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
Schoeps CMC4 Cardioid Small Diaphragm Condensor Mic
The Schoeps Colette review
“There is nothing other to be said about those microphones than: ‘they are fantastic’. I came across those mics in the first studio I’ve ever worked in in Germany. Just like the HÖF compressor. When I had the finances I checked on Ebay and found this particular pair instantly. I constantly have them up somewhere in the room and around the instruments and voices – close, far, up, down, roomy or dry.”
“I literally meander around the room until I get the sound I need, which then most often doesn’t have to be equalized much. Don’t get me wrong the Schoeps are outrageously good when heavily compressed and otherwise processed – like I explained in the AKG C-414 article,” comments Hildebrand.
Hildebrand’s pair of CMC4 with Cardioid and Hyper Cardioid capsules are from the Colette Series. Purchased from their first owner, a sound recordist in Switzerland, who bought them ’sometimes in the mid 1970ies, when they first came out’ to be used during film productions. Given their age these can be considered vintage.
Schoeps CMT-S 501 U Stereo Condensor Mic
The Schoeps CMT 501 review
This Schoeps Mic has two switchable pattern capsules, which are built on top of eachother and can swivel. It therefore lends itself to be used for XY or MS stereo recording techniques, but can equally be used as a mono mic. The patterns are Cardioid, Figure of Eight and Omni.
“This Mic is stunning. It’s not the easiest to handle, since it provides endless options in placement and techniques. But when hovering around the instrument or room, you find sweet spots that other mics never hear and then that’s it, everybody has tears in the eyes,” explains Hildebrand. ” The Schoeps CMT sound very similar to the two CMC 4’s I’ve got, most likely because they come form the same time period.”
Schoeps introduced the very first mechanically switchable three-pattern capsule, the MKT 26, as early as 1961. In contrast to the common electrically-coupled double diaphragm design, a patented, mechanically switchable transducer with only one diaphragm was used. This offered the exceptional low-frequency response of a real pressure transducer in the “omni” position. In 1969, a stereo condenser microphone, the CMTS 301 / 301p / 501, was launched with two switchable three-pattern single-diaphragm capsules. The CMTS 301 already used the DC coupled output stage of the later Colette series. The CMTS 501 continued with a transformer output.
Links
- Schoeps Microphones
- Kevin Becka’s review of the Schoeps CMC XT in Mix Magazine
Recommended books … Additional reading
Interested in hiring the Stereo Schoeps? … Drop a line
Neumann KM 84 Cardioid Small Diaphragm Condensor Mic
The Neumann KM-84 review
“The Neumanns fit really well into my collection. Again, I have two and chose the older version over the newer KM 184, because it doesn’t have any top end boost, which makes it more versatile in music production in my opinion – just like my older AKG C414s. They feature the lower mids of a sound in a very warm way and have a solid transient response. Just different to the microscopic sound of the Schoeps CMC Colette.
I tend to mix up the Neumann and Schoeps in the same recoding situation, similar to using a varied choice of preamps. This provides all tones or shades of colouration that make the recording very flexible to work with during the mixdown. The KM 84 is great on snares and a killer on overheads – it takes 130dB!
AKG C-414 B-ULS Large Diaphragm Condensor Mic
The C-414 review
“The real performance of a microphone comes to show when using EQ and compression to shape sounds creatively and in this situation the B-ULS is a winner. Not just over the new versions of this mic but also over most other large diaphragm mics that have been released recently. There is a real benefit to have such a reliable mic in the collection, which can be put onto anything and will give you the right frequencies to work with all the way through to the mastering stage. It’s not an eccentric or expensive microphone that has to be driven through that special preamp. It’s the best Plug-and-Play mic, I suppose, and it always finds its way into the test-array in front of the instrument.”
Hildebrand’s stereo pair of the C-414 B-ULS microphone, purchased as the last Brand-New-In-Box ones in Britain and still being sealed then, are the discontinued predecessors to the latest models. They feature four switchable polar patterns (omni, cardioid, hyper cardioid and figure of eight) as well as a switchable low-cut at 75 and 150 Hertz. The AKG C-414 is a famous microphone, which has proofed invaluable to many recording engineers and sessions, because the microphone is such a reliable work horse on large sessions as well as a gem and preferred choice in certain situations.
Reslo Vintage Ribbon Mic
The Reslo review
The Reslo is a vintage ribbon mic that has been very popular during its time throughout the 1960ies – 70ies. Being a ribbon mic of old generation it sure has its very own charm and sound.
“A friend of mine recommended the Reslo to me and so I bought one on Ebay. Not long and I owned three of those little funny things. Currently only one is actually working, because I could not resist using it on the snare. Such a sweet sound, but not for long,” says Hildebrand. “It works great on guitar amps and in conjunction with a great EQ such as the Drawmer 1961 and a great pre-amp, it becomes a seriously good mic.”
