I'm sitting in the recording studio right now playing with all the toys that engineers like to play with. Cool toys come along almost every day, but only the best ones withstand the test of time. Here is the "My Favorite Stuff" list.

1. Pro Tools d24. OK, Pro Tools d24 hasn’t been around that long, but I have been using it every day since September '97. Besides that, I have been using Sound Designer and Pro Tools in one form or another since early '89. I have every hardware revision since day 1. And you know what? It keeps getting better all of the time.

2. TC Electronics M5000 reverb and DSP. I have two DSP engines in mine, because I always found myself renting a second one because it has so many uses, one just isn't enough. The programs I use most are pitch shift, and the three band compressor. For those of you who don't want to fork over the cash for a twin engine M5000, try the Finalizer Plus. It has the same three band compressor/limiter, but does not have any of the reverbs or pitch shift programs. The Finalizer Plus dose have a built-in sample rate converter, 24 bit A/D and D/A converters, and tons of mastering programs that are not available in the M5000.

3. Valley Audio 730 Dynamap digital limiter. For fast transparent limiting, I haven’t found anything that beats this one. Another piece that I can’t leave at home.

4. Z Systems Sample Rate Converter. I have been using this little puppy for all of my sample rate conversion needs for about three years. I’ve tried the rest, but keep coming back to the best.

5. Z Systems De-Tangler. Z Systems makes a variety of digital audio routers in 8x8, 16x16, 32x32, and 64x64 configurations. Any of the I/Os can be ordered as AES, SP/DIF, or optical. You can get a software program that runs on your computer that will reconfigure the routing with a click of your mouse. Just click on MIX and all of your digital audio gear will be instantly re patched for the new task.

6. Lexicon DC-1 Surround Control Center. Pro Logic, Dolby Digital, and DTS decoding with perfect Lexicon quality. The DC-1 includes DSP processors to add room simulation to any home theater environment. Some of the best ambiance effects I have ever heard. This piece stays at home. Most hotels frown on high power home theater systems bothering other guests.

7. Apogee anything. Ten years ago I started using digital audio machines that had been retrofit with Apogee converters. I had my Mitsubishi X-80 digital two track retrofit. I had one of the first stand alone Apogee 16 bit A/D converters. I have serial number 0001 20 bit Apogee A/D converter. I used the AD-8000 eight channel 24 bit converters on the Bela Fleck album I worked on last September. I mastered a special 20 bit version of Donald Fagen’s “Kamakiriad” album using the prototype of Apogee’s UV-22 process for squeezing 20 bits onto 16 bit CDs. And, of course I use Apogee’s Master Tools plug in for UV-22 on my Pro Tools system. Time to make labels for your DATs and CDs? Bob Clearmountain put together Session Tools for Apogee to do all of the record keeping and label printing you need to do in a recording studio environment.

8. ADATs. I just finished working on three albums that were recorded and mixed completely on ADATs. Remember, Alesis started the MDM trend, and they are doing a pretty good job of keeping on top of that field with the most number of installed MDMs.

9. Yamaha digital consoles. I currently use the 02R, and 03D, and the new 01V. I cut my small-format-digital-console teeth on the Yamaha DMP-7D in 1988. There must be a big market for small digital consoles, because Mackie, Tascam, Panasonic, and Soundcraft have released small digital consoles to try to cash in on the market frenzy.

10. Audio Technica 4050 microphones. I have three of them. I use them for vocals, acoustic piano, and string sections. Audio Technica should raise the price of these little puppies (since I already have mine) and they would still be a good buy.

11. Roland 880 reverb. A high end product that not enough people heard about. The quality of this unit is right up there with the best. You could probably find a used one cheap, unless they see this column before you do.

12. Meyer HD-1 powered near field monitors. After nine years of using the HD-1s for all of my recording and mixing, mastering facilities keep telling me that they have to do nothing to my mixes during the final CD mastering. That says a lot for a speaker system.

13. Sony V-77 reverb. You should have more that one brand of reverb to smooth out your mixes. Each manufacturer uses their proprietary methods of generating reverbs. If you use reverbs from different manufacturers, the slight differences make for a much richer sound field.

14. Brooke Siren AR-116 direct boxes. Still my favorite after 14 years of looking for something better.

15. Fostex D-10 DAT machines. These are my work horse machines. Six years of hard work along with my Fostex D-20B, D-30, and D-15 machines that keep them company.

16. I almost forgot about Apogee DAT tapes and blank CD-Rs. Don’t you forget about them.

17. Monster cables. I use tons of Monster digital cables to connect my gear, Monster mic cables for recording, and Monster cables to feed my speakers. Jay Graydon turned me on to them about a decade ago.

18. MacIntosh Powerbook computers. I have been using Mac portables since before there were Mac portables. There was a company named Outbound that made Mac compatible laptops for awhile until Apple decided the laptop business may be lucrative. I just got rid of my 180c and replaced it with a G3 Powerbook. Pro Tools works very well on it. The only bad thing is that I am now expected to edit Pro Tools files in my hotel room.

19. Panasonic Linear shaver. Yup, my road kit includes this high speed linear motor (repelling magnetic fields propel the blades instead of rotating motors) shaving device so I look nice in the studio for the female background singers. A face as smooth as a spanked baby’s butt.

20. If you are working hard, you have to eat well. On the West Coast the choices are The Palms for steak and lobster, or my favorite, Fatburger. I even thanked Fatburger when I accepted my first Grammy. On the East Coast I like Burritoville. Health food Mexican fare. When I’m at home in Miami, it has to be Chrysanthemum. Chinese food on South Beach. You can actually call ahead and get any fortune you want stuffed into the fortune cookies handed out after your meal. I usually take clients there and after dinner their fortune cookie says “You will be a much happier person after you PAY YOUR RECORDING STUDIO BILL”