Wow, one piece huh? I have to take the liberty to choose one analog and one digital. For analog I guess it would be the AMEK/Neve CIB and for digital it would be my Eventide DSP4500.

Great question...

I'd have to say a very old SM57...sounds at least usable on almost everything, sounds perfect on some things, and has at times been used as:
- a doorstop
- a very light duty hammer
- a self defense weapon
- vocal mic
- amp mic
- anything drum except overhead mic
- pointing devise during presentations

:D

My ears........

:p:

...and Uncle Bob wins it by 2 lengths!

I can tell you the two things I will never miss:
(1) Iomega JAz drives
(2) Adats

Originally posted by John Grimm (Vintage Studios):
...I'm just curious what folks find indispensible.

:) It would be very Grimm to be without my main controller keyboard and it's sequencing software, RGB video display and sound library.

--Rick

Originally posted by John Grimm (Vintage Studios):
What piece of recording gear would be the most difficult for you to live without? I'm looking to upgrade and I'm just curious what folks find indispensible.

Maybe I should of put RECORDING GEAR in capital letters. I originally thought of saying please don't include "your ears" as an answer-
but noooooo....... Bob doesn't win by 2 lengths he's disqualified. (Sorry Bob, we all still love ya man) Now I'm going to have to listen to arguments how your ears are a part of your recording gear :d: . So please let's try to stick with recording gear and no answers such as good talent, an attractive receptionist, a book-keeper that makes sure you get paid and understands ROI, crumpets, etc. Any explanation of why your choice of gear is important to you will be appreciated by all I'm sure.

Originally posted by Alécio Costa - Brazil:
I can tell you the two things I will never miss:
(1) Iomega JAz drives
(2) Adats

I'm totally with you on that. I couldn't get rid of my Jaz drive fast enough. I had nothing but trouble with them. I lost all sorts of data with those things.

Right now, it is my NTK mic...I am so in love with this thing!!! :h:

It is just as smooth as silk!!!

Sigh, I love my 1176. David

uncle bob I dont think Grimm is going to be able to purchase your ears......... well maybe

Vaphoron, I still have around 15 Jaz disks and 4 Jaz drives. One is brand new. The fact is they completly suck. If you plan to use them as a hobbyst, they are fine, but for pro use, cut, delete, etc etc they get burned in your face.

Someone mentioned to me that there is a type of fungus that messes up the jaz disks, similar to the fungus that gather in carpets and which guys who suffer from renitis are afraid of. Has this rumour ever been commented in the USA?

OK, running the risk of also being disqualified (and not even being loved for it) I have to say my monitors :D :p ...

Seriously, I love my Rode NTV mic and the Event MP-1 mic preamp that it came bundled with. I realize that neither one is top class but I seem to be getting very good results when working with my long-time singer/songwriter partner. I tried a range of other mics and pre's but this one just does it for me.

If I had to name a piece of software it would have to be Logic Audio. Steep learning curve but now at the heart of all I am doing.

MisterBlue.

My Earthworks Sigma 6.2 monitors. At least if someone else showed up with something to play on them I would have great monitors.

Steve

MisterBlue, monitors certainly qualify as a good answer. What kind are you using? ----- There are many types of gear we use when recording. But I'm looking for the ones that are indispensible. If someone took away a certain monitor, mic pre, microphone, etc. it would be the one you would go nuts without. In other words you wouldn't have any other piece of gear that you would feel comfortable substituting for it. You would have to run out and buy the same thing over again.

Originally posted by John Grimm (Vintage Studios):
In other words you wouldn't have any other piece of gear that you would feel comfortable substituting for it. You would have to run out and buy the same thing over again.

That's a different question. I'm now at a point where at least 80% of what I own fits that criteria assuming some of it can even be replaced. Keep in mind that what one person really likes or values highly may not apply to you and you may find it to be the complete opposite. For the most part, I tend to prefer to buy very high quality gear made by those who have been making that kind of gear for many years and who are unable to mass produce that gear. Take a look at the gear list of the mid to upper end studios in the world and you will quickly see what gear is common. That is a good sign of what gear is in demand and what gear they can't live without.

I can't live without my old vintage stomp boxes:
1. EH Small Stone Phaser... or my Maestro Phaser.
After working with software effects for a few years I've found out that you really need to add stuff like that to get back that "organic" sound that I love. So now I'm trying to find all the "effects from the past" that I was stupid enough to sell.
Even the Yamaha SPX 90 is on my "buy-again-list", I think that the SPX90 Pitch-shifter could really add odd flavours when you transposed drumkits a few( 4-7) semitones.
Also, there are plenty of "can't-live-without-gear" that I haven't bought yet:

1. Good monitors
2. Great Mic. preamp.
3. Stylus
4. A good Spring reverb
5. Tape delay.
6. EH Dr. Q Envelope follower
7. FMR-RNC

bass traps

my neve 1066's. great sounding mic pre's and eq's i think i would miss them the most.

Soundelux Elux 251 - makes my vocals nice & smooth.

My Avalon AD2022. Almost anything else I could function without.-Richie