Lucid uses some of the best high-end studio recording equipment in the industry.  Unlike many other location recording services who bring light-weight portable equipment with them to the recording sessions, we usually bring the 'big guns' with us to ensure the absolute best recording quality.  The quality of this equipment is the same as or better than what you would normally find in most studios.  

Location Equipment

• Langevin CR-3A Microphones.  An excellent matched pair of large diaphragm cardioids that we usually set up in an ORTF arrangement to provide an excellent capture of the sound in the hall.  Recording with a single pair of mics such as these provides the ultimate in "Purist" recording techniques - very simple, but incredibly musical and lifelike in reproduction.
• Soundfield ST-250 Surround Sound microphone.  An incredible microphone that captures sound from all directions into 4 channels (B format) and allows the production engineer to mix incredibly realistic surround sound masters.  Often used in conjunction with a primary ORTF pair for the best of the Purist sound from the ORTF pair, along with the spaciousness and surround effects of the B-format.  This combination of a Purist pair plus a B-Format surround mic is known as "B-Plus" format.
• AKG C414B-XLS Microphones.  Another excellent large diaphragm matched pair with an adjustable pickup pattern that allows us to narrow or widen the audio pickup zone to match the needs of the situation.  This microphone is seen in many studios as well as on TV in many live musical performances.
  
  

• AKG C-460 Microphones.  4 medium diaphragm condensor mics that are excellent for clear and neutral recordings of both vocals and instruments.

• Manley Baby Tube Microphones.  Matched pair of rare baby tube mics from one of the world's best microphone and recording equipment manufacturer's, Manley.  The Baby mics have excellent electronics and condensor capsule; however, we felt that the housing could be improved to minimize coloration.  We worked with a machinist to develop new housings for our Babys to resolve the coloration, and it makes these mics much better!  Warm and tubey (not tubby), the way tubes are supposed to be!  The images below show the original and modified Manley Baby mics.

• AEA SMP-17 Microphone Positioner.  Simply the best commercial microphone positioner available, providing the most accuracy in ensuring that the most common stereo pair alignments, such as ORTF, are set up exactly right.  This results in realistic 'soundstage' presentation of the audio when you're sitting directly in front of a well-set-up set of speakers.  The performers are spread out left to right between the speakers on the virtual 'soundstage'.

• Wireworld Atlantis Microphone Cables.  Cable really does make a big difference in sound.  And this is some of the best microphone cable in the world. 
  
• Manley Dual Mono Microphone Preamp.  One of the world's most musical vacuum tube microphone preamplifiers.  Provides a crystal clear, yet spacious and warm sound.  Modified by Brook Burson to lower the noise floor.

• Focusrite Red 1 Microphone Preamp.  A four channel mic preamp that is considered to be among the top solid state preamps available in studios around the world.  Modified by Brook Burson to lower the noise floor.

• Apogee PSX-100 'Special Edition' stereo Analog to Digital Conversion.  Apogee makes some of the best digital to analog conversion in the world.  True top-of-the-line pedigree.  Supports recording at 24 bits, up to 96 khz with true 112 dB signal to noise ratio.  The Special Edition version of the PSX-100 uses upgraded op-amps, extra power-supply filtering, and a premium anti-aliasing filter for smoother top-end response.  Unit modified by Brook Burson to lower the noise floor even further.

• LynxTwo Analog to Digital Conversion Sound Card.  6 channels of Analog to Digital conversion that is neck and neck in quality with the Apogee.  This converter has the ability to record at 24 bits, with up to 192khz sampling.  Once the analog signal is converted to digital in the Apogee and/or LynxTwo converter, it stays digital all the way to the final CD, eliminating any degradation that might occur with additional analog processing.

• Alesis HD24XR Hard Disk Recorder.  The "XR" version of the Alesis is one of the absolute best sounding Hard Disk recorders available on the market.  It allows recording of up to 24 channels at 24 bits / 44.1 or 48 kHz, or up to 12 channels at 24 bits / 88.2 or 96 kHz.  Has ADAT outputs to route digital signal to second recorder residing on a PC, resulting in two simultaneous recordings of the performance for backup purposes, 'just in case'.

