Hildebrand’s Equipment List
Musicians, producers, engineers, studios and film makers can make good use of the personal and quality collection of recording, mixing, mastering and filming gear Hildebrand acquired over the years. This includes some of the finest analog music gear by Manley, Drawmer, HÖF, Universal Audio, SPL, Lexicon, Neumann, Schoeps and AKG as well as video technology by Sony and Arri Lighting.
Hildebrand uses this equipment frequently and welcomes it to be used by others, offering a fully mobile recording studio. To read more about the equipment and Hildebrand’s reviews follow the links to the articles for most pieces of gear.
Microphones
Schoeps CMC4 Cardioid Small Diaphragm Condensor (x2)
Schoeps CMT-S 501 U Stereo Condensor
Neumann KM 84 Cardioid Small Diaphragm Condensor (x2)
AKG C-414 B-ULS Large Diaphragm Condensor (x2)
Shure SM57, SM87 and Audio Technica (selection of)
Microphone Preamps
Universal Audio 2-610 Stereo Tube Microphone Preamp EQ
Drawmer 1960 Microphone Stereo Tube Preamp Compressor
Dynamics & EQ
Manley Variable MU Stereo Limiter Compressor
HÖF Dynamic Master Stereo Compressor Limiter Expander (x2)
Drawmer 1960 Microphone Stereo Tube Preamp Compressor
Universal Audio 2-610 Stereo Tube Microphone Preamp EQ
Drawmer 1961 Stereo Vacuum Tube Equalizer
Drawmer DS201 Dual Noise Gate
Drawmer DL241 Auto Compressor Stereo
SPL De-Esser Stereo
Effects
Lexicon PCM-80 Reverb and FX unit
Sound Recording Gear
Amek TAC Bullet Mixing Desk
Digidesign ProTools 6.9, Mix Plus, RME I/O, MacG4 Dual 1.25GHz
Digidesign ProTools 8, Digi003, iMAC 3.06GHz Core Duo
Speakers
Adams A7 Active Nearfield Stereo Pair
Classic Yamaha NS-10 with C-Audio RA3000 Amplifier
Event 20/20 Bi-Amplified Powered Nearfield (2001 version)
Event 20/20 Powered Subwoofer (2001 version)
Video Recording Gear
Manfrotto Tripod with Fluid Head
Motion Cam Stabilizer
Interested in hiring equipment?
Recommended books … Additional reading
Manley Variable MU Stereo Limiter Compressor
The Manley Vari-MU review
“I have used the Manley for years and it basically is always across everything. In principle. Once you’ve got the machine working you can instantly hear the gloss. I use it as much for single instruments as on the master busses. It is a misconception that it is a mastering unit (this one I have is the non-mastering version). You can get the drums and vocals incredibly solid or nicely pumping – it’s your choice. Clearly you wont get this sound out of a Plug-In – I’ve tried many a times. Can someone prove me wrong?”, says Hildebrand.
“Kick it up to something obscene, like 15-20 dB, and it squeezes the track like a silk glove, getting the effect without any nasty artifacts. There is something to this unit that just glues everything together and makes the track sound, for want of another term, ‘better.’ You can’t really compare it to anything else because it is indeed unique, once you try one, you’ll be hooked forever,” concludes Owsinsky.
HÖF Dynamic Master Stereo Compressor Limiter Expander
The HÖF Dynamic Master review
The HÖF Dynamic Master is a very unusual piece of kit, not just for its Ö. How it works is kept deliberately vague, as the designers even scrape off the Integrated Circuit numbers in order to keep its secrets. Hildebrand has got two Dynamic Master and explains: “I use it a lot for parallel compression and because of the stereo linking I had to get another one.
I can create a great density in the sound using this machine without destroying any of the lively attacks, which are so important to the mix. It works really well in conjunction with other gear in the chain, which results in a lot of control over the dynamics. Again, I use a mastering equipment in a different way to mix. I realize now that I seem to do that a lot!”
Drawmer 1960 Microphone Stereo Tube Preamp Compressor
The Drawmer 1960 review
“The 1960 is a solid preamp and compressor I often use on overheads or snare to track compression to ‘tape’. The attack and release times are set to fixed values so it makes the compressor real easy to set and you tweak it just with the threshold. A very good way of working, it forces you to make decisions quickly. In a dynamic take I tend to manually automate the Drawmer, given I know the song structure.
I like the solid, constant pressure the machine can introduce to the drums or also vocals. Tracking BV through it is for example really beneficial, you can create blocks of sound. It drives the Schoeps really nicely and it also fits to ribbon mics, including the older ones like my Reslo, since the preamps have high gain and very low noise.
Another application is using the EQ section of the Auxiliary input during mixing, it has a great bass EQ and distortion sound. That also makes it a great tracking DI,” comments Hildebrand.
