In this video for Pro Tools Expert, Technical Editor James Ivey starts a recording project with UK band Voltaire to record a track using nothing but Universal Audio Apollo audio interfaces. James starts by showing us around the recording rig and shows some of the gear, routing and UAD-2 plug-in choices he has made before the band have even arrived in the studio.
James has chosen a recording solution built around his 2012 Mac Book Pro running Pro Tools 12, featuring 3 Universal Audio Apollo interfaces. The Apollo Twin MK2 is taking care of the inputs from the two vocal mics using the Manley Voxbox plug-in in the Unison slot for processing and dynamic control. The Twin is also being used as a headphone amp and line output to feed a second, external headphone amp.
The Apollo 8Ps first two channels are being used for Guitar and Bass amp simulations. The high Z instrument inputs are routing to the Engl Savage 120 amp sim and Eden WA-800 amps. The next six channels are for drums and use the API Vision channel strips. These are not being used to process the tone with EQ or Dynamics just for the API flavour.
The Apollo 8s mic pres are looking after the Kick drum in and out mics and the Snare top and bottom. These all use the Neve 1073 Unison mic pre again for colour rather than tone shaping.
James then goes on to talk about some extra connection to room mics and a very small amount of outboard gear in the form of a Teknosign Gain digitally controlled analog mic pre.
The next stage of the set up was to get the band in and make sure all the guitarist and bass player were happy with their tone. This did not take long at all. James runs Dave (Bass) and Paul (Guitar) through some of the features and settings on the two different amp simulations to get the right tone for the tracks to be recorded.
Finally, you hear the track "Enemy's Of Art" being recorded. You are hearing the tracking monitor mix with no extra processing or effects. The band, in turn, take the opportunity to talk about the recording experience and what they particularly enjoyed about the session with the Universal Audio Apollos and UAD-2 plug-ins.
In the next video in this series, James will take the recorded tracks back to his studio for mixing.