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Brandon Schock

Brandon Schock

Brandon is a producer, audio engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and senior writer at Higher Hz, where he covers microphones, studio monitors, audio interfaces, and recording techniques.

Coming from humble beginnings, Schock began recording psychedelic bedroom pop with nothing except for GarageBand and the built-in microphone on his laptop as a teenager.

While he's since upgraded his recording setup, Brandon still has a proclivity to work through the confines of limitation.

His music is spasmodic, distorted, and restless, often taking inspiration from artists such as Cornelius and The Beach Boys.

Over the years, he's gained a vast amount of experience recording, writing, and performing with local groups and fellow artists such as Petty Walker, and Windy 500.

When it comes to gear, Brandon has a particular fondness for several models and series of studio gear. He usually records through his Focusrite Clarett 8Pre, aided by his Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro for tracking.

For microphones, the Electro-Voice RE20, Neumann KM 184, the AKG SE300 B (particularly when using the CK91 capsule), and Coles 4038 are worked to their limits in his studio.

He also has a soft spot for Adam Audio studio monitors, which he has been using for years.

In terms of preamps, Brandon has two favorites: the clean and transparent Focusrite ISA One and the warm and colorful Universal Audio Solo/610.

However, even though he has his mainstays in his arsenal, he's incessantly researching and trying to find hidden gems.

Still forever passionate about music, Brandon has recently dedicated himself to writing about the latest innovations in audio technology, while keeping busy with his own projects and passions.

Adam Audio T5V review: Almost perfect budget monitors

There are plenty of budget monitors out there to pick from, although most of them come with serious drawbacks. The Rokits are too bass-heavy, the Yamahas are too piercing, the list goes on.

The Adam Audio T5V? Well, they have some drawbacks too, but on a purely objective level, these monitors perform far better than a handful of their other budget counterparts.

Yamaha HS8 review: Great as secondary reference monitors

Yamaha really doesn’t need much of an introduction. They’ve been around for years and have built their reputation from the success of their infamous NS-10 – the most trusted and reliably horrible-sounding monitors possibly ever made.

Shure SM7B review: Microphone that made Thriller

In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Shure SM7B dynamic microphone. Some of you may be familiar with this microphone as the one Michael Jackson used on Thriller. If not, now you are. Let’s get started.

Shure MV7 review: Good for spoken word, but not much else

In this review, I’ll be looking at the Shure MV7 dynamic USB/XLR microphone.

Shure is a reliable company and is responsible for a number of advancements in audio technology. Let’s see if the MV7 holds up Shure’s reputation.

Tannoy Gold 5 review: Decent sound let down by quality issues

Tannoy used to be a great and reliable company, a lot of their speakers from the 80s and 90s are still well sought-after today. Unfortunately, ever since being bought out by Behringer some-odd years ago, the company hasn’t had so much presence in the audio world.