Episode 6 of Show Me Your Setup begins with Josh and I introducing our first guest, Amy Taylor Fernandez. Her usual workstation and vocal booth are visible in her background.
OMG, Amy built her own Record-In’ Box!
Within the first two minutes, Amy drops a bombshell surprise on the fellas when she reveals that she built, and is using to record this episode, a Record-In’ Box of her own! She even ups the ante in portability over my version by using a Centrance MicPort Pro as the USB audio interface to connect her Neumann TLM 103 to her MacBook Pro. The MicPort Pro is much smaller than a Focusrite Scarlett Solo, so it makes a great portable solution for providing 48 V phantom power to a large diaphragm condenser microphone.
Amy explains that as a voiceover professional, she found herself making pillow forts for mics when traveling. But after seeing episode 3 she decided that it was such an easy solution, she had to make one for herself. It’s easy to fit in a carry-on, and fun to make for anyone who likes to make crafts.
After showing us her TLM 103, she showed us her U-87 which was her dream microphone. “For me, it sounds great, I don’t need anything else. For now.”
Amy has numerous sets of headphones around the studio, each with a short story attached. She’s not picky about headphones in general but does have some guiding principles. Comfort is important, and the length of the cord is paramount. But in Amy’s setup, you will not find any headphones that creak or rattle when worn during speech, as those noises are unwanted. Thus, any such cans were removed long ago.
But why tour Amy’s studio in particular?
The raison d’être for this episode is covered next when I describe why I wanted to invite our first guest Amy…it was so that we could tour her studio. Her noise floor is so low and her audio captures so exceptionally clean, as an audio nerd, I needed to know how this could be. Amy shared her secret, and it sent me off on a wild ride of research. But not before he asked her to please, please, please share her studio with the world.
This episode is rife with hot tips for any audio recording enthusiast. As stories are shared, insights and industry tricks are liberally shared. You will want to listen closely and take notes for future reference!
Many images of the inside of the 4×4 WhisperRoom are shown. Lighting is discussed – all other gear, acoustic treatment, and surfaces too. Next to the booth, Amy made a standing desk for all her editing, organizing, and sending. She uses this workstation for a lot of her voice work. It has two microphones. A Shure SM-7 and an Electro-Voice RE-20, both in shock mounts on boom stands, ready to swing into action. These microphones are connected to the Mackie ProFX12v3. This and all other peripherals are plugged into the Monster Power line conditioner which keeps them safe from lightning strikes and other power irregularities.
The ‘brains’ of the studio are a MacBook Pro. Amy trusts the stability of her system to upload several 45-minute recordings daily. She’s connected to the grid via high-speed internet with solid, business-class service.
We were lucky to have her be our first guest because Amy showed a high level of organization throughout. Everything is in its place and she has a place for everything.
Want to be a guest on an upcoming episode? Do you have an amazing setup you’re proud of and would like to share with the world? Contact us [email protected].