House of Dragoo uses Cubase 10 with the Slate Virtual Recording Studio.

Slate Media Technology RAVEN MTi CORE Station with 2 RAVEN MTi2s,

Slate Digital VRS8 audio interface,

Slate Digital VMS ML-1 Large-Diaphragm Modeling Microphone.

Slate Everything Plug ins.

The original Apollo 8 DUO firewire interface featured four onboard mic preamps, two SHARC processors for DSP, and optional Thunderbolt connectivity.

Universal Audio UAD-2 Quad Core PCIe DSP Accelerator,

UAD-2 Satellite Duo,Universal Audio Plug ins, with

Softube’s Console 1 emulating a Solid State Logic SL 4000 E

Les Fisher talks about The House of Dragoo on The Cobracast

Brian Lee laying tracks in The House Of Dragoo

Robert Wagner Laying tracks in The House Of Dragoo

THE VRS8

The result of nearly three years of development, the new VRS8 Virtual Analog interface unifies Slate Digital’s software and hardware into a robust audio ecosystem called The Virtual Recording Studio. We used a “no compromise” design approach, resulting in a fantastic-sounding eight channel audio interface that leads the industry when it comes to components, specs, price and performance.

Eight Ultra Linear Preamps

The start of any signal chain is extremely important, which is why the VRS8 features EIGHT high bandwidth Ultra Linear microphone preamps. These are the same ‘blank canvas’ design as the VMS-One preamp from our award-winning Virtual Microphone System, enabling you to use our modeling software to recreate the authentic sound of famous microphones and preamps. Each preamp has its own high-quality metal knob, so you can easily set levels like a regular analog preamp – instead of using single logic controller knobs and menus, as some of our competitors have chosen to do.

Industry Best Converters

The next step in the signal chain is the converter itself. Instead of using budget components, the VRS8 offers mastering-quality conversion by incorporating the newest AKM AK5578 converter chips – offering a whopping industry-best 124db of dynamic range on all 8 inputs!

High Quality Components

The sound of an audio interface relies on much more than the converter chip itself – all of the components in the audio circuit have a direct result on the audio quality. Keeping to our “no compromise” design aesthetic, the VRS8 utilizes high-quality WIMA capacitors for the entire audio path.

Low Latency Native

Part of the goal behind creating the Virtual Recording Studio was to provide a near-realtime experience when using our analog modeled plugins while tracking. In order to achieve that goal, we created a new technology called LLN, which stands for “Low Latency Native”. LLN utilizes a custom hard-wired converter chipset, which reduces managed components in the audio path and allows an incredible 1 millisecond of latency at 96K (with a 32 sample buffer). This latency spec allows you to monitor through mic and preamp emulations while tracking, giving you the ability to hear your audio in context while still allowing you to change your mind later.

XTC Audio Clock

The audio clock is the heart of any recording interface, which is why it was important that the VRS8 had a killer clocking system onboard. We use satellite-grade XTC clocking technology, utilizing four temperature-compensated crystal oscillators for ultra-stable audio performance, keeping your audio jitter and distortion free.

Discrete Headphone Amplifiers

Most engineers listen to music on headphones when working in the studio, but headphone amplifiers are the first place that manufacturers usually look to cut costs when building an interface. Instead of using typical designs that cost mere pennies, we use discrete amplifiers to ensure that your headphones sound robust and clear for all of your monitoring tasks. Not only that, we also added in two separate monitor mixes and the ability to use the VRS8 as a speaker switcher.

Native MIDI IO

Our “no compromise” design goal extended well into areas that other manufacturers simply ignore, which is evidenced by the VRS8’s native MIDI IO. Unlike USB MIDI interfaces (where MIDI information has to fight with your mouse, keyboard, and other USB traffic) MIDI IO on the VRS8 never touches the USB bus. You can count on hyper-accurate MIDI timing, and stuck sustain pedals when tracking keyboards and synths should become a thing of the past.

Virtual Microphone System

The Virtual Microphone System

The “VMS” is a hybrid system that utilizes an extremely transparent condenser microphone, a sonically-neutral preamp, and state-of-the-art digital processing suite that recreates the tone of classic microphones and preamps. The Virtual Microphone System collapses the wall standing between audio engineers and expensive world-class audio tools, allowing them access to the virtual microphone locker of their dreams for under a thousand dollars.

This is a 2005 Indonesian Squire Stratocaster that I plan on turning into a monster.

And here is what she became in June of 2020