The MG Music Studio
Medwyn’s studio has constantly evolved over the years having started life as a 4 track TEAC reel -reel recorder. Medwyn’s first albums were recorded on a Fostex 8 track tape recorder and a 10 channel mixer using nothing else than imagination, a guitar, percussion and a Casio keyboard that could fit into a Christmas cracker.
From 1986 to 1993 it’s hard to believe now that all Medwyn’s albums were recorded live without the ability to correct anything, one performed and got it right or did it again. There were no computers, sequencing or digital mixing. Medwyn comes from the end of the old school era where you had to play and invent, there were no push button solutions as there are today. Eventually the 8 track was upgraded to a 16 track, which was used for the first time on the album “Great Spirit”.
In 1994 halfway through the album “Antarctica” Medwyn adopted an early Atari computer running something new called “cubase”, that would never catch on…..(in joke for musicians)
In 1997 Medwyn’s studio grew to an immense size filling a small barn conversion. It housed 56 channels of Mackie mixers, a TEAC 16 track tape recorder and two large tower racks full of effects racks, early samplers like the AKAI S950 and various synth modules. By now computers were making their mark and a MAC G3 computer running Logic audio, one of the first systems to combine midi and audio recording was installed. The first result from this studio was “Medicine Woman 2” quickly followed by The Scroll, Millennium and Comet.
In the years that followed the studio started steadily shrinking. All the keyboards were being replaced by synth modules, and then as virtual plug ins. All the effects racks were being taken over by software. Technology was transforming the need for space, and hardware, into the need for a single box on the floor full of software. The computer had taken over.
Today Medwyn’s studio has shrunk down to a modest room with few components. A powerful computer, monitors, a single keyboard, guitars, and his mind. Everything else is in the box on the floor….including crisp crumbs and cat fur.
The present studio configuration is like so -
Recording, sequencing, editing and digital mixing & Mastering:
Cubase 5, built into a powerful computer.
Processing:
Lexicon Reverb
Breverb
WAVES
Virtual Instruments:
Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Spectrasonics Atmosphere
Spectrasonics Trillian
Spectrasonics RMX
Kontakt 3
Real Guitar
Electri6ity
Ethno World 4
and many others…
An external studio rack containing:
Midi and Audio interfaces racks MOTU & FOCUSRITE
Triton Module
Motif Module
Fantom Module
Lexicon P90
Monitors:
Mackie H824 Monitors
Instruments:
Fender & Gibson Electric Guitars
Ovation Spanish Guitar & Mandolin
Luna Celtic 12 String Guitar
Roland D50 Keyboard
Celtic Bodhrun
Mexican Hand made Panpipes
