Our highly coveted vintage Neumann U-87 gets the InnerTube tube electronic kit. This means it can function with the original FET solid state electronics, or it can operate as a tube mic as well, equating it more to the legendary U-67 tube mic. Our custom U-87 also features a 3 micron Stephan Paul diaphram and updated FET electronics as well providing superb detail, warmth, depth and transparency.

It is a truly unique, one of a kind microphone. We've posted an example of it recording a Gibson J45 acoustic guitar. Of course, this is only one of dozens of outstanding microphones available for your sessions here at Fast Trax.
 

Added ANOTHER 2 channels of NEVE 1073 goodness here. This now gives us 6 channels of NEVE class A preamps and inductor EQs along with another 8 channels of API. The cool thing is the ability to mix and match, so I can take my NEVE 1073 and run it into an API 528 line driver, or take my API 312s and run them into the NEVE 1073 inductor EQs for some amazing audio results. All of these are class A, hand built all discreet electronics with lots of iron (transformers) for smooth creamy goodness. It doesn't get any better than this!!! Don't forget to add in our Abbey Road EMI preamps, the John Hardy pres with the best Jenson transformers available, the Tube Tech tube preamps and tube EQs, and so much more!

 

TWO NEVE 1073s ADDED!

Just finished building two new modules here at the studio. These are exact recreations of the legendary Neve 1073 microphone preamp and 3 band EQ. With all discreet Class A circuitry and inductor based EQ, this circuit is one of the best sounding audio circuits ever designed. Three transformers for mic input, line input, and output give these lots of iron for a HUGE sound. The classic inductor based EQ gives a fat tight bottom, creamy mids, and silky smooth highs. There is a reason this circuit is legendary and still one of the most sought after circuits in audio today. LOVE EM!
 

Many of you have had us provide artistic professional photoshoots for your CDs, posters, and websites. We've now added full wireless control to our studio strobes.

This allows us complete control of every parameter for every strobe right from the camera. This gives us more creative possibilities and let's us do it faster than ever.

We've completed our vintage API mini mixer. This custom built (we built it) mixer offers 8 channels of vintage API Mic input modules plus two 528 line drivers to provide extra creamy API goodness. All discreet electronics (no IC chips) anywhere, and these babies all have input and output transformers. These circuits are the same API circuits used in the world's leading studios and were responsible for the "west coast rock" sound so prevalent on thousands of top hit albums.

These hand built custom modules capture the sonic goodness that seems to escape so many of today's current offerings. They now sit alongside our other class A circuits by John Hardy, EMI Abbey Road, Neve, Tube Tech, Fred Fossell, and many others. This large collection of circuits offers a pallet of colors unmatched anywhere else in the area and can only be found at Fast Trax.

They're here! Two glorious channels of Special Edition Abbey Road EMI mic preamps! These are the exact same circuits used in the Abbey Road / EMI console that recorded The Beatles "Abbey Road" and Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon". I spent the day getting to know them by plugging in a number of our microphones and keyboards. The Abbey Road preamps have a huge fat low end, well defined mids that make guitars pop out of a mix, and a top end sheen that sparkles. Everything about these preamps say classic big console sound. These Special Edition Abbey Road EMI mic pres are now part of our rack and share space with all the other colors of the rainbow we have here at Fast Trax.

Just arrived, a brand new hand built Geoff Tanner Aurora Audio dual channel compressor. Geoff Tanner was the head of electrical design for Neve for many years and is the leading expert in Neve equipment and circuitry. His new company hand builds this gear to give a Neve-ish sound while out performing the older Neve equipment. We instantly fell in love with his two channels of mic pre / EQ we recently purchased, so we had them build us a new compressor next. There are only 65 of these in the world so far, but Fast Trax is the proud owner of one. Its already being used for tracking, mixing, and mastering here at Fast Trax as well as on many major world wide releases. It offers all Class A discrete circuitry, both opto and FET detection circuits, and it sounds phenomenal.

A custom hand made tube microphone styled after the legendary Telefunken U-47 and NeumannU-67, this black beauty features a German tube, 47-ish capsule, and special Cinemag 2461 NiCo transformer. It sounds somewhere between a U-47 and U67 with a full, rich sound that only a tube mic can give with lots of top end sparkle. It also uses our special Beatles Abbey Road style pop filter.

This mic is now a part of our incredible mic collection and is available for use at no extra charge. Of course, if you must have only the best, and original, we still off Michigan's largest selection of historic vintage microphones for a small extra in-house daily rental. Next time you're in to cut some trax, let us know if you want to take "Black Beauty" for a spin.

Back for a limited time only! Fast Trax Holiday Gift Certificates for your favorite musician. Fast Trax gift certificates can be used anytime and they never expire so you can lock in recording rates with these INFLATION PROOF gift certificates! The perfect gift for that aspiring musician or seasoned recording artist. These can be purchased online with a credit card, by check in the mail, or in person.

Purchase your gift certificates today online or by mail and we will send out your certificates by mail letting you avoid the crowds and traffic!

The microphone closet grew again as we added a new Shure SM-7B microphone. This dynamic mic is widely used in broadcasting for its silky smooth tone. Today its finding its way into lots of recording studios for the warm full-bodied present sound it imparts on vocals.

We actually had the original SM-7 here for years but sold it as it wasn't getting as much love as our other mics (and we have West Michigan's most comprehensive microphone collection). However, after selling it a few years ago, we decided since we have every other great microphone, we should have this one back in the stable as well. So we bought another new one.

This mic sounds fantastic through our API, Hardy, and Neve preamps!

Artist Ronnie Hock invited me over to his cottage in Muskegon this past weekend. I brought along my camera and captured the incredible textures and vibrancy of this very special place. I'm sure Ron would love to to share a bit of his world with you too!

To view the photos of this incredible place, click here

All photos © 2010 Fast Trax Photos

To compliment West Michigan's most comprehensive microphone collection, Fast Trax now offers the widest range of microphone preamplifiers giving an almost infinite number of possibilities. In addition to the high quality mic pres in our British DDA console, we now offer additional mic pres from vintage API, current API, Neve, John Hardy (ah the opulence of "the world's best mic pre"), Drawmer, AEA (Fred Forssell), and of course Tube Tech! These technologies provide the very best of vintage as well as the latest state-of-the-art in microphone preamps. The best sound can only be achieved when you can select the right microphone coupled with the right choice in microphone preamplier. Fast Trax now proudly offers the largest collection of both here in West Michigan.
 

BOOM BOOM POW!!!

Programming drums with a keyboard is no fun, so we added a new Akai percussion controller. Much more fun this way creating all the beatz!