Audient ASP 4816 Mixing Console - Installed in July 2025 with a matching desk by Buso Audio, our new Audient Console is the new centerpiece of the studio! This British-made console is all analog and features 16 channels of high headroom preamps, each equipped with musical EQs and lots of routing options. I personally love the routing capabilities for parallel processing of separate mix busses, as well as routing to external effects. The board also features a built in bus compressor which has become a sort of WOW button for clients!

BURL B2 Bomber DAC - Possibly the best two channel mastering-grade digital-to-analog converter in the world, which we use for our stereo monitoring channel.

Rupert Neve Designs MBC - The MBC is one of the final designs by the legendary engineer Rupert Neve. It features a stereo mastering limiter with world-class ADC converters and is used as the final stage of processing and conversion of the stereo signal coming out of our Audient mixing console.

RME Fireface 800 audio interface with an external RME ADAT converter.

1 x Universal Audio 6176 - A surprisingly versatile channel strip that quickly became our main recording channel. The Universal Audio 6176 is the classic 610 tube preamp paired with the 1176LN Limiting Amplifier. The 1176 is a FET based compressor, as opposed to optical or VCA, making it incredibly fast and articulate. The 6176 shines on snare, guitar, vocals, and anything that requires quick attack and release from the limiter.

1 x 1176 Clone - Soldered together from a kit by Hairball Audio, this extensive build was a lot of fun for Trevor. The circuit is a reproduction of Universal Audio’s legendary 1176 FET compressor, specifically Revision F. This circuit revision features a cleaner sound than the more popular Revision D and is actually class A/B rather than Class A.

2 x Universal Audio LA610 Mk IIs - A pair of classic tube channel strips, this is the go-to for any recording source that requires stereo miking or DI inputs.

1 x Heritage Audio HA81AEQ - Our most recently added preamp is a Neve - inspired channel strip with a precision EQ.

1 x Voodoo Labs Guitar Preamp - We consider this a desert island piece of gear in the studio. A three-channel foot-switchable tube rack unit from Voodoo Labs, this is used as a recording DI and for adding distortion to tracks during mixdown.

1 x DIYRE Colour Palette - It’s no secret that I love DIY projects so it should be no surprise that I bought DIY Recording Equipment’s Colour Palette for the studio! It’s a two channel rack mount kit that accept a variety of “colour” modules that also come as kits. It’s now set up as an external mix bus EQ and I mostly use it for parallel processing on the guitar bus.

1 x SansAmp PSA 1 - We have the now discontinued rack version of Tech 21’s high gain amp sim, with all analog circuitry and MIDI - controlled digital recall. It is racked with an MXR Smart Gate Pro in the effects loop and can be used in mixing and tracking.

2 x Hafler Tube Guitar Preamps - We have two vintage rackmount Hafler tube guitar preamps, the T3 and the T2. This line of preamps feature Bogner-designed distortion circuits as well as a decent solid-state clean channel. The T3 has three channels while the T2 only has two.

2 x Little Labs Redeyes 3D - The handy little phantom-powered units that are both DIs and reamping units. You may have suspected seeing the many DIs we have that at some point we routinely reamp some of the DIs as well. Reamping is simply sending a DI, also known as a direct input, recorded track back to an amp. Most commonly, this would be a bass guitar track that was recorded through a DI and usually live with drums. It is then reamped back into a bass amplifier in order to get a clean recording of the drums and separately over due the bass track through the amp. This is an easy way to remove bleed from your recording and allows us to focus on optimizing the way in which we mic the amp for best overall sound versus miking to pick up the least bleed from the drums.

1 x Vanguard Audio Labs V13 - A wonderful tube mic with impressive headroom and clarity. This microphone shines on vocals, bass, kick drum, guitar and really everything we record with it! Cactus House Recording is incredibly proud to endorse Vanguard Audio, if you are in the market for a mic check them out here!

1 x Neumann TLM 49 - A classic mic and Cactus House’s go-to condenser for most overdubs. The Neumann shines for any vocalist, acoustic guitar, and various percussion applications as well.

