My 5 Studio Must-haves – Shawn Dealey

Engineers and producers all have their list of “must-have” gear — specific gear they don’t want to go into the studio without. It may be mission-critical gear, or sometimes it’s just security-blanket gear. Either way, these are the things they need to do their best work.

I reached out to Shawn Dealey, Sweetwater Studios’ Producer/Engineer, about what he would consider his studio must-haves.

“If I’m headed to a studio where I’ve never worked, these are the things I’d want to have to make sure the recording session is a success.”

Reference TracksMy Favorite MicsFresh DrivesDrum MufflingCoffee!

1. Reference Tracks

“If it’s a room I don’t know, I always start by listening to reference tracks. I’ll play these back from my laptop or phone, and I bring a bump box, such as the Morley MLLS line-level shifter, to interface with the console or monitor controller. I even bring my own cable so I know I can connect.”

Shawn Dealey’s Tidal playlist of reference tracks:

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2. My Favorite Mics

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“These are the mics I never want to go into the studio without.”

3. Fresh Drives

“Always start with fresh hard drives so you don’t have to worry about running out of space. You need a fast drive for recording and a really big drive for backups.”

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4. Drum Muffling

“As a drummer myself, I know the tone happens right at the drum, not in the control room. If I can get it dialed in coming off the head, then making it sound good coming out of the speakers is lots easier. I always have drum weights and Moongel to get the sound right.”

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5. Coffee!

“Of course, you have to have coffee. Get local recommendations for the best coffee and get caffeinated!”

What Are Your Studio Must-haves?

Whatever you need to do your best work in the studio (well, except coffee), Sweetwater can hook you up. Interfaces, amps, headphones, guitars, even hard drives — call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700, and we can get you what you need.
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