Talking about Multi-Track Studio, Gear, and Shares Tracking Video

Hello MD readers! Van Romaine from the Steve Morse Band, Blood Sweat and Tears, Nena, Kansas, Bernie Worrell, and most recently Enrique Iglesias, amongst others. For this “On The Beat” I’d like to switch the focus off the road and into my studio.

Years back I turned my music space in Manhattan’s Lower East Side into a multi-track studio for things I was either tracking or producing. After my second child was born we moved thirty minutes away to Maplewood, NJ and the studio followed suit to West Orange, NJ, giving me an amazing multi-room studio to write, produce, and track my drums and bands. This was all possible thanks to the support of some amazing drum, microphone, interface and digital audio companies and close friendships with the best engineers and studio design people.

I’ve done tracks for everything from the Steve Morse Band, Enrique Iglesias, to a big band and everything in between. I was tracking this soul tune here for my buddy Jeff Young (keys and vocals, Steely Dan, Sting, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt) that also features heavyweights Will Lee (bass), Oz Noy (guitar), and Danielle DeAndrea (vocals), while a couple GoPros were running. What a band! See the video of me tracking drums below. Thanks for reading and watching! Advertisement

Van’s Go-To Gear

Beyer Dynamic Mics/Headphones
Kick DG 71c (in) Opus 99 (out)
Snare top/bottom M201 (2)
Rack tom D58c
Floor tom D57c
Hat TG 153c
OH’s MC 930
Crotch mic M 88
Stereo Room MC 840 PV
Far Room 2 x M160 Ribbons mics
DT 770 Pro headphones

Gretsch Drums
14×24 Broadkaster kick
4.5×14 single-ply Birdseye Maple
8×12 Brooklyn rack tom
16×16 Brooklyn floor tom

Sabian Cymbals
14″ Groove hi-hats
18″ HHX X-Treme crash
18″ Legacy crash
21″ Proto Type Custom Shop ride
20″ AAX O-zone crash

Sticks
Vater LA 5A

Evans Heads
EQ4 Clear bass batter/ EQ3 Coated white bass reso
Power Center snare batter/300 snare side
Clear G2s batter/Clear G1s reso on toms

A special thanks to LP Percussion, RME Interfaces, Auralex, Porter & Davies, Gibraltar Hardware, Abelton, Ultimate Ears Pro, and Roland for their additional support.

Watch Van Romaine tracking solo in his studio (with Jeff Young feat Will Lee, Oz Noy, and Danni DeAndrea) here:

Special thanks to Eddie Caipo for the drum mix.

Visit Van’s studio at http://www.vanromaine.com/#studio.

And for more on Van, visit www.vanromaine.com www.facebook.com/vanromaine, www.instagram.com/van.romaine, and www.livewireaudio.net.