1 x Electro-Voice RE20 - A favorite for amps or live vocals, the go-to dynamic microphone for the studio.

2 x Beyer Dynamic TG M88s - An excellent stereo pair for anything ranging from floor toms to amp cabs.

1 x Vanguard Audio Labs v44s - A stereo FET large diaphragm condenser microphone that we recently got from our sponsors over at Vangaurd Auduio Labs! This microphone changed how we track drums in the studio, replacing three other quality mics (over head stereo pair of Bocks and a clone kit built by Trevor as an omni room). Having the single stereo mic on our large Samson stand allowed us to raise and extend its distance from the kit, picking up more room reflections in the process thus replacing the room mic as well as the previous pair of overhead mics. The width of the stereo field can be adjusted on the spot easily by twisting the top capsule on the mic, making the switch in between different sizes of drum kits much easier.

1 x AKG c451b - A small diaphragm condenser microphone, and my go to snare mic. I have tried many other mics on snare and this one really captures the full snare, not just the top head.

4 x Beyer Dynamic TG D35s - Easy to use and reliable super-cardioid clip on mics for toms.

1 x Beyer Dynamic TG D71 - A pressure zone microphone that is left inside the kick drum. An added benefit to being in the drum itself is the drop in bleed from other parts of the kit or amps in the room.

1 x four-piece 1970s Ludwig Vistalite acrylic drum kit, the crown jewel of our studio backline! The drum sizes are as follows:

Kick - 24”

Snare - 14”

Rack Tom - 13”

Floor Tom - 16”

We usually recommend drummers bring their own snare and cymbals but we do have a set of cymbals available to use. Keep in mind that the cost of breaking a cymbal will be added to the final invoice for your project, but if you forget yours we do have these here:

1 x 22” Zildjian K Ride

1 x 16” Zildjian Hybrid Crash

1 x Paiste 2002 14” Medium Hi Hats

Drummers should generally bring the foot pedal they are most comfortable with, but the studio has this one available as well:

1 Yamaha FP-9D Direct Drive foot pedal (single)

Yamaha/Tama - There is always a ride stand, and two crash stands at Cactus House. A hi-hat and snare stand is always set up as well. Any extra hardware is the responsibility of the client to bring. We have a roc n soc drum throne available to use if you want.

Drummers: Cactus House does not charge for the use of the studio drum kit however, clients are liable for any damage, especially in regards to cymbals and drum mics.

We strongly encourage drummers to bring their own cymbals and snare.

The client is financially responsible for the cost of replacement, which will be added to the invoice.

1 x 1996 PRS McCarty Pro with P90s - Trevor’s main guitar, the body is a gorgeous mahogany and the fretboard is rosewood. The P90s are single coils and the guitar uses a Schaller Signmu wrap around bridge, a personal preference, and generally strung with SIT 11-50 strings.

1 x 1990s PRS McCarty Hollowbody - Trevor’s main jazz gig guitar, the PRS Hollowbody adds a special sound to any pop or rock recording. Another mahogany body and rosewood fretboard, the Hollowbody has stunning maple top and is strung with SIT 11-50 strings.

1 x PRS Custom 24 20th Anniversary - The only electric guitar Trevor bought new, back in 2005. This was his main instrument throughout high school, college and has been on many albums, countless shows and three tours! For how much it’s been though it’s still in top playing condition, partly thanks to the jumbo stainless steel frets.

Rickenbacker 4003s - One of my personal favorite basses that I have used on many recording sessions and at live shows is my Mapleglo Rick. I have replaced the stock bridge with a Hipshot, removed the stock bridge pickup bezel and installed one with a thumb rest, replaced the stock pickups with Joe Barden rails, and wired it for one volume / one tone knob. These mods came after gigging for years and have made the instrument much more playable in my opinion, but it still has the classic Ricky sound!

