life is short. do good work.
Over the years, I have acquired some skills and some gear to record and produce music. I have long since given up on trying to do this for a living and moved on to be very successful in Software Engineering (including nine years at Cakewalk Music Software).
The Recording Studio
RockScience is an Audio Recording Studio and Music Production Studio in Newport, Rhode Island. It’s a home studio and the whole home is the studio. We won’t descend into a dark sonex-covered space with lava lamps. The main mix room is a bright, open spare room treated to be the best sounding mix room I’ve ever had. Focal Solo-be monitors fill this space beautifully. A large bright, room with high loft wooden ceilings behind the control room makes an excellent live space for tracking multiple musicians.
I have snakes long enough to make it to several other areas of the house too (garage for a garage band anyone?). The signal chain is great from my interesting collection of high quality microphones to the boutique mic preamps. I’m fluent in the software of your choice: Pro Tools, Cakewalk, Ableton or Reaper.
The Mission
Music and recording is the one area of my life I no longer want to monetize. The studio is back and better than ever with a simple mission. To work with the best of the best musicians and bands and make something we can be proud of. At this stage in my career, the only pay I want is to be able to point at things I’ve worked on and without hesitation, say it’s my best work and it’s the artist’s best work. I welcome projects with an interesting, eclectic style and a similar quality ethic as mine. I am very interested in Music Collaboration and have successfully worked with artists remotely.
If your music is special and you commit to doing your best work, I will too. Please contact me. We’re rolling in 3… 2…1….
The Gear…
I kept many of my favorite pieces from the old days when I had a bigger semi-pro studio. These days, I can do much more with much less physical gear. A central console desk has 16u of outboard gear space. A Black Lion Audio “500-series” rack hosts a variety of very high-end Mic Preamps and dbx Compressors. A Universal Audio 4-710d “twin-finity” preamp gives me four more channels of tube/transisitor variations as well as a classic “FET” style compression.
In 2020, I launched my Custom Shop endeavor to explore building and upgrading microphones and other equipment. Since then, I am somewhat spoiled for choice when it comes to microphones. I have many different Large Diaphragm Condensers based on my and other’s designs.
Much of the gear in the 500 rack is also from the custom shop. The result is that I have what I feel is a very cool range of sonic colors and textures to choose from when capturing about any instrument or voice. My two favorite preamps are the CAPI VP312s which I have modified to add a hi-pass filter to. This takes a great sounding preamp and makes it even more flexible.
Microphones
- (2) Modified MXL990s with custom Electronics and Capsules.
- Modified MXL 910 with custom electronics and capsule
- Modified Sterling ST55 with custom electronics, capsule and transformer.
- Modified Oktava MK219 (FET/Transformer)
- (2) Shure SM81
- AKG 414B-ULS
- Sennheiser e609 Dynamic Mic
- (2) Shure SM57
- Oktava MK012 SDC
- Audix Drum mics
- Sennheiser e602 Kick drum mic
Software
- Pro Tools
- Ableton Live
- Cakewalk by Bandlab
- Reaper
- Native Instruments Kontact
- Native Instruments Komplete 12
- Iztope Ozone Mastering Suite
- Magix Movie Studio
- Waves SSL e/g Channels
- Waves SSL g Buss Compressor
- Addictive Drums II with various Kits
Monitors, Preamps, Etc., Etc
- Focal Solo Be Studio Monitors
- Black Lion 500-series Rack
- Sound Skulptor 573 Mic Preamp
- Universal Audio 4-710d Mic Preamps
- Hairball Audio Lola Mic Preamp
- 2x CAPI VP312 500 Series Mic Pre with Hi Pass Filter mod
- 2x dbx 560a 500 Series Compressors
- Focusrite 18i20 Audio Interface
- Presonus Faderport 16
- dbx 162 Stereo Comp Limiter (mid-70s)
- dbx 163x Comp/Limiter
- Tube Works Vintage Class-A Tube D.I.
- Central Station Monitor Control
500 Series (DIY) and UA Preamps My go-to Mics Sovtek Mig-50 and Mesa Boogie cab Vingage (1974) dbx 162 Comp DIY Mojotone 18w TMB amp 1974 Strat Rear wall of Studio A facing the big room From the Big Room looking into Studio A Studio A The Dimes’ Drum kit all set up and ready to rock. Snakes are running up the stairs to the control room directly overhead Recording Irish Pub Session band