Funny that you hit my strongest influence in your comments. I rate Steely Dan in my top two. The other is the Beatles. This is also closely followed by Elton John and Billy Joel and others too numerous to mention. I know it shows, but I can't help it. When I write, I just write...and what comes to me is through the filter of my likes ...
My gear is rather simple. I MOSTLY record the acoustic requirements through an AT4050 and Blue Dragonfly...but occasionally an SM57, a CAD
E250 and a Blue Baby Bottle will be inserted.
As of this point, I only have two of the same model preamps...so that I have the facility to record in stereo. Both are
Wunder Audio PEQ-1 rack units. They are excellent preamps. This is where I have invested most of my $$$...I believe that great pres can make even mediocre mics sound MUCH better.
My bass is mostly soft synths and I'm the player. Shadow is a Roland JV1010. Real Life and Donkeys are Spectasonics Trilogy. Feeling Low is a soundfont through LiveSynth Pro.
I record to
Sonar 4 Producer edition. I use primarily the plugs included w/ Cakewalk as well as Sony (Sound Forge) and Voxengo Plugs. I do use a PSP Vintage Warmer on a couple tunes strapped across the stereo buss. FYI -- that plug is a "must have" for most home recordists. It works.
My guitars are through a PODxt. I don't care what folks say about it; like anything, there are tones that are great, and ones that suck. Again, if it's good enough for Jeff Beck and other guitar legends, who am I to argue??? It also works. I do most of my own guitar work, but leave the leads to a good friend, Mark Crumb. I suck big time w/ lead work.
Drums on the three tunes here are live...delivered via the net. I did not record them and take no credit for it. Frank Basile is the drummer. He's superb.
I do all the keyboards and all the vocals...the keys go in direct and the vocals go through the 4050.
Everything gets into Sonar through
an Echo Layla24.
My former setup used to take up a full room. My current setup could fit in a 4 ft x 4 ft space...and still sound better. Such is the miracle of the age we live in.
Thanks for commenting! I hope my ramblings lent some insight.
Kev.
BTW- The "Band" name is vestiges of my past. It was the name of my old group...now defunct. I use it because it always struck me as funny...and just a little offbeat...because even back then, we did no jazz. Some of the above tunes (Feeling Low/Donkeys) were performed live w/ that unit...so I guess I'm just still giving a little nod to the past. Sorry if you were disappointed there wasn't really any jazz...but that was kind of the point.