Most Underrated “Unsung” Hero in Your Studio

Antonymous to my last post asking: What overhyped gear do people pretend to love, what underhyped gear has come in to save the studio session?

Mine was a trash can. In 2008 recording the band Peaceful End I couldn’t for the life of me get a good room mic situation. Until I put an AKG C-414 in a metal trash can about 4’ away from the kick drum.

Another was micing a singer with some PIPES. She’d clip the U-87 so I double mic’d her with a Shure SM-58 and transitioned to that audio file when she got really loud.

And finally, an Art Voice Channel Pro. I know it says “Voice Channel” but DI for a bass guitar absolutely came in clutch when the Focusrite just wasn’t putting out the sound we wanted.

What cheap gear or random object has come through and saved your studio sessions?