If Jon-John wasn't experienced in the ways of the studio during that first El DeBarge session, he certainly is now! He explained his current software and hardware choices:
"I have a couple of setups, but I’m really all 'in the box' now. I’m a huge fan of working with Presonus' Studio One DAW and Native Instruments' Machine. As far as outboard gear goes, I don’t need it with my UAD and IK Multimedia plug-ins. My signal path is an Aston mic and Halo, Presonus 192 and UAD Manley Vox Box.
I’ve been in the biz for a long time and what amazes me is the technology that goes into making mics hasn’t really changed… until I came across Aston mics. What I really love about their mics is the durability along with the amazing sound. I had a project I was working on and realized after I finished the song, that I didn’t use my popper stopper. With the Aston mic, I didn’t need it. Between the two mics, the Spirit and the Origin, you really don’t need another mic – they work with multiple tones really well. They’re not brittle on the highs – they just have a really nice sheen on them.
I’m currently working with my daughter Tai Marie. Let me tell you, I’ve tried a few mics, but nothing sounds close to the way the Origin sounds on her voice. Aston is a first class company and they created a mic with the vocalist in mind – it’s all in the design. I've also used them with a gospel artist called Sharon Tedford and I used the mics recording her and the guitars. I used the Spirit on the guitars and the Origin on the vocals which worked really well on her voice and timbre.
I would say that Aston microphones are even as good as a Telefunken and I've worked with one so I know! You can hear night and day between a Telefunken and most other mics but there is no night and day with the Aston mics. You can put an Aston mic in a room with a Telefunken, a Neumann, a Sony and an AKG and record a vocal and people would think it was an expensive mic, it's that good."