Knowing that there is always someone .... usually other musicians ... who are interested in this kind of thing, I thought I'd tell a bit about the equipment and studio used to record Perfect World.

"Matson Music Works" ... as I've come to call the place, started out as a 9 x 14 room that I had specially built for just this purpose as part of finishing our basement. It's in a natural alcove in the basement, and has earth behind cinder block on three walls. I had a double-thick wall built on the 4th, separating it from the rest of the basement interior. Special "soundboard" is on all the walls, and soundproofing foam over everything except the floor, which is plush, double-padded carpet. A 3x4 or so double pane window gives a view to the basement and helps it to not be so clausterphobic. In truth, it's more like a big isolation booth than a studio, but has worked out well as I sang in there in addition to mixing and recording all the keyboards.

Recording Gear
Perfect World started out humbly. "Sunshine", "Jammin'",  "Pieces", and "Reason" were all recorded and initially mixed on a Korg D32XD. In 2007, I graduated to a quad-core computer DAW, SONAR and an RME Fireface 800 interface. The rest of the songs were recorded on this. Ultimately, everything was remixed on this set-up as I sold the Korg - to Rod! LOL

My equipment and tools grew over the 3+ years spent on this, but vocals were tracked on an AT4040 (intiially) and then a Rode K2 going through a Vintech x73i pre and dbx 160a compressor. Monitors started out as Event TR8s, but I did all the re-mixes with Event Opals, which I got in the summer of "09.

Primary software/plugs/tools include Waves Gold, JJP, and SSL4000; Pristine Space; Melodyne; Sonalksis EQ; and some of the stuff that comes with SONAR. I did my scratch masters with Wavelab and Ozone 3/4 and used RX to clean up a few noisy tracks. I had enough sense to go to pro mastering (The Mastering House) for the actual album.

Keyboards
The workhorses have been the two Yamaha Motifs - an ES6 on a few early tunes and an XS8 on the rest. Pretty much all the pianos, electric pianos, clav, orchestral stuff, latin percussion, power synths, and various and misc. sounds are from those Motifs. The one big exception is organ, which is a Korg CX3. I've been tickled pink with it as a stand in for a real Hammond. I finally got a Hammond A100 in the fall of "09 - but all the songs were already recorded by then.

A Korg M3-61 makes an appearance in a few places, most notably for half the synth stuff on "She's the One." I also used an Alesis QS8 for piano on "Pieces" and "Sunshine" as well as various synth parts - most notably, all the synth stuff in Sunshine Girl including the bridge solo.

All the bass on all songs is the Motif. Sometimes it worked out really well, sometimes not so much. I guess I was too lazy to get a real bass player.

Other
As for guitar, here's Rod's description of what he used and did.

"My main rig used for electric guitar on the Perfect World album was an American Strat, through a Vox ToneLab guitar effects module, to a Neve Portico 5012 preamp, to a Neve Portico 5043 compressor, to an Alesis Masterlink anolog in...set on "record pause" (ala Roger Nichols) and out the s/pdif of the masterlink to a Korg D32XD recorder or into Cubase.

Most tracks were in stereo, some were doubled. On the song "Dazed Days" I used a Carvin Vintage16 combo amp miced with a sure 57 into one channel of the Neve pre and a line signal from the same amp through a Hughes and Kettner RedBox..to the other channel of the Neve pre. Then from the pre...same as above.

For accoustic Guitar and mandolin I used a pair of Rode NT5 small diaphram condencers into the Neve pre and on the same as above."

For the drums, I'll see if I can get Andy to write a blurb about his gear and process. Check out Phil Smith's web site for more info on his drum set-up.

I also used a variety of "hand" percussion on the different songs. The truth of it is that most of it was actually from the Motif (I have great 4-finger bongo skills!) but I did use real bongas, cowbell, guiro, and slide whistle in various spots.

One "special" item is the choir in Perfect World (and Reprise). That is actually the East West Quantum Leap Choirs virtual isntrument. I had to construct the choir part syllable by syllable and part by part - a large reason why it took me so darn long to prodcue that song.

Expanded Studio
With the album now "out of the way" .... I've decided to expand into about half the basement and open up an actual part-time, commercial studio. The 9x14 room I mentioned is now the control room, and I've got about 600+ sq. ft. total and have really beefed up with acoustic drums, isolation panels and sound treatment, a bunch of mics, and nice pro layout.

For more information, especially if you might be intersted in recording with me, check out the Matson Music Works site.