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BeaRcade Music Productions

BeaRcade Music Productions provides live sound reinforcement and studio sound for recording, mixing and mastering. We specialize in sound reinforcement for acoustic instrumentation and provide recording capabilities for both live and studio applications.

See the list below of some of our equipment - if you don't see what you need let us know. We may have it and if not we can usually beg, borrow or steal what you need.

Sound Clip samples are also included below.

Mixers

Mackie 1640 Onyx with Firewire card - mix and record up to 16 tracks. Used in conjuction with an ADK-1Q laptop for recording options at any location.

Mackie 1604 - old-style Mackie board but still in great shape - does a great job providing stage monitor support when needed.

Portable Recorders

Zoom H4 Handy Recorder - record 4 tracks anywhere with up to 24 bit, 96 kHz quality

Sony Walkman MD Recorder

Power Amps

(2) QSC RMX 2450 - plenty of power for all but the largest venue

(2) Crown XTI1000 and XTI2000 - lightweight and plenty of power

Speakers

I have continued to add to my collection of Wharfedale Pro speakers - I find their sound reproduction to be extremely accurate. This quality, along with the expansion into 3-way FOH speakers, strongly supports our focus on high-quality accoustic instrumental performance. I also get great support from my local music store in Harrisonburg, Hometown Music.

FOH - Wharfedale Pro LX-153 - luscious sounding 3-way speakers capable of very high sound levels if necessary for outdoor venues. In combination with the sub-woofers listed below, any genre of music from classical to heavy metal can be very accurately reproduced at a wide range of sound levels.

FOH - Wharfedale Pro EVP-S15s (older version - currently sold as EVP-X15P - these accurate 2-way FOH speakers can be used as a fill for the LX-153s or to easily handle smaller rooms where artist/sound system space may be limited.

Stage Monitors - Wharfedale Pro EVP-X12M: 12" full range stage monitors

Sub-woofers - EVP-X18PB: 18" powered subwoofer - the addition of the subs to the system has enabled full control of the bottom end. These subs are powered by 600-watt amplifiers that allow use in any size venue short of a stadium - probably works there too but I've never tried it! When these are cranked up you can feel the sound pressure waves radiating from the box - cranked up with caution and at artist request.

Equipment Vendors

My favorite on-line location to buy new equipment is Northern Sound and Light. They offer a good selection of top brands at very competitive prices. If you're into the microphones and electronics check them out.

Northern Sound & Light Maximum Discount Prices on top name brands of pro audio gear, stage lighting & theatrical supplies.

Microphones

Shure
Live - SM57, SM58
Vocals - KSM 9
Studio quality condenser mics - KSM 44, KSM32, KSM141SL, KSM137SL ST Pair, SM81
Studio quality ribbon mic - KSM313

AKG - Studio Quality
C414BXLII
C451B

Audio-Technica
Live - MB 4000C

CAD
Bass - KBM 412

Signal Processing

Alesis QuadraVerb4

Behringer UltraCurve Pro DEQ2496 - combines quality graphic equalizer functionality with excellent feedback control.

Rane C4 Quad Compressor / Limiter / Dynamic EQ - the C4 offers four channels of compression and limiting with internal and external side-chain options for a fully adjustable parametric EQ for frequency-dependent compression or de-essing.

Presonus Bluetube Preamps - combination solid state and vacuum tube so you can dial in the level of tube warmth that you want in your sound.

Contact gene@bearcademusic.com for more details

Sound Clips from the studio

Sound clips from the Blue Ridge Old-Time Week (BROTW) - Tommy Hunter tunes

Sound Clips from "Old Virginia" by Phyllis Gaskins.

The CD is a collection of fiddle tunes played on the mountain dulcimer with a little help from her friends.

Old Virginia - The Highlander String Band

Flop Eared Mule - Phyllis Gaskins - Appalachian Dulcimer

Whiskey Before Breakfast - Phyllis with Jim on banjo

SouthWind - Phyllis with Jim on mandolin

Phyllis' Reel - written by Jim for Phyllis with The Highlander String Band

Walkin' In the Parlor - Phyllis with Jim on banjo

Kitchen Girl - The Highlander String Band

Live Sound Clips - The Highlander String Band

From the Dayton Contra Dance - recorded directly from the Mackie 1640 board and ONYX firewire card. The live recording set-up can be easily set up near the sound board with up to 16 simultaneous tracks for processing and mixing later in the studio.

Over The Waterfall

Mississppi Sawyer

Tombigbee Waltz

Live Sound Clips - The Port Road String Band

Recorded to minidisk - Harrisonburg International Festival
Jim & Phyllis Gaskins, Rick Hensley & Gene Bowlen

Hangman's Reel

Whiskey Before Breakfast

Kitchen Girl

Recorded to minidisk - Blue Ridge Folk Arts Festival
Jim & Phyllis Gaskins, Pat Wilkins, Michael Harrison & Gene Bowlen

Falls of Richmond

Forked Deer & Spotted Pony

Hard Times