I’m well aware of the irony of my post. Someone online saying ignore what people say online. It’s like the old tale of the guy who could never tell the truth (who then said “I’m lying.”) But hear me out.
My home studio uses a Mackie FR 800 stereo power amp (originally designed for PA work) and it sounds stellar. It’s very clean and flat. The Internet says I shouldn’t use it. My monitors are vintage Alesis Monitor One speakers, the original ones. The Internet says they’re awful horrible terrible monitors. When they first came out, they won a TEC award. If you don’t know, that’s an award given to the very best audio-related tech products each year. Either the laws of physics and sound have changed, or the Internet is full of shit.
I use a subwoofer that was originally designed for a home stereo. Another no-no. My system sounds very good – it’s flat, it sounds good with and without the subwoofer, and I know how it sounds. That last part is the most important part. No matter what your setup, if you know it really well, you’re fine.
I mean, really. I used a POD 2 on my first two albums along with a MIM Strat and an Epiphone Les Paul, and to my ears they sound good. In a side by side comparison with my current $1000 tube amp, the tube amp sounds better. But in a mix, without a reference, honestly it’s not a massive, massive difference.
What makes a good recording? A good musician or group of musicians, and an audio engineer who knows what she (or he) is doing.
Ignore the morons on the Internet. Go with what sounds good to you and don’t worry – the gear is 10%. The rest is talent.
