Equipment

The Stuff at Commodore

Next to the talent and experience of the engineer….

…the equipment is probably the second most important aspect of any recording studio. And it’s not always about designer-label brand names: all of Commodore’s gear is selected based on its sound quality. You’ll find a mix of pricey and not-so-pricey stuff here, including many vintage microphones with unique sonic characteristics.

Equipment List

MICROPHONES

AKG
C460B condenser w/CK61 capsule (1970s)
D200E dual-element dynamic (3) (1970s)
D202 “sound rocket” (2) (1970s)
P220 large diaphragm condenser (4)

American Microphone Co.
D4 “salt shaker” (2) (1950s)
D9 “skyscraper” (ca. 1942)
D22 “full vision” (late 1940s)

Audio Technica
AT 4033 condenser
AT 814 dynamic (1970s)

Avantone
CK-40 stereo condenser
CR-15 ribbon (pair)
CV-12 tube condenser

Blue Microphones
“Bluebird” condenser
“Woodpecker” active ribbon

CAD
E-1000 condenser (pair)

Commodore Custom
RCA-B2 Custom mod (U87-style multi-pattern condenser) (4)
Custom 8″ woofer subkick

Electro-Voice
654 slim dynamic (3) (1950s)
676 “Jim Morrison” (1960s)
726 “Cardyne I” (ca. 1946)
PL-76B condenser (1970s)
PL-78 condenser (1970s)
RE-15 studio dynamic (3) (1970s)
RE-20 studio/broadcast dynamic (1970s)
RE-50 broadcast dynamic (1970s)

JJ Audio
Beautiful custom V63m mod with Russian K67 capsule (U87 emulation)

Philips
LBB 9080/55 condenser w. power supply (may be AKG 451 branded Philips, ca. 1970s)

RCA
Double-Button Carbon (ca. 1935)

Realistic
33-1070 dynamic (early Japan version, new old stock)

sE Electronics
Reflexion Filter Pro
Reflexion Filter-X

Shure Bros. (vintage)
51 “Sonodyne” (3) (1940s)
55 “Unidyne” (Fat Boy) (ca. 1948)
55S “Unidyne” (Elvis) (2) (1950s)
508B “Stratoliner” (ca. 1940)

Shure (contemporary)
SM-7B dynamic
SM-57 dynamic (9)
SM-58 dynamic (6)
SM-58 wireless (2)

Stellar
RM-7 stereo ribbon

Studio Projects
C4 multi-pattern condenser (pair)

Turner
22D “rocket fin” (1940s)
33D “shark fin” (1940s)
51D TV broadcast (1950s)
500 dynamic (2) (1960s)
510 broadcast dynamic (1960s)
TC-11S “Richie Havens” (ca. 1972)

Universal Microphone Co.
Model BB single-button carbon spring (ca. 1920s)

Western Electric
600A double-button carbon spring (ca. 1920s)

PREAMPS/CONVERTERS

Universal Audio 4-710D 4-channel hybrid preamp/converter
Summit Audio 2BA-221 3-stage tube preamp
Behringer SRC2496 AD/DA converter mod, hot-rodded by Revive Audio
Aphex 107 stereo tube preamp (vintage)
ART DPSII stereo digital tube preamp/converter (2)
ART TubeOpto8 8-channel tracking preamp/converter (2)
Behringer ADA-8000 8-channel preamp/converter
Cloud Lifter CL-2 dual channel mic activator
Cloud Lifter CL-Z variable-impedance mic activator
Custom made carbon mic power supply (single button)
Custom made carbon mic power supply (double button)
KAB Souvenir EQS MK12 remastering preamp
M-Audio stereo preamp/interface
Olmstead Audio Carbon PS power supply (double button)
sE Electronics DM-1 “Dynamite” Active in-line preamp
Shure M64-A phono/tape preamp (vintage)

MIXER-INTERFACES

Tascam DM-4800 digital mixer/interface/control surface w/ 2-Seemy display adapter
Allen & Heath ICE-16 
USB interface/recorder
Audient id22 high-performance interface
Digidesign Digi 002 digital mixer/interface/control surface
Mackie 1202 compact analog mixer
Mackie ProFX6 compact mixer
Alesis 12R rack mount analog mixer

MONITORS

Neumann KH310 (tri-amped, 30-20k flat response)
Avantone Mix Cubes
 (alternates)
Gemini SR-8 (live room playback)

