For thirty years, Rancho De La Luna has stood as a testament to the weird and wonderful in recorded music. Renowned for its uniquely high desert vibe and enviable collection of vintage and modern equipment, the recording studio has been a chosen creative retreat for bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, and Foo Fighters.
Owner Dave Catching [Eagles of Death Metal, QOTSA, earthlings?, Mojave Lords] has helped curate the sonic identity of the studio with his taste in equipment, which over the years has included a large number of microphones made by Mojave Audio. A longtime friend of Mojave co-founders David Royer and Dusty Wakeman, Catching recently sat down for an interview to discuss his shared history with the brand and how a chance meeting with Royer and some prototype microphones kicked off a longtime partnership that has defined some of the studio’s signature sounds.
Motorbikes and prototypes
Sitting in the control room of Rancho De La Luna, Catching recalls his initial meeting with Royer, which involved the Mojave Audio co-founder riding up to the studio on his motorcycle with a prototype for a new microphone in hand. Immediately falling in love with the sound of it, Catching quickly bought it and made it a part of the studio’s collection which set off a series of similar meetings and purchases. The studio now has a full closet of Mojave Audio microphones that get used on every session and have become essential to Catching’s workflow.
The interview continues with Catching detailing Mojave’s evolution as a brand and how new and prototype microphones have always found a home in Rancho De Le Luna, including the Mojave MA-100 and MA-300s which have become an integral part of the studio’s preferred drum sounds. The piece ends on the latest microphone in the Mojave lineup, the MA-37, which Catching demonstrates on one his vintage acoustic guitars and has been regularly using on vocals since making the acquisition. “It’s really incredible to watch your friends evolve and create such wonderful pieces of gear that are useful, beautiful, and sound amazing,” he remarks, reflecting on the longstanding relationship. “We are in the Mojave Desert, so how much cooler can that get than having Mojave Audio as part of your sound?”
US-readers and NAMM attendees can visit Mojave Audio at the 2024 NAMM Show, Jan 25 – Jan 28. Visit Mojave at Booth #15513.
For more info, keep reading at Mojave Audio here.