Links
- Comprehensive info about the Reslo
Recommended books … Additional reading
Interested in hiring the Schoeps microphones? … Drop a line
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 1961 Stereo Vacuum Tube Equalizer
The Drawmer 1961 review
“The 1961 has become my real favorite on guitar sounds. The frequency bands are chosen perfectly and the width and boost provide really nice shaping features. I say boost because I don’t tend do anything else with this EQ especially on guitars. Just like the Manley it is by far not just a mastering machine. My Kick and Snare go through it and even Vocals. You can add such roundness to the bass and a really nice air in the top-end on all instruments as the 1961 is going up to 25k and 50k for the Low-Pass”, describes Hildebrand.
“Distortion would make a hi-fi enthusiast cringe, but the subjective result is a very slight thickening of the bass end and a subtle lifting of high-frequency detail. This may be used to good effect both on whole mixes and on individual parts such as vocal tracks, where a conventional mic can be endowed with some of the tonal attributes of a tube model. Initially, I thought I might find the switched filter frequencies rather restricting, but in practice, the correct choice of bandwidth or Octave seemed to be more important”, reviews Paul White in this SOS Magazine article.
Universal Audio 2-610 Stereo Tube Microphone Preamp EQ
The Universal Audio 2-610 review
“To me and my sound it makes less sense to record a session through a set of equal preamps, instead I prefer colouration in most of the recordings I do and choose the preamps accordingly. It is basically mixing while recording. That is why I got this one because it’s colour is, I’d say a dark orange. The Drawmer 1960 would be a solid blue. Does this make sense to anyone? What I’m trying to say is that they are very different from another in many ways.
The EQ section on the UA 2-610 is very powerful, although it doesn’t seem like that at first. Whether recording or mixing, it helps lifting and shifting the perception into higher or lower areas.” This is the preamp I turn to for colour. To compare the recording or mixing process to that of a painter using oil and canvas comes to mind quickly and is often cited. What the reviews say about this preamp is simply true.
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.
Manfrotto Tripod with Fluid Head
Manfrotto Tripod Review
Additional camera equipment that Hildebrand can provide is the popular Manfrotto Tripod combination 525/501. Inside the 501 Head is a powerful new feature that takes its inspiration from the top professional video head models – a fixed counterbalance spring that helps ensure both smoother tilt movements and greater equipment safety. The improved ergonomics with locks and knobs allow for a faster working process.
The Manfrotto Tripod is a must have for Z1 users and has become a standard for the type of work a documentary film maker or music video creator encounters. It has clearly been designed to be well in balance with the type of Z1 cameras and conveniently, you can attach the pan handle to either side of the head – for lefties or righties…
Continue reading… »
Sony Camera Z1 and FX1 HDV
Sony Z1 and FX1 Cameras review
In order to shoot the various sessions and documentaries, some of which can be seen on this blog, Hildebrand acquired two cameras: the Sony HVR-Z1 and HDR-FX1. These cameras are very suitable for documentary and video work and have become a standard for video production companies, including the BBC.
Both cameras are the same in their basic technical features and visual quality. They shoot the new high definition and widescreen format HDV 1080i50. However, the HVR-Z1 adds XLR connections for high quality microphones (such as the Schoeps or Neumanns), phantom power and more additional features, such as switching between 50Hz and 60Hz.
The use of a 12x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar Zoom Lens and Sony’s new 14 bit A/D and DXP Digital Extended Processor result in a precise image with superb detail and clarity. The advanced CCD design allows more light to reach the pixel imager, reducing video noise and improving the signal-to-noise ratio.
Arri 650 Lighting System
The Arri 650 review
Hildebrand’s lighting system comprises 9 Arri 650 Lights including 8 channels of dimmers and a variety of fixings such as the brilliant Magic Arms and Multiclamps. The ARRI Fresnel series is ideal for use where compact, lightweight tungsten Fresnel spotlights are required, especially in small studios where height may be a problem.
The Magic Arms are a patented construction where one single locking mechanism allows the fixing to be positioned into any 360 degree direction. Very easy and quick to use.
Die cast aluminium, maximises body strength of the ARRI Fresnel while maintaining the light weight of a location fixture. Despite the small size, their short focal length, wide angle lenses produce impressive light output and good light distribution over the full beam area.
ARRI has been the largest manufacturer of movie equipment since 1917, specialising in camera and lighting technology and no production happens without these Lights. “They produce a really great and controllable light, which makes the image miles better instantly, which is why I chose to buy that many,” comments Hildebrand.
Recommended books … Additional reading
Interested in hiring the Arri Lighting System? … Drop a line