2 x Music Man Stingrays - We have two MM Stingrays from the 1990s, one fretted and one fretless. Our fretted Stingray has been regretted by San Jose luthier legend, Kent Perkins, with jumbo stainless steel frets and the stock pickup has been swapped for a Seymour Duncan one. The onboard preamp has also been upgraded with a John East preamp, a high-quality after-market preamp made in the UK. The fretless has markers as a guide for those unfamiliar with playing fretless and made out of actual strips of maple, no epoxy filler in sight!

1 x Martin Auditorium Steel String - Industry standard and the guitar Trevor has owned the longest. This guitar has been used as Trevor’s main teaching guitar for over a decade with the scrapes to prove it, it still sounds and plays great. Most of the guitars in the studio have been worked on and set up by Kent and Josh at CB Perkins, a legendary luthier shop in San Jose, where Trevor had taught for a brief period of time.

1 x Taylor Grand Symphony 12 String - A useful 12 string guitar that is used for overdubbing.

*Please note: We have other high-quality guitars not in the studio that can be used by special request. This includes: a National Resonator, a National Mandolin, and Ramirez classical.

1 x Laney VH 100R Head - Our 100 Watt British tube guitar amp head. The studio has seen its fair share of guitar amps over the years with some saying we’re a bit obsessed, but the Laney has been an-all around favorite for a reason. With a clean and distortion channel with separate extra gain stages that can be activated by foot switches. The clean channel has a good crunch while the distortion channel can dial in a substantial amount of gain. Fun fact: the heads were used by Opeth in recording Blackwater Park, one of Trevor’s personal favorite albums.

1 x Marshall 412A - The industry standard professional guitar cab, and for good reason.

1 x EBS TD 660 - If there is one thing Trevor is unusually picky about, it is bass amps. The studio has had a few nice heads over the years including a 1970s Acoustic 370 (that Trevor eventually sold to Family Obligation) a Mesa Boogie Big Block, and an Orange AD 200B (maybe the most handsome bass head). While these heads were all great in certain applications, Trevor always wanted a no BS amp for every recording project, and the answer ended up being an EBS head! The EBS TD 660 delivers clean linear power with a fast compressor, straightforward EQ, tube drive and a fantastic DI with speaker simulation. Rack-mounted in a custom 5U birch rack case (made by Trevor) it is racked with a Furman power conditioner and a very cool Hafler T3 tube preamp. The EBS on it’s own is the perfect modern clean bass (it was the amp of choice for Marcus Miller for a long time) and the Hafler T3 can be used to get a grittier tone if desired (Bogner designed the distortion circuit).

1 x Atlas Cabinet Custom 210 / 115 - Custom made for the studio, 13 ply birch wood cab that houses two 10” and one 15” Eminence Delta speakers, Trevor’s all-around favorite guitar and bass speaker, and is 4ohms.

Feel free to bring your own head and use the studio cab!

1 x Zinky Blue Velvet - This 112 combo amp was something I picked up while teaching at CB Perkins luthier shop in San Jose. They had been using this amp for over a decade as the shop amp and were letting it go right when I started teaching there. I recognized the amp from my session playing days, it was a favorite with a few of the studio and session guitarists I knew. It’s an el84 based amp with an amazing distortion, and mine has an EVM12L that I put in. If you’re interested in amp building, look into Bruce Zinky, he’s had a remarkable career!

1 x 1980s Roland JUNO 6 - One of Trevor’s favorite sounds, the JUNO is versatile in its sound. The easy to dial DCO and enveloping lush stereo chorus that is built in, the JUNO is a one-of-a-kind keyboard that brings any project to life. It has been modified to send and receive MIDI, a necessary MOD for sending the click track from the DAW to sync the built-in arpeggiator.

1 x Nord Grand 88 - Originally, Cactus House had an old Fender Rhodes and upright piano but has since upgraded to the Nord. I guess you can say we never looked back since then. The Nord Grand features Kawai hammer action keys, giving it a touch response similar to a real piano versus a synth or electric piano.

