My source material ranges from vinyl, reel to reel / cassette tape to CD's and legal internet downloads from Emusic.com. Currently my library is over 26,000 songs that are stored on a HP computer with 4gb's of disk space. I rip my CD's and organize my library using Media Monkey. Files stored on my online Live365 storage space for playback in the Basic stream, are converted and uploaded via Studio365. For recording vinyl and tape and making sweepers I use Sony Sound Forge 9 and record the whole record or tape as one file. I then use Voyetra's AudioSurgeon to place markers at the track points, and to make an audio CD. If I need to mix multiple audio tracks when I make sweepers, I use Sony Vegas Video 3.0.
For playback in the studio I have Radio Shack Nova 75's bookshelf speakers and an Advent sub-woofer powered by a Sony STR series 5.1 Receiver. The computer has a standard Crystal soundchip, and I run the coaxial digital out to the Sony. To get analog into the computer, my turntable (with a phono preamp), the analog out of my Turtle Beach AudioTron, my Samson mic, and my guitar processors, compressor, and effects unit are all plugged into my Mackie 1202VLZ mixer. The output of the Mackie goes back into the line-in of the sound card.
When I broadcast live, I play the mp3 library through SAM Broadcaster and the mic goes through a Crate CA-1P Acoustic Guitar pre-amp where its output goes to the line in of the soundcard. SAM encodes the files and the mic to 128kbps/44khz and the stream goes out through the internet to the Live 365 servers.
I also pick, play, and record in "Little Pink's" recording studio. I use Voyetra's Digital Orchestrator Pro and PG Music's Band In A Box to record and arrange the midi and audio tracks. Click on the pictures above to see the instruments and gear. Want to hear Frank's original material? Download Frank's Tunes
Or if you've already read the How do I listen? page and are ready to enjoy some good pickin' click for Frank's Americana