Which band/project are you currently working on?
I’m about to start the final month of tracking and mixing with a band called The Swell Season from Dublin, Ireland. You might know them better as the people from the movie Once.

What audio console are you utilising? And how many channels?
I have a 56 input Neotek Elite console, but for some time it’s only been used for basic monitoring and nothing else. I have dozens of flavours of outboard preamps, eqs and compressors, as well as a few analog summing mixers that I prefer to the console.

Do you utilise any outboard effects/eq?
I’ll just throw out some of my favourite signal paths of late: Telefunken V76 pre, Klein & Hummel UE100 EQ, Gates STA-level compressor (vintage tube), Telefunken V276 pre, Neumann PEV EQ, ADR Compex Limiter (vintage solid state), Thermionic Culture Earlybird pre, The Pullet EQ, The Phoenix compressor (Modern tube) and Chandler TG Channel pre, Germanium Tone Control, TG1 compressor (Modern solid state). I also still try to stick to analog-only effects, including an old EMT140 plate reverb, an AKG BX10 spring reverb, a Roland Space Echo, Chorus Echo and a Maestro Echoplex.

Favourite console?
As I said, I track exclusively through outboard pres and mix into an analog summing mixer, so an old school, large format console is no longer a vital component in my recording process. I’ve just started using a new summing mixer called The Fat Bustard by Thermionic Culture. The differences in high end summing mixes are usually quite subtle, but this thing just sounds huge.

Favourite PA system (or monitors)?
I have a number of studio monitors I like, including Yamaha NS10s, ProAc Studio 100s, Dynaudio Acoustic M3s, but I work on B&W 805S nearfields about 90 per cent of the time.

Best toy you take on tour (can be audio… can be other)?
I don’t tour much these days, but when I travel to record in other places, I don’t like to work without at least one Chandler TG1 compressor in the room.

What’s been your career highlight?
Watching bands that I work with grow from young and scrappy to confident and accomplished, bands like The National, Interpol and more recently a Scottish group called Frightened Rabbit.

Finally, if you weren't working now, you'd be..?
Playing hockey.
www.tarquinrecords.com