DARTH SKIPPY
The Machine
Back Woods Studios
Back Woods Studios is the place that Darth Skippy The Machine likes to call home. This is where he does all of his recording, creation of his music, and all of his media. It is a place back in the woods, quiet, and a great place to be creative.
It is a simple setup with all of the things that are needed to create all kinds of media. From music, voices overs, digital media, and much more. Just a few steps from the wilderness of Meade County KY.
My Gear
Always Changing To Meet New Expectations.
Always trying to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to studio gear. That sometimes involves getting NEW gear and using OLD gear. Here at Backwoods I do a little of both.
Guitars, Basses, & Amps
In the studio I use Vintage Electra Guitars, Modern Gretsch Guitars, and Music Man Basses. That gives me a little old and new sounds. The vintage Electras are from the early 1980's when Electra was still building a great guitar made in Japan. Amazing Craftsmanship made these guitars very sought after to this day. These guitars are very versatile and are used on many tracks. One I have had since 2010. I bought it from a good friend who has passed on. Still my favorite guitar.
I employ the use of a Lag six string acoustic guitar for more natural and acoustic sounds. This is when I want to capture a little bit of earthy tones. One of the best sounding acoustic guitars I've ever owned.
The Modern Gretsch is a great sounding guitar with P90 pickups that make it scream. Great for solos and fill ins. I have always been a huge fan of Gretsch gear. Their drums, guitars, basses, and acoustic instruments are all amazing.
My basses are both short scale Music Man Sterling Stingrays. I love the short scale setup the best as it makes it easier to play and hey...it fits in a guitar gig bag. Bonus right?! They have a maple neck and Nyatoh body. Both are different as every guitar is.
The amps I use are a mix of Fender Rumble (Bass), Blackstar, and Vox for guitars. They all have their unique purpose. I also use a Matribox Sonicake guitar preamp for effects along with some built in plug ins, and amp modeling.
Keyboards & Midi Controllers
In the studio I use Yamaha keyboards and Komplete MIDI controllers. I've been a huge fan of Yamaha keyboards for a very long time. I am currently using a Reface CS as a controller and as a retro synth sound creator.
The Komplete MIDI controller is used to play sounds that are inside my DAW and Native Instruments plug ins. It is very easy to create sounds as well as play.
I also use a Korg Minilogue polyphonic analog synthesizer. It is amazing for creating new and unusual sounds. It is one of the best tools in my instrument arcenal.
Drums
For drums I use a Yamaha DTX6K3-X Electronic Drum Set. Like I said, I am a HUGE fan of Yamaha gear. This kit allows me to create sounds quickly and even upload my own sound creations to record on the kit while assigning them to pads for playing. Electronic kits are great for digital recording.
DAWS, Mixers, Interfaces, & Recording Gear
I use a IMAC and a Allen & Heath ZEDi8 8 channel USB mixing console / Interface. You can't beat that A&H preamp sound. I also use Presonus reference monitors for playback and recording. My recording platform is the latest version of Garageband. Garageband allows me to record quickly and get my ideas down. It won't let you get bogged down in "soundville". Soundville is what I call it when you get lost in looking for a sound instead of creating music. Sounds will come later in the process. The idea MUST be captured first.
Thanks for checking out my little slice of heaven. This is where I do my best work and relax.
Rock On,
Darth Skippy