PLAYERS/RECORDERS/
WORKSTATIONS

Alesis ADAT 16-bit (blackface)
Alesis ADAT  XT-20 20-bit (2)
Archeophone cylinder phonograph
ASUS Audio laptop
 – Intel Core i7 fully loaded!
Audio Technica ATP-12T transcription arms (vintage)
Marantz CDR 630 CD recorder
Marantz PMD 501 cassette deck (fully rebuilt) (2)
Marantz PMD 510 fully-independent double cassette deck (fully rebuilt) (3)
Marantz PMD 561 digital recorder
Otari MX5050 mkIII-2 half-track/quarter-track mastering deck
Pioneer RT-909 reel to reel deck, fully rebuilt
Pioneer RT-707 reel to reel deck, fully rebuilt (2)
Realistic 8-track player/recorder (vintage)
Rek-O-Kut Rondine 3 transcription turntable
Rek-O-Kut “Transcribe” tonearm (by Jelco)
Sony CD Player
Sony Minidisc Recorder
Stanton STR-8 100 customized variable pitch digital turntable
Sweetwater DAW Intel core i7-7700, 3.6 GHz WIN10 (main)
Sweetwater DAW Intel core i5-3570, 3.4 GHz WIN 7 (secondary)
Tascam 32 half track reel-to-reel mastering deck with DK-20 dbx unit
Tascam 34 4-track quad reel-to-reel deck with DK-40 dbx unit
Tascam 112 Studio cassette deck, (vintage, newly refurbished) (2)
Tascam 234 4-track cassette deck (dbx noise reduction)
Tascam DA-20 mkII DAT recorder (6)
Tascam DA-30 mkII DAT recorder
Tascam DR-40 Linear PCM Recorder
Tascam DR-608 8-channel professional portable flash recorder (5)
Tascam SD 20-M digital recorder (3)
Teac A-2300SD 1/4″ reel-to-reel recorder (vintage)
Technics SP-15 turntable (refurbished + new chip installed)
Technics SL-1200 mk II turntable, rebuilt and customized with 12″ Jelco Arm and TimeStep T-01DDS continuously variable speed controller
Various phono cartridges (Shure, Empire, Grado, Stanton + many custom styli)
ViewSonic 27-inch monitors (2)

PLAYERS/RECORDERS/
WORKSTATIONS

Adobe: everything
Avid Pro Tools 2019.10.1
CEDAR Audio Duo series Declickle 
(hardware module)
CEDAR Audio Duo series Auto-dehisser 
(hardware module)
Diamond Cut DC8
EHU Satin
Finale 2011
Harrison Mixbus 5
Izotope RX8 Advanced, Ozone 8 Advanced, Neutron 2 Advanced, Izotope Mastering Bundle
Presonus Studio One
Sony CD Architect 5.2
Sony Sound Forge  Pro 12
Sony SpectraLayers Pro 5
Virtual instruments
Waves Mercury + Studio Classics + Abbey Road plugins (Includes Eddie Kramer, Greg Wells, J J Puig, Andrew Scheps, Tony Maserati, C Lord-Alge; SSL, Neve and API emulations
Zynaptiq Unfilter, Unveil, Unchirp

OUTBOARD GEAR

Alesis Microverb III (vintage)
Antares ATR-1 Autotune Processor
Aphex Aural Exciter Type C (vintage)
Behringer DSP 8024 Digital EQ
Rane RE-15 stereo graphic EQ (vintage)
Symetrix 525 stereo compresser/gate (vintage)

INSTRUMENTS/CONTROLLERS/
SOUND MODULES

Yamaha G3 grand piano (6’1″ – built 1976, fully restored)
Yamaha studio upright piano (in lounge/rehearsal room)
Casio PX-S3000 digital piano/MIDI controller (in control room)
Korg M-1 keyboard (vintage 1988)
Ludwig “Vistalite” drums (vintage clear set ca. 1977)
Nagoya M-28 acoustic guitar (vintage 1970s)
Aria AC50A Requinto (alto) guitar
Tacoma CB10C “Thunderchief” acoustic bass guitar
Peavey Fury electric bass w/Lace Sensor pickups (vintage 1989)
19th-century open-back 5-string banjo
Autoharp
E-mu Proteus 1 module (vintage)
E-mu Proteus 2 module (vintage)
Alesis D4 drum module (vintage)
Alesis NanoPiano (vintage)
Korg NanoKontrol II
Korg MicroKey 37
Alesis MMT8 sequencer 
(vintage) (2)

INSTRUMENT AMPS

Fender G-DEC Jr 15-watt guitar tracking amp
Peavey KB-60 60-watt keyboard amp

PERIPHERALS

Monster Power Conditioners
Various pop/plosive guards
Various DI boxes/splitters
Various headphone amps
Various headphones by Fostex, Avant, Beyerdynamic, Behringer, Samson
Various patchbays
Various impedance matching transformers
Lots of mic stands, music stands and cables
Guitar tuners
Acoustic piano tuning tools

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