Scott's Recording Rig

A lot of people have asked for my recording rig, so here we go:
Everything starts with the mic. I use a StudioProjects B1 transducer mic. Mike at DragonPage turned me on to this very affordable mic. Yes, that's a shirt, and yes, I record in my closet. Also shown is the DR Pro mic stand, which is a really versatile, rock-solid stand. I recommend it. And the GrooveTubes PF-1 pop filter. I also recommend this. It's metal, so it's sturdy and cleans easy - doesn't get all gunky like fabric pop filters. The mesh is angled to drive any popping air down and away from the mic.

Here is a close-up of the box for the mic, showing company and brand-name.

And here is a close-up of the PF-1 pop filter. This is worth every penny. The foam crap on your mic isn't going to do dick - you need a pop-filter.

Here is the heart of the operation, an Alesis MultiMix 8 FireWire board and audio converter. This may very well be overkill, but let me explain. First of all, this board has phantom power, which lets me use the B1 mic (it has to be powered to operate). Second, it converts the analog audio into digital, and sends it to the Mac via FireWire. I used the MultiMix 8 USB version, and burned through two of them - the USB version is a crap product, DO NOT BUY. The FireWire, however is nice. I bought an 8-channel mixer, because it has four mic channels. Therefore, I can set up onboard EQ for up to four different people. The wife needs to do her podcast? Just move the mic cable to the second channel, and her EQ is preset and I don't have to mess with mine. This puppy is about $300, so research wisely.

Here is my compressor, a Comp16 by PreSonus. Everyone said I had to have a compressor. I don't even know if it's working correctly, to be honest. This is plugged into the effects loop of the MultiMix. The needles move, so I leave it hooked up - I'm a huge fan of once the sound works, don't change a friggin' thing because you'll probably mess something up and not be able to get it back for hours, making your five-hour podcast a nine-hour affair. Fun!

And here is where the magic happens, a MacBook Pro running GarageBand 3.0. I have to be honest, I've been VERY disappointed in the MacBook Pro. This is a 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. I'm running 1GB of RAM, which I will upgrade soon, but this thin spends more time spinning the wheel then friggin' Rappunzel. I'm a huge Mac fan, but this was a seriously bunk purchase. I'm afraid I'm going to have to upgrade again, or I might take the Chicken Scissors to my own nads during a two-minute wheel spin.