If you like, you can check out our Instagram page to see the time-lapse video of Trevor restoring an old Hammond Organ, which took 26 hours to complete. The organ was used in the intro of the Dark Satellite song, Undertow from the new album “Death of a Classic”.

2 x Pultec EQP 500x - A pair of absolute units that need no introduction, the legendary passive inductor EQs that have graced countless recordings are now a part of every project worked on at Cactus House. The unique sound of an inductor EQs 16 kHz “air” band is just so complimentary, seemingly for every mix…and the classic “low-end trick” of boosting and attenuating the same low frequency to allow the fundamental to shine through is wonderful too. These solid-state models feature API discrete op amps.

1 x Mercury G810 Rack - One of the most powerful 500 series racks available since power consumption is the issue people run into with the 500 series format.

1 x Serpent Audio Stereo Compressor - Modeled after the legendary stereo bus compressors in the SSL 9000 boards, which Trevor had the pleasure of recording on years ago, this is by far our favorite. An exemplary stereo compressor for busses, drum overheads, or even entire mixes, the possibilities are endless.

2 x RNLA - You guessed it, really nice leveling amps! This audio compressor are great for anything that require a smooth, but not so transparent limiting. An example would be an electric guitar bus or a stereo synthesizer track.

2 x Inward Connections Brute Limiters - Trevor’s favorite optical compressors with two knobs and three switches, perfect for bass and vocal tracks.

1 x Rupert Neve Designs 535 - This legendary diode bridge compressor is my most recent gear addition to the studio and from what I can tell using it so far is that it excels at…everything!

1 x DIY Recording Equipment EQP5 - I built a pair of these passive EQ modules from DIYre and decided to keep one and sell one. They have some of the passive inductor EQ magic of the Pultecs but not the same functionality. I love having one always hooked up though because the Pultec pair is almost always on the master bus, so it’s really handy having an extra inductor EQ to patch in for an individual track! These kits are a fun build if you’re good with a solder iron, I also installed the vintage output transformer option and the extra discrete op amp, which is supposed to be a little like the API DOAs in my actual Pultec pair.

1 x Amphion One18 Pair - Reference grade Finnish studio monitors, these are the speakers we mix everything on.

1 x ADAM Sub10 - Our sub for the entire studio monitoring system.

1 x Hafler P3100 - The main studio power amplifier for the Amphion monitors.

1 x Meyer Sound CP10S - This is the stereo room EQ we run for our monitoring system. It is used in conjunction with a measurement microphone and room acoustics software to compensate for the natural peaks and slopes present in the room’s acoustics.

2 x Little Labs Monotors - These are our handy little headphone amplifiers. The pair of Monotors and Redeyes all fit in a custom single rack unit chassis, not to mention they look sleek!

1 x Furman HDS6 Headphone Distribution System - This is a recent upgrade for our studio’s tracking experience. Up to six players can now control their own headphone mixes rather than sharing the same stereo mix!

Beyer Dynamic / AKG / Sennheiser / Shure Headphones

1 x Mu-Tron Phaser

1 x MXR analog delay (70s)

1 x Demeter Real Reverb D - An actual stereo spring reverb by Demeter Amplification. Before the Demeter, we had tried several analog reverb units and this one stood out among the majority of vintage reverb units.

1 x MOD The Wave - This is a great sounding tube driven spring reverb that Trevor built from a kit. Trevor also made the custom maple 3U rack it is mounted in!

In early 2024 we retired the 2012 Mac mini Server we had used for all of our sessions and upgraded to a high end custom-built PC. With 64 Gb of DDR5 RAM, a 4070 RTX Super GPU, 24 core I9 (14900K) CPU, 2Tb NVMe SSD and a 360mm AIO liquid cooling system it’s much more powerful than our previous computer. It’s housed in a noise-dampening Fractal case and actually runs quieter under stress than our old Mac mini did!

We also are running the newest versions of the Waves platinum plugin bundle, Izotope RX and Ozone bundles, as well as the latest version of Melodyne!