DubShot Studios has undergone a variety of changes
throughout the years. So a description of the studio alone would not give light
to the transformation that has taken place beneath this name. DubShot has a
life of its own. It’s a sanctuary, a place of refuge, of inspiration, of other
worlds. It’s a place that transcends time and affects the operation of all
watches and clocks that enter it. It’s a clutter of new and old, of dark and
light, cleanliness and dust, ischence and incense. And it’s one of my favorite
places in the world.
DubShot Studios started in the first apartment I moved to in
Tampa, Florida. It was a 4 bedroom place that I shared with 3 others. My room
was my only safe haven and I believe it’s then that DubShot became my
sanctuary. When my headphones were on, there was nothing else going on. It’s
here where I created some of my first songs. The room was probably 10 feet by
10 feet and held my bed, bass amp, desk, computer, and clothes drawers. Nice
and cozy. My first mic was the computer mic that came with my machine. I
received a copy of ACID Pro 4.0 from a friend of mine, and this is where
DubShot Studios was born.
Due to circumstances I won’t get into here, I had to vacate
that place, and moved out to St. Petersburg. I found an old place, built in
1918, that had been converted into apartment rooms. DubShot made the move as
well. This building had a lot of character to it, and that character was absorbed
by the studio setting as well. There was more space, so the inspiration was
allowed to grow more here. The studio was also my bedroom, so it quickly became
the place where I spent the most time. I would stay up until I couldn’t keep my
eyes open anymore, just working on music. A lot of militant tunes came out of
DubShot at this time. The circumstances of the previous living arrangements and
the financial struggles of establishing yourself in a new city seemed to just
bring those types of tunes out.
My Empress and I then moved into a nice 4 bedroom rental
house, still in St. Petersburg, and it was here… that DubShot Studios grew up.
There was the ability to donate an entire room solely to the studio. I acquired
a nice desk from the place I was working at, purchased a new computer (check
the lyrics of "Grass Roots” to find out what happened to the last one… cha),
and also purchased a new ElectroVoice microphone. Still nothing fancy, but a
step up no doubt. Using the riddims that I was receiving from producers all
over the world, I was able to craft out over a hundred new tracks. During that
time I also purchased my first condenser microphone; a Marshal MXL V67. I had
no idea that it required power, so I wasn’t able to use it right away. I then
purchased my first preamp; M-Audio Mobile Pre USB w/ Phantom Power. This also
became the new sound card for my computer, which was also an improvement by
far.
Now, almost 8 years in the same place and DubShot is "all
growns up.” The same friend who first hooked me up with a bootleg version of
ACID Pro 4.0 offered to build me a new studio computer, strictly intended for
music, photo, and video editing. Equipped with the latest hard and software,
this addition really brought DubShot into a professional position. Now will
full recording, editing, and mastering capabilities, DubShot is starting to
produce some new creations. Full MIDI production capabilities (and VST
instruments) have allowed me to start producing my own riddims. I still use the same Marshall mic.
And so we say, forward ever backward never, so I’m very
excited about what the future holds for DubShot Studios. I’ve recently
discovered the classic art of tube electronics, and their effects on
microphones and amplifiers. MIDI has opened a new world of in-line editing, VST
instruments and effects, and Human User Interface technology, which equates to
more precise creativity. The sounds I used to only hear in my head… can now
manifest. With self production comes
more self expression, and I’m excited to put out my recent works to show what
Jah has inspired I with lately.
DubShot is not confined to a single room as well. I stripped
down a newly acquired laptop to only what was needed for mobile production and
recording. I found out Marshall made a USB microphone, so I purchased one of
those too. I installed ACID, purchased a
mobile USB MIDI controller and a disc full of VST’s from Ebay, and DubShot
Mobile was born. You can actually hear some recordings and mixes from DubShot
Mobile in the GRASS DUBS album.
The possibilities are endless now. As things progress,
DubShot will continue to grow and learn new tricks. The future may be unknown,
but it shouldn’t be feared. Make best with what you have now, and continuously
strive for better. I’m blessed to have a place like DubShot Studios, and will
always take it with me, no matter where Jah may take we. Rastafari.
Click Here to view the LIVE Dub Shot Studios video feed!
Here is a list of some of the equipment and programs currently being
used by DubShot Studios.
- AMD Phenom 9600 Quad-Core Processor
- M-Audio Oxygen 49 V3
- ACID Pro 7.0
- Pesonus Studio One
- Reason 5
- Nuendo 3
- Fruity Loops Studio 9
- Live 7.0.2
- WaveLab 6 Mastering Software
- Sony CD Architect 5.2
- Sony Vegas Pro 8.0
- Sony DVD Architect Pro 5.0
- Adobe Photoshop CS4
- Marshall MXL 990
- Marshall MXL V67
- Marshall MXL V69 ME
- Marshall MXL R144
- Marshall MXL V63M
- Presonus TubePre
- DBX 160a Analog Compressor
- Mackie Onyx 1220i Mixer
- KRK Rokit Powered 6CL (Special Edition)
- Skullcandy
GI Headphones
- Numark Total Control USB DJ Controller
- Too many VST, and VSTi's to mention, but all the standards
Other Artists that have recorded in DubShot Studios:
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