The whole world has going virtual. A store is just as likely to be something you explore with a mouse as with a pair of shoes. Movies aren’t shot on locale — they’re shot on a soundstage against a green backdrop, and the locale is created digitally. And so it goes with music production. In the old days, ULTRAsomething’s studio looked like NASA ground control. But gradually, nearly every bulky, blinking, heat-generating piece of hardware got getting replaced by a shiny little piece of ether called “software.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I mean, all this virtualization allows me to put an exact replica of a Mellotron in my computer — well, exact except for the daily maintenance required to keep it functioning. It enables me to drop $200 on a software version of a $10,000 PPG Wave that never needs dusting; carry a Hammond B3 organ and a hot-rodded Leslie on one finger; and play an entire research facility full of modular Moogs, Putneys, Arps, Rolands, Korgs and Buchlas — all without ever running out of patch cords or pulling out a soldering iron.

In short, there’s more sound generating and recording potential in today’s computers than in the multi-million dollar studios of yesteryear.

The following are just some of the software and hardware products in ULTRAsomething’s recording studio.

Virtual Instruments

Apple ES1: virtual “analog” synthesizer
Apple ES2: virtual “analog” synthesizer
Apple EVB3: virtual “Hammond B3″ organ
Apple EVD6: virtual “Clavinet D6″
Apple EVP88: electric piano
Apple EXS24 MK II: sampler
Apple Sculpture: physical modeling synth
Apple Ultrabeat: drum machine
Applied Acoustics Lounge Lizard EP-3: electric piano
Applied Acoustics String Studio VS-1: modeled string synthesizer
Applied Acoustics Strum: virtual acoustic guitar
Applied Acoustics Tassman 4: modular modeling synthesizer
Applied Acoustics Ultra Analog VA-1: virtual “analog” synthesizer
Arturia Moog Modular V: modular “analog” Moog synthesizer
Best Service Ethno World 3 Complete: world instruments sound library
Camel Audio Cameleon 5000: additive synthesizer
East West Drumkit From Hell 2: drum module
East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs: choir sound library
East West/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold Pro XP: orchestral sound library
East West Stormdrum: drum & percussion sound library
East West Vapor: “analog” synth sound library
Garritan Personal Orchestra: orchestral sound library
Garritan Jazz & Big Band: big band sound library
Garritan Stradivari Violin: virtual “Stradivarius”
GForce impOSCar: virtual “Oscar” synthesizer
GForce Minimonsta: virtual “Minimoog” synthesizer
GForce M-Tron: virtual “Mellotron”
GForce Oddity: virtual “Arp Odyssey” synthesizer
IK Multimedia SampleTank 2: sampler
MOTU Ethno Instrument: world instrument sound module
Native Instruments Absynth 4: digital synthesizer
Native Instruments Akoustik Piano: virtual acoustic piano module
Native Instruments B4 II: virtual “Hammond B3″ organ
Native Instruments Battery 3: drum module
Native Instruments Elektrik Piano: virtual “Rhodes” & “Wurlitzer” electric pianos
Native Instruments FM8: virtual “Yamaha DX7″ FM synthesizer
Native Instruments Kontakt 2: sampler
Native Instruments Kore: plugin host
Native Instruments Massive: “analog” synth
Native Instruments Pro-53: virtual “Sequential Prophet 5″ synthesizer
Native Instruments Reaktor 5: modular synthesizer
reFX Vanguard: trance synth
Sonic Reality Sonik Synth 2: sampler
Spectrasonics Omnisphere: pad/ambient synth
Spectrasonics Stylus RMS: drum loop and kit synth
Spectrasonics Trilogy: bass synth module
Steinberg HALion: sampler
Steinberg Model-E: virtual “Minimoog” synthesizer
Steinberg Virtual Guitarist: rhythm guitar emulator
U-he Zebra 2: semi-modular synth
VirSyn Cube: additive synthesizer
VirSyn Tera: semi-modular synthesizer
Waldorf Attack: percussion synthesizer
Waldorf PPG Wave 2.v: virtual “Wave PPG”
Zero-G Morphology: atmospheric pad synthesizer

Virtual Effects & Signal Processors

Apple Space Designer: convolution reverb
Apple EVOC20: vocoder
Camel Audio CamelPhat 3: compressor & filter
Camel Audio CamelSpace: multi effects processor
Izotope Ozone: mastering
Izotope Spectron: spectral FX
Izotope Trash: distortion, overdrive, amp modeling
Izotope Vinyl: lo-fi
Native Instruments Guitar Rig: guitar amp modeler & FX processor
Native Instruments Spektral Delay: spectral effects
Native Instruments Vokator: vocoder
Ohm Force Hematohm: frequency shifter
Ohm Force Mobilohm: phaser
Ohm Force OhmBoyz: delay
Ohm Force Predatohm: multi-band distortion
Wave Arts MasterVerb: digital reverb
Wave Arts TrackPlug: EQ + dynamics processor

Sequencers & Digital Audio Workstations

Ableton Live
Apple Final Cut Pro
Apple Logic Pro
MOTU Digital Performer
Propellerhead Reason

Audio Editors

Apple Soundtrack Pro
Bias Peak
DSP-Quattro

Other Software

Various other plugins and applications from Big Tick, Cakewalk, Cycling 74, Dash, Linplug, reFX, Steinberg, Sonic Foundry, U&I, and more.

Synths, Keyboards, Interfaces, Controllers and Other Audio Hardware

AKG C420 microphone
Alesis Nanosynth sound module
Blue Sky Media Desk 5.1 surround monitors
Edirol FA-101 firewire audio interface
Edirol R-09 audio recorder
Emu ESI-32 Turbo sampler
Emu Proteus 2000 (with B3 Organ, World, and Piano modules)
EV ND/457 microphone
Event PS6 active studio monitors
Frontier Alphatrack MIDI control surface
Furman power conditioners
Mackie WRM450 active stage monitors
MOTU 828 mkII firewire audio interface
MOTU MIDI Timepiece AV USB MIDI interface
MOTU Micro Lite USB MIDI Interface
MOTU Fastlane (USB) MIDI interface
Muse Research Receptor sound/effects module
Native Instruments KORE controller
Neuman U89i microphone
Novation ReMOTE 25SL MIDI controller
Novation ReMOTE 61SL MIDI controller
Roland A-37 Keyboard MIDI controller
Rolls RM203 stereo line mixer
Sennheiser & Sony headphones
Tascam/ProCo patchbay

Music Computers and Peripherals

Mac Pro
MacBook Pro
Dell 24″ video displays (x2)
numerous rack mount hard drives
APC uninterruptible power supplies

Traditional Instruments

Rickenbacker guitars
Ibanez bass
various percussion & ethnic instruments