Before I met my wife I fancied myself a bit of a bedroom recording artist. I had amassed quite a collection of recording and signal processing equipment, mostly analog and no samplers. I was a bit of a hermit, holing up in my room to write songs for hours, working feverishly all night on the finer points a tape loops and feedback, experimenting with sound layering a collages. The music that I made was a dubbed out illbient with touches of punk and thrash and it could be said that overall it wasn’t very good. The important thing was that I enjoyed making it and managed to record some 600 hours worth of content in a span of 3 years.

When we were just getting started in our life together I sold off most of the equipment–microphones, rack effects, signal processors, cabinets and heads–to keep us afloat on our meager earnings. I kept all the instruments, though, I was especially loathe to let go of my prized basses, a custom 6 string Washburn fretless and a Washburn 4 string fretless acoustic. Today, they sit quietly in our home with nothing to jack into to give them life.

I still dream about building another studio and as life in a new house gets more balanced I am going to build it for certain. Even my wife, the sweetheart that she is, doesn’t even bat an eye at the price tag because she knows how happy I’ll be making amateur attempts at music.

Every studio needs a brain and Apple makes some of the best in the business. Sure I could go with a tower but the PowerBook is at once muscled, elegant, and portable. Price tag - $2,500

I did all of my work on a Tascam 4 track Portastudio and I think that in its honor I should graduate to something powerful and digital. The console features an 8×2 digital mixer, complete with four effects sends (two internal, two external), EQ, dynamics, effects and Pro Tools LE will provide a wide suite of pre and post production tools. Price tag - $2,700

I have always worked with drum machines and dreamed of having a real drum kit. Well, the wife’s love extends so far as me beating on the tom toms so the TD-3S is a happy middle ground. Just think, 32 drum kits and onboard ambience and compression effects and all she’ll hear is a faint thwack and thump! Price tag - $900

Sure, the guitar I have always used was one that I liberated from my sister and it has served me well but I have always ached for that clear, bell-like sustain of a Rickenbacker. From Prog to Punk this guitar can do it. Price tag - $1,100

I’ve never been one for pedals, too much clutter and a pain in the ass to chain effects. The Boss GT Pro and Line 6 Bass PODx will pick up the duty of providing adequate cover to mask my feeble style. Boss GT Pro Price tag - $850 and Line 6 Bass PODx Price tag - $700

Hey, I do need a keyboard to play with all the synth pads! Price tag - $200

The total cost of this dream before tax and shipping is $8,950.

Reality check: it is likely she doesn’t bat an eye because nothing more than me rambling, an actual physical bill might significantly sway her feelings in the other direction.