For outboard gear, Brener’s using three Empirical Labs Distressors (“the best compressors on the planet”), a TC Electronics 2290 for stereo delay (equipped with a custom non-latching footswitch for tap tempo), and a Lexicon 960L.
“The EL and Lexicon units are must haves for me. The EL comps are truly the Swiss army knife of compressors and are my favorites. They emphasize that round warmth to Bruno when he really digs into the comp.
“Bruno has incredible mic control, which is a blessing and a curse because when he gets too far away from his mic, he thins out tremendously. I found the distressors provide the best tonal and level consistency applicable to his style.
“The Lexicon is the smoothest, most authentic and believable verb, at least to my preferences. Don’t leave home without it!
“Of course, I’m using the Waves SoundGrid server to enhance what the SD7 has already made sound amazing. I mostly use the CLA stuff. My go-to lately has been a chain of the CLA-3A>H-EQ>L2. I use that for Kick, Snare, and Toms.
“The 3A gives the tones so much weight and characteristic and the H-EQ has so much personality. Playing with the slopes is the key. They provide so much color and nuance.
“Lastly, the L2 adds the incredible punch in the low-mid area, especially noticeable on drums, when you set the threshold just right.—For guitars and horns, I hit 2As pretty damn hard for a nice, unabrasive creamy sound.
“I always end up playing with the hi-freq knob to squash the nasty tones up top. I’m always careful with that. Also, on the horns, I am using the REDD .17 for analog graininess and a certain articulation.
“The Leslie hits an 1176 hard as our keyboard player is extremely dynamic. The only thing I use on vocals is the supreme and omnipresent C6 for de-essing and squashing problem areas.
“Other than that, there isn’t much else going on. I have a couple of onboard verbs for snare, acoustic guitar, and horns, (which rarely get used in big arenas), but are lifesavers in outdoor, dry-as-a-bone situations.”