Recording Engineering

Recording studio condenser microphone with warm lighting and studio gear in the background — featured image for “The Ultimate Guide to Recording Live Musicians in the Studio” by Ralph Sutton.

The Ultimate Guide to Recording Live Musicians in the Studio

🎹 The Ultimate Guide to Recording Live Musicians in the Studio 🎶 Why Live Musicians Still Matter In a Music Industry flooded with loops and samples, there’s still nothing like the energy of real musicians playing together in a room. Capturing that magic — and preserving it for mass distribution — is where the art […]

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Feature image for Ralph Sutton’s blog post “Top Recording Gear I Actually Use in the Studio (2025)”, showcasing professional studio equipment including microphones, DI boxes, preamps, outboard gear, and Pro Tools setup used by Elite Recording Engineer Ralph Sutton.

My Top Recording Gear Picks for 2025 – Real Tools from Real Sessions

My Top Recording Gear Picks for 2025 – Real Tools from Real Sessions When you’re recording world-class musicians — whether it’s Jazz, Funk, R&B, or anything in between — the gear you choose becomes part of the performance. Over my 40+ years in the studio, I’ve worked with a variety of microphones, DI boxes, preamps,

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Feature image for blog post titled 'The Essential Guide to Analog Outboard Gear: 1176, LA-2A, Pultec EQP-1A & More' on RalphSutton.com Recording Engineering Blog. Bold gold text on a deep blue background in billboard-style design.

The Essential Guide to Analog Outboard Gear: 1176, LA-2A, Pultec EQP-1A & More

Why Analog Outboard Gear Still Matters In today’s world of Pro Tools, Ableton Live, and Logic Pro, where countless plugins replicate classic hardware, many engineers ask: Is analog outboard gear still necessary? The answer is a resounding YES—especially when recording and mixing live musicians. The warmth, harmonic saturation, and real-time dynamic control of analog gear

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