This is the primary systems rack that contains a number of system effects, sound reinforcement and the hard interface components for the new recording system.  The new studio is capable of 32 tracks of audio and virtually unlimited MIDI tracks.  These new hardware components combined with the hardware systems from the previous studio provide up to 40 tracks of audio, 32 tracks at 24 bit/96 kHz, and 8 at 16 bit/ 48.1 kHz, at zero latency, yep the big 0.  These systems have been specifically designed for sound-on-sound and therefore minimize the total amount of external surfaces necessary for recording purposes. Due to the advances in hardware and software technology, the footprint (physical space consumption) is at least 50% less than that of, say, ten years ago.  

Components Rack @ Lake Jackson Studio

Ballurio's guitar effects/valves

Years ago I performed using a sound system that was the size of two large refrigerators side by side, and that was just me!  Today, I wouldn't dream of that, it's just not necessary anymore, besides my hearing is very valuable.  These new hardware systems have the ability to alter the wave signature of an audio stream to any type of amplifier you can imagine, all in real-time.  This is really very cool... to be able to go directly from the guitar to these "valves", and then directly to the recording system, never actually leaving the digital domain after the analog to digital conversion of the guitar.

One of the great things about the new studio is that compared to my last one, the new one is huge.  Room enough to stretch out and spend a moment working on a new piece of music classically styled for my upcoming CD.  

This guitar that I'm playing is a new one, a Washburn classical prototype... 1 of 24 built. The tone of this instrument is excellent, and when plugged into the SOS matrix (I made that up... sounds cool though) the guitar really shows its stuff.  I really look forward to using it in the future.  I'm really not sure why Washburn decided not to pursue this market - can only think that a guitarist who would purchase such an instrument would be more of a traditionalist, and therefore go for the classical makers known for that type of  work. 

A classical moment!!!

Rocking in the new studio!

This photo is of Ruby and I taking the new recording systems for a test drive, laying a few tracks for my next CD.  

Song project setup in the new studio is really very cool.  Using the MIDI channels, all instrument settings can be passed from the PC to all devices and, in essence, set up all components for a particular song.  This technology has been around for some time; however, my last studio was not enabled to do it, the new one is.  Using these MIDI system files all devices are setup in a matter of seconds... very cool.  I can even reroute all signal paths for any changes that I may want to make, again this is a dramatic change from the last studio.

Not the best picture, I usually wear Spandex in the studio cause I jump around a lot... Ha... just joking! - no really I'm joking!!!

Wendy in one of her quiet moments (rare), reading one of her many thousand books she reads yearly.  I enjoy when she comes to the studio and hangs out with me...

A good looking studio babe!