This is my current studio in Somerset West.
I have recently upgraded my DAW to Cubase 14 Pro running on a MacBook Pro M2 with a Focusrite Scarlett 4i4 audio interface. My guitar collection (once) included:
- a Taylor CE514 acoustic
- an Aria nylon string acoustic.
- a Fender Jazz Bass
- an American Fender Stratocaster [SOLD]
- a Gibson ES135 [SOLD]
- a Timothy acoustic [SOLD]
- an El Segundo acoustic bass [SOLD]
Until recently I had a Boss DR 670 drum machine but after 20 years of faithful beats it finally gave up. I replaced it with an Alesis SR16 drum machine, which is somewhat inferior, so I mostly use it as a MIDI interface to the Cubase Groove Agent sampled drums.
My orchestral parts (piano, strings, horns, and other instruments) are provided by a Roland JUNO-D keyboard, occasionally in MIDI mode, or straight through the keyboard itself. I play my Fender Bass plugged directly into the audio interface.
My vocals are recorded through a Rode NT2-A microphone. I record my acoustic guitars through the Rode NT2-A microphone (and I may use a Shure SM58 on occasion) but have recently started recording my Taylor directly into the audio interface (to give it more twang!).
I do all my own recording, mixing and mastering while listening through AKG K240 Mk II or Sennheiser HD212Pro headphones (since there is not enough space in my studio for my Alesis monitors). In addition to the standard plugins provided by Cubase I also use Waves, Brainworx (bx_solo, bx_opto), and Vertigo (VSC2 compressor) plugins.
I have sold most of my guitars and these days I rely solely on my Taylor (as seen in the picture above) and Aria acoustic guitars, and my Fender bass.