Basically there are a few ways we are recording.
Simon sometimes records directly onto his PC in with a standard mic you might use for skype etc. He used to use a free open-source program called “Audacity”. He then exports to mp3 and uploads!
Tanya used to record directly onto Garage band (on a MacBook). We then either “shared” with iTunes and upload, or else pop the song into Logic Studio. There we may put some of the guitars through amp simulators or add some other effects – especially to the vocals, perhaps even some over all “mastering” type compression, EQ etc. Mostly we have just left it unmastered.
Some other recordings of Simon’s have been done directly into GarageBand on a MacBook (no mixing desk – just directly into the line in with the mic going through something to turn it into a line level) playing along with a drum loop from the mac or a metronome with headphones. So, he is essentially playing along with himself.
Years ago our “Rumours of Worship” sessions and “Embers” have been recorded mostly through a second hand 16 track Alesis firewire (400) desk into either an old "white" MacBook or else a Macbook Pro (4 Gig RAM) and onto a firewire hard drive – daisy chained from the desk. It records directly into Logic Studio (Garage Band will only let you record 8 tracks simultaneously so we had to spend the $’s). From there I listen to it, label each section of the 2-3 hour “song” so I can find my way around, get the levels about right (I have to draw volume curves on them), add some nice effects (very rarely even a little pitch correction), perhaps some of those basic “mastering” effects and then publish – before we get too fussy.
Tanya used to play a Korg O1/W keyboard and now an M-Audio - ProKeys Sono 88 – usually playing a sound via MIDI through the recording mac. Cheryl plays a Casio (I can’t remember the model). Carl plays a Cort 4-string bass. Bob plays a 5 string bass (can’t remember the make) – through a Fender bass amp. Simon plays a Fender strat and his blue semi-acoustic guitar (Samik – Guy Bennet). He used to play through a vamp 2 and/or Fender Hotrod, with various other pedals as well as a rather modified Applause round back acoustic and recently a Crafter TC 035/N (folk cutaway). These days he has a large array of individual effects. Ian plays a Godin LGXT (Electric with LR Baggs acoustic guitar pickup and a sadly unused Roland guitar synth pickup-thing build in) – through a trusty Boss GT-5, later a Vox Tonelab SE and recently out thorugh Andrew's Plethora X5 (tc electronics). From there is goes directing into the DAW. At times we have all use the Logic amps. (Simon wonders if he will ever buy a decent, and by that he means Fender Hodrod, amp so he can stop messing around with all this other stuff). He also plays a Guild F-30 Bld acoustic with an LR Baggs I-Beam pickup, a Yamaha SLG 110N Nylon string. Simon and Ian both use E-bow and slides.
For the last few years we have been using a Tascam US-16×08 which is fabulous. That goes out into a ART 6 channel headphone amp into wired in ears (with a long stereo mini-jack to mini-jack extension) and also the "PA". We recorded mostly with a MacBook Pro – late 2013 and now a 2023 one. Finally we have some studio type mics: Shure SM57B (vocals), a match pair of Rode NT55's (piano, guitar etc), Rode NT1-A (for guitars and sometimes piano), Shure SM57 beta (guitars).
I am pleased to say that over all these years, apart from a few (very frustrating) times, our equipment has worked superbly. We even play live while the signal is processed through the MacBook which means we have a plethora of digital effects live. It is amazingly stable, but nerve-wracking. If anything goes wrong the whole PA goes off. So far, so good.
The music videos are a more recent creative expression. The have been created initially on iMovie on a phone and then on a computer. All images and videos are original and taken on a phone.