Who:Tim Wheeler, guitarist and lead vocalist

What:ASH

Where:UK

API Gear:512's, 525's, 560's, 550b's, 2500, 3125, DSM

Formed in 1992, ASH is from Northern Ireland. Currently signed to Reprise, they were signed to Warner Brothers at the age of 17. ASH has toured the US for more than ten years and has opened for U2, Cold Play, Moby, Bowie, etc. Right now they're busy tracking their fifth record, which will be self produced and mixed by Rich Costey.

"All the guitars were tracked with 512c's and a lunchbox®," says Wheeler. "We went to the rehearsal studio and tracked the Grand piano with a lunchbox along with a Digi 002, came back with the tracks and hardly had to EQ anything. While we were tracking the guitars we used a pair of 525's and a Royer 121 as a room mic. The tracks we got were completely amazing.

"We also have a 500V rack with 4 560's and 6 550b's. We use them on the drums and the guitars and they sound great. I'm nuts about the 560's; they're very, very musical.

"We're tracking to Pro Tools through the [32 channel] DSM. Its set up for the rough mixes, we automate in Pro Tools and bring all of it out to the DSM. Sounds every bit as good as a console.

"The 2500 is on the main mix mostly, but we have been using it on the drum mix too."

ASH will be touring this summer in support of their new record due out in May. "We'll be recording all of our shows while on tour this year," says Wheeler, "and you can bet that our 3124 will be the main mic pres for our recording process."