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Butch Vig: Pro Tools and Logic In the Studio
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“We’ve used Performer in the past, and would like to try Logic, but whatever we use has to integrate gracefully with a TDM-based system,” says Billy. “We don’t have time for things that don’t work gracefully, which is why we are all Mac-based.”

“If it doesn’t work in a graceful and intuitive manner, it interrupts the workflow and then the best performance can slip by,” he adds. “It should always add to and simplify the session and never be a distraction.” The band also use Emagic’s Sound Diver, Barbabatch, BIAS’ Peak, and Studio Vision Pro on occasion.

Butch at the Controls. Working with Pro Tools.

“Live we use Line 6 Pod Pros and Bass Pod Pros for the majority of the guitar and bass sounds. We’ve got two different sets of gear that fly around the globe so we can constantly update and change our guitar, bass and keyboard sounds using Emagic’s Sound Diver.”

Virtual Instruments In Garbage
“We’ve just started using some of the virtual instruments and are planning to explore that more and more now that the CPU horsepower is getting to the point that you can really use them effectively,” he adds. “I’m in the process of trying out Bitheadz’s Unity and some of the Emagic software, but up until just recently the main obstacle has been a lack of compatibility with Pro Tools. I love the way Pro Tools functions and want things to work within that paradigm.”

When a mix is complete, Billy prints out a combination of digital and analog to two 24-Bit DATs straight out of Pro Tools, a pair of CDs via a HHB CD burner, and a reel of 1/2-inch analog on an Ampex ATR-102. He then takes the tape reel over to a mastering studio.

Mastered With Sonic Solutions
For mastering, Garbage heads to Classic Sound in NYC, where Scott Hull pulls the audio off of the 1/2” reels and loads it into Sonic Solutions for tweaking and sequencing through a bunch of different analog and digital compressors, EQs and de-essers. “Scott is our man,” says Billy. “He’s handled everything Garbage and Butch have done since ‘Version 2.0.’”

Previous page: From Nirvana to Garbage

Butch Vig

1.	From Nirvana to Garbage
2.	Pro Tools and Logic In the Studio

In the Studio
(part 2 of 2)

Gear Lust
The band is now working on networking its Macs. “What would be ideal in the studio is a cost-effective and scalable system where a group of workstations can use the same audio drives at the same time in order to have numerous people working on the same project,” says Billy.

“The Digidesign DigiProNet is something that I find interesting as our band is sometimes spread out across the globe and being able to work on a project while being at home would be such a time saver.

Useful Links

Records/DVDs
Garbage

Software
BIAS Peak
Digidesign’s Pro Tools
Emagic’s Logic Audio
Emagic’s Sound Diver
Barbabatch
Bitheadz’s Unity
Bomb Factory plug-ins
Line 6’s Amp Farm

Hardware
Power Mac
PowerBook
Cinema Display
iMac
Line 6’s Bass and Guitar Pods
Akai samplers
Kurzweil keyboards

Audio Interfaces
Digidesign’s 888s
Digidesign’s A-D Converters