• Furman IT-1220 Isolation Transformer and Power Conditioner.  Provides clean, quiet power to the recording electronics to ensure the best possible results.

• Steinberg Nuendo Software.  This software is used to record, edit, mix, and master the final recordings - especially multi-channel or surround recordings.  Nuendo is an incredibly powerful tool that allows the operator to have a complete digital studio in a PC.
  
• Adobe Audition Software.  This software is an excellent tool for recording, editing, mixing and mastering stereo recordings, and includes many wonderful features that allow Lucid to edit out unintended noises on recordings with little to no audible effect on the actual music.  Lucid calls this process "Audio Detailing", and it a service we provide that most other recording and mastering services simply can't or won't provide.  
  
• Stax SRM-1 Electrostatic Headphones.  Quite simply, some of the worlds most transparent transducers.  
  
• RME Digiface ADAT interface for PC.  Sits between the Alesis HD24XR and a laptop PC to bring up to 24 channels of audio into the PC where it can be recorded directly to hard disk.
  
• Laptop PC.  Brings audio in on the RME Digiface, and records it to the laptop's hard disk using Nuendo and/or Audition software.  For live events, dual recordings are made for backup purposes: one on the Alesis HD24XR, and another using the RME Digiface and Nuendo or Audition software on the Laptop PC.  
  

• Yamaha 01v96v2 Mixer.  An excellent mixer when one is needed.  Used to create 'live mixes' that are available immediately after the show, as well as to interface to PA and house sound systems as needed.  Lucid also provides Live Sound mixing services, and can utilize this mixer or a house mixer for the purposes.

• Other equipment.  Lucid has a wide variety of other equipment, including standard and tall microphone stands, a variety of other microphones including ribbons, condensors, and dynamics, Mogami and Canare cables, Focusrite Octopre mic preamp, Presonus Central Station, Radial DI boxes, mic splitters, etc.  

Editing/Mastering Room and Equipment

Lucid is designing a state-of-the-art audiophile quality mastering room for acoustic recordings.  However, in the mean time, we have taken a smaller room and set it up for this purpose.  

The current room has had extensive acoustical treatment applied to turn it from an ordinary room into an excellent acoustic chamber for mastering.  In addition, the room was acoustically modeled using CARA software to determine the proper placement of speakers and acoustic treatment, resulting in an excellent and neutral sound, ideal for mastering.  We have over $20,000 worth of audiophile quality playback equipment and acoustical treatment in this room, not counting the actual Digital Audio Workstation PC, including software and sound cards.

• Rhintech CARA Acoustic Modeling and Simulation software.  Used to optimize the layout and acoustics of the mastering room, which results in better final master recordings.
• Steinberg Nuendo - Described in Location Equipment Above.
• Adobe Audition - Described in Location Equipment Above.
• Voxengo Convolution Reverb including Pristine Space to produce exceptionally musical and natural sounding reverb
• Ability to add instrumentation to recordings using advanced Midi instruments:
  • Native Instruments NI Komplete and Kore
  • Virtual Pianos: Bosendorfer, Steinway, etc.
  • StudioLogic 88 key weighted midi keyboard
  • Garritan Personal Orchestra 
• Stax SRM-1 Electrostatic Headphones - Described in Location Equipment Above.
• Clearfield Diplomat loudspeakers.  Heavily re-engineered and modified by Brook Burson for incredible neutrality and clarity.
• Counterpoint SA-220 Solid State/Tube Hybrid Power Amplifier.  Modified into an NP-220 by Alta Vista Audio.
• Counterpoint NPS-400A Solid State/Tube Hybrid Power Amplifier.
• Counterpoint SA-5000A Vacuum Tube Preamplifier.
• Cables by Straight Wire and Wire World.   

Send mail to webmaster AT lucidrs.com with questions or comments about this web site.  Please replace " AT " with "@"
Copyright © 2010 Lucid Recording Sciences
Last modified: September 07, 2010