Timeline

SunGod Studios is the informal name that Mills & Cockburn have used for 30 years to refer to their developing home recording facilities. The studio has evolved through many forms over the years and at one time spanned 2 continents. Here is the history along with notes on the equipment used at each stage.

SunGod (1993 - 1996)

The original SunGod studio was a small windowless room in a house in Birmingham that Anthony converted into a studio with Steve’s help. Walls were lined with polystyrene for sound proofing and a custom Plywood desk was built. The initial gear list was modest but functional:

• Tascam Portastudio 424 (Cassette based, 8 tracks, questionable audio quality)
• Standard Cassette recorder for mastering
• Alesis SR-16 Drum machine
• Alesis Quadraverb GT guitar effects processor
• Various cheap dynamic microphones
• Small keyboard of unknown provenance
• Lexicon Alex Reverb Processor

Although modest, this collection of equipment served to launch Ant’s recording activities and several notable songs were created with Steve’s assistance

Later additions were a DOD 866 Series II, 2 Channel Gated Compressor Limiter and a Graphic Equalizer (used more for live activities than any recording).

SunGod was revolutionized by the addition of a midi sequencing rig synched to the Tascam when Andrew joined the team and brought his computer experience to bear. Coupled with a Roland U20, and using Voyetra for Midi Sequencing, the studio was now able to record up to 7 tracks of audio, and unlimited tracks of midi driven keyboards and drums, adding a new dimension to the musical production.

SunGod II (1996 - 1999)

An ambitious redesign of the entire studio saw the empty garage next to the existing room transformed into a recording room while the original studio became the control room, a window was created between the two rooms.

At the same time, a complete refit of the recording equipment ensued - SunGod went digital:

• Fostex D-80 Hard disk recorder (8 tracks, digital cut & paste)
• Upgraded handbuilt PC for sequencing
• Soundcraft Spirit Studio 24 mixing desk (24:8:2 tracking and mastering mixer)
• Akai ADAT recorder for mastering
• Spirit Absolute 2 Monitors

At around this time the Roland U20 was replaced with a Korg X3, and a pair of Congas and Bongoes was added, along with some upgraded microphones (the Congas feature in “Love of my Life”).

The semi-professional nature of the equipment enabled Mills & Cockburn to start to realize more professional results, albeit with a initial steep learning curve coupled with incremental improvements in recording and engineering techniques over the lifetime of the equipment.

Later on, SunGod II was further upgraded with the addition of an SPL Vitalizer, an Akai S2000 sampler and a Digitech Vocalist Performer

SunGod II Circa 1997

SunGod III (1999 - 2001)

A move of house and ensuing lack of space forced SunGod to move to Hemel Hempstead where it was placed in a small bedroom with an adjoining live room. This was not a particularly productive time for the partnership and little was achieved in Sungod III.

SunGod IV (2001 - 2005)

Eventually SunGod was relocated back to Birmingham where it enjoyed a larger room.

SunGod V/Va/SunGod Connecticut (2005 - 2020)

Meanwhile, Andrew had been planning a move to the USA. Since it was also time for a gear refresh, SunGod went entirely PC based. Selecting the powerful Reaper DAW along with computer interfaces and associated equipment, SunGod split into two. Sungod IV was refitted with the new technology to create SunGod V. Andrew built a prototype studio in Hemel Hempstead with the new gear pending the US move called Sungod Va.

Sungod V circa 2007

Sungod Va circa 2005

SunGod VI (2012)

Prompted by another house move, Sungod VI came into being in 2012, it was in the process of being soundproofed and fitted out when Anthony passed in 2013.

SunGod Connecticut

In 2008, Ant assisted Andrew in building an entirely new studio in the basement of his home on the USA, in Connecticut. An entirely virtual recording process enabled some degree of cooperation over the internet, while also providing the potential for re-mixes of older tracks with much improved quality. The design and build process is documented in detail here.

For a period of time Andrew used the facilities at SunGod Connecticut to record semi-professional voiceovers for GuitarMasterclass.net where he was also a guitar instructor.

SunGod Connecticut circa 2008

By 2013, SunGod Connecticut had been upgraded with the addition of a Focusrite Sapphire Pro 24 Audio Interface (upgraded from the earlier EMU-1212M)

At this time, SunGod Connecticut was capable of recording 16 channels simultaneously, and had 16 outputs for monitoring, reamping and headphones, as well as practically unlimited channels available for mixdown thanks to the wonders of DAW technology - a far cry from the early cassette based systems we started with!

​Sungod Connecticut in 2013

Some of the amplifiers in Sungod Connecticut

In 2017, the recording interface and outboard analog gear, patch panels and analog snake were all replaced by a Behringer X-32 Compact digital mixer and and 16x8 Digital stage box.. This simplified the wiring of the studio considerably and resulted in a much tidier look, as well as many fewer problems with analog connections and patch panels as well as a simplified gain structure.

With those items hooked up, SunGod was able to record 40 channels of audio simultaneously as well as output to 22 separate outputs if required, and make use of the onboard digital effects rack to eliminate the need for outbound equipment such as reverb units and noise gates.

By that time, the list of equipment was as follows:

• Adam A7 Monitors
• A selection of microphones: Rode NT-1A, Rode K2 tube, SM57, SM58
• Line 6 Helix
• M-Audio ProKeys 88 Master Midi Keyboard
• Reaper DAW
• Many soft-synths, and effects processors
• Many Electric guitars and tube amplifiers (some home made)
• Triple computer monitors
• Behringer X32 Compact Digital Mixer
• Behringer SD16 Digital Stage Box

Sungod Connecticut in 2017 after the refit:

The new mixer:

This configuration did sterling service for the next 3 years.

Sungod Florida

In 2020, during the height of COVID Andrew decided to move to Florida. This of course meant plans for a new studio. After a year with no studio to speak of in a rented house, he finally moved into a new build in the Fort Myers area. The space available, while adequate was less expansive than in Connecticut, since Floridians don’t build basements due to the proximity of the water table to gorund level. In addition, since the studio would be sited in a bedroom and functionally part of the house and would double as a guest room, a more visually friendly approach was taken.

A special purpose recording desk was sourced from Zaor, a Miza M Flex with additional gridpacks for placement of rack units. This meant downsizing of the existing rack space, and a move away from the Behringer X-32, which while an excellent addiiton to the studio was really overkill and took up a lot of space.

To replace the X-32, a Focusrite Scarlet Pro USB gen 4 interace with 8 ins and outs was purchased - more than enough for the current studio’s more modest needs. This also coincided with a move to Mac computers, and a first generation M1 Mac Mini was aquired to run the studio on. A 42” Flatscreen TV was pressed into service as a monitor, mainly for the wow factor of having a large screen, and the venerable Adam A7s were upgraded to the newer A7X models. The Prokeys stage piano had by this time succumbed to wear and dampness in the Connecticut basement, so it was replaced with an Arturia Keylab 88 MKII midi controller keyboard.

All in all, although a lot less bulky, the new setup was extremely functional and ticked the box of looking good enough to co-exist with the spare room, which also featured a pull out couch for guests to sleep on.

As a final touch, a subset of Andrew’s burgeoning collection of guitars was hung on the wall. As of 2025 it looked like this: