like it and the songs don't want that. So, invariably I have guitars left and right. Uh I'm pretty sure I've got I can show you that quickly actually. If I close session, find one.

[00:15:52]Yeah, this will do. I think this is it.

[00:15:55]There's guitar in this, isn't there?

[00:15:58]Yeah, so we've got a chorus picked guitar that's far far right. Main guitar's down the middle in this one, but I have everything else all the other guitars are kind of panned all over the chip shop. So, uh where's the chorus guitar? So, >> [music] [music] >> So, that's all the way over there.

[00:16:22]And then there's a slide guitar that's um over there.

[00:16:26]>> [music] >> Uh there's a DS2 guitar that's over there.

[00:16:36]>> [music] [music] >> Strings over there.

[00:16:48]>> [music] >> Bass is on the left.

[00:16:53]>> [music] >> Well, I've missed the bass now, but But yeah, I songs are very kind of like it depends on what you want from them.

[00:17:05]You know, where you want Easy. Where you where you want the guitars to sit, where do you want the effects to sit.

[00:17:09]Obviously on this one when I was mixing it, everything just kind of like wanted to sit over on the right side and um that's where I wanted to live. But uh Yeah, it's all very very straightforward. I've got the the main guitar here is all down center. So, this is the main guitar.

[00:17:28]>> [music] >> And again, you can hear that's the Oh, I need to need to set to record.

[00:17:35]>> [music] >> Some more reverb on it.

[00:17:47]Yeah, I can't remember what guitar I used for this song now. Wasn't Mr. White. Anyway, um that's it. That's my recording setup and that's how I do it. It's it's very very simple. It's the way I've been doing it for years now. Um and again, I I I like everything really close to hand. So, if I want to do vocals, I can just, you know, plug it in, swing that out, and do vocals. If I'm doing acoustic guitar, because it's the, you know, the the streamer boom arm, I can just literally pull the mic down, mic up the guitar. So, that's why I've got this thing. Um Uh I'd say the pods there because it's just nice and easy to hand. If I need to tweak anything on it or I want effects on there, I don't have to walk all the way back to the other side of the room.

[00:18:31]Even though it's not that far, I like I don't like to be when I start recording and get into that kind of mindset, I don't like to be interrupted and I don't like to kind of like get too far away from what I'm doing over here. I get really hyper focused on things. So, certain kind of things can annoy me sometimes moving backwards and forwards when I just kind of like now I just want to do this thing really really quick.

[00:18:54]So, the pod has been absolutely godsend for that cuz it's got all the effects I want from it and anything I can't get from there, I can get from my pedal board. So, it's really really cool.

[00:19:03]Um Anything else to say? I don't think there is.

[00:19:08]Uh this song, people too, which I don't remember that I've the the working title is called Break Me, but I don't think that's what it's called. I'm going to shove this at the end for you to hear it, cuz this is the last song I recorded, and I've got no idea what to do with it. So, I'm going to put it at the end of the video. If you want to hear it, cool. Uh if you don't, don't worry about it. Um I always bang my guitars on the desk as well. That's all That's That's just a thing. Natural relic.

[00:19:33]Anyway, that's it. That is It's as simple as can be. Um um yeah, once I'm done with mixing and I'm happy with the song, I always mix two different ways. I mix on the speakers, then I go into headphones, then I come back to the speakers.

[00:19:50]So, I'll get a kind of where I I want it on there, and then I'll listen to it in headphones, and I'll kind of fine-tune things in there. And then when I come out of headphones, invariably, I like to tweak tweak and fine-tune things again.

[00:20:03]And then once that's done, I normally export it, and that's it. Done. And uh yeah.

[00:20:09]Simple as can be, really. Yeah, but it's there's there's not a great deal going on. It's really really straightforward.

[00:20:14]There's not a lot of >> [snorts] >> kind of chaos or anything like that going on. Still don't remember what guitar I used to record this. It's definitely a Strat.

[00:20:23]Oh, it could be a Telecaster.

[00:20:25]I don't know. I don't remember.

[00:20:27]Anyway, I'm going to shove this song at the end for you. I don't know what it's called. Like I say, its working title is Night's Name.

[00:20:32]Um but yeah.

[00:20:34]That's my entire recording setup. It's very very simple. So, uh hope you enjoyed this uh people with you, and I will see you again very soon for another one. Uh hope you enjoyed this song. It's again, it's another kind of like pseudo me trying to be a film score kind of guy.

[00:20:47]Um yeah, anyway. Thanks so much today for watching.

[00:20:50]Have a great morning, afternoon, good evening. Goodbye now. Cheers.

[00:20:58]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> I am >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music]