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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 22, 2021 13:57:30 GMT -6
Hey guys,
I'm already set with my "good" preamps with Coils, Tree, Capi and Heritage preamps but I feel like sometimes I'm missing something a little lofi, smaller but still smooth to track drum machines/ acoustic guitars, some egit overdubs. I love Beck, Eels, I love mixing Hifi elements with really cheap sounding stuff.
I mean I can hipass/lopass and send things through decapitator or saturn but I'd love to just get it at the tracking stage.
I'm thinking maybe an old Tascam board, or even a Portastudio and just use the preamps. I've heard the old Shure mixers can sound cool but I've never heard them or found recordings done on one.
Any ideas?
I'd love to get your thoughts on this!
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Post by ragan on Apr 22, 2021 14:03:03 GMT -6
I’ve got a couple of RAMSA boards that sound pretty cool when driven. That’s my first thought, an old mixer. Can find that stuff cheap as chips on CL. I think I paid $100 for both RAMSA boards.
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Post by miadaudio on Apr 22, 2021 14:15:42 GMT -6
Have you tried using lofi-ish mics through your preamps?
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 22, 2021 14:20:05 GMT -6
I’ve got a couple of RAMSA boards that sound pretty cool when driven. That’s my first thought, an old mixer. Can find that stuff cheap as chips on CL. I think I paid $100 for both RAMSA boards. Thanks for the suggestion. Any model in particular? I'm in the EU, I don't see many around! |
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 22, 2021 14:24:04 GMT -6
Have you tried using lofi-ish mics through your preamps? I have tried a few but not a ton. I have a salt shaker mic, and a couple old cheap AKGs and Beyer. It's definitely an option to build up a little cheap mic selection! I was wondering about preamps because I was listening to some stuff I tracked on a Portastudio back in the day with SM57s and 58s and there's something cool about that sound but I'm not sure how much of that is the sound of the Porta preamps or the Cassette. I don't know if I'm really willing to go back down the Cassette route but maybe I'll give it a try, I'm not sure how to integrate it into my workflow though. |
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Post by ragan on Apr 22, 2021 14:26:38 GMT -6
I’ve got a couple of RAMSA boards that sound pretty cool when driven. That’s my first thought, an old mixer. Can find that stuff cheap as chips on CL. I think I paid $100 for both RAMSA boards. Thanks for the suggestion. Any model in particular? I'm in the EU, I don't see many around! The one I like best is a WR-S4412. There are larger and smaller configurations of that series. I don't know that there's anything particularly special about it, but I think it sounds pretty solid (I used to keep a few channels on my patchbay for some saturation and/or EQ) and I like it better than the Mackies I've had. |
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Post by ragan on Apr 22, 2021 14:28:35 GMT -6
Have you tried using lofi-ish mics through your preamps? I have tried a few but not a ton. I have a salt shaker mic, and a couple old cheap AKGs and Beyer. It's definitely an option to build up a little cheap mic selection! I was wondering about preamps because I was listening to some stuff I tracked on a Portastudio back in the day with SM57s and 58s and there's something cool about that sound but I'm not sure how much of that is the sound of the Porta preamps or the Cassette. I don't know if I'm really willing to go back down the Cassette route but maybe I'll give it a try, I'm not sure how to integrate it into my workflow though. This is one area where I think the Zulu is really cool, sounding like lo-fi tape. Also an EV 635A/RE50 has a little bit of that vibe. I reach for my RE50 sometimes for that. |
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Post by stormymondays on Apr 22, 2021 14:32:23 GMT -6
Another vote for cheap mics over cheap preamps. I bought a Shure M267 mono mixer with a limiter thinking it would be cool for that. It was just noisy and average sounding, I couldn't sell it fast enough. I think there's too much "lofi" hype and people/stores selling junk just because people will fall for it, only to sell it later like I did  I think the coolness of the Portastudio is mostly the cassette sound, and you were also probably using only dynamic mics where you would use a condenser these days. |
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Post by ericn on Apr 22, 2021 14:34:39 GMT -6
Go to local Pawn shop, find a cheap mixer make lowball offer.
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 22, 2021 14:41:42 GMT -6
Another vote for cheap mics over cheap preamps. I bought a Shure M267 mono mixer with a limiter thinking it would be cool for that. It was just noisy and average sounding, I couldn't sell it fast enough. I think there's too much "lofi" hype and people/stores selling junk just because people will fall for it, only to sell it later like I did I think the coolness of the Portastudio is mostly the cassette sound, and you were also probably using only dynamic mics where you would use a condenser these days. I was actually checking out some of those old Shure mixers! Well it's good to know that it's not worth it then. Yeah I remember I used to see them for $20 , now they're " vintage " and sell for good money... I wonder if maybe I'll pick up a Portastudio then, just for the occasional song that needs it. I'm just not sure how it would sync. It seems like it could be a major headache I don't know. Any cool cheap mic suggestions? |
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 22, 2021 14:44:12 GMT -6
I have tried a few but not a ton. I have a salt shaker mic, and a couple old cheap AKGs and Beyer. It's definitely an option to build up a little cheap mic selection! I was wondering about preamps because I was listening to some stuff I tracked on a Portastudio back in the day with SM57s and 58s and there's something cool about that sound but I'm not sure how much of that is the sound of the Porta preamps or the Cassette. I don't know if I'm really willing to go back down the Cassette route but maybe I'll give it a try, I'm not sure how to integrate it into my workflow though. This is one area where I think the Zulu is really cool, sounding like lo-fi tape. Also an EV 635A/RE50 has a little bit of that vibe. I reach for my RE50 sometimes for that. I've got a 635a! I LOVE it. I use it as a mono Oh, acoustic guitar and vocal mic all the time. I used it for that exact vibe on the vocals of this song I produced for a band: |
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Post by stormymondays on Apr 22, 2021 14:49:02 GMT -6
635a fan as well! Cool sounding track, thanks for sharing. As for "specialty" mics, I didn't like the Copperphone. It's got "a sound" but in order to fit it into the mix you need to EQ it a lot, and at that point, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Check out this Spanish company: www.mothsound.info I have one of their mics and it's all I wanted the Copperphone to be. Still, that's very lo-fi, special effects territory. You could try to find some Mellodium stuff, since you're in France. Old Oktava can be very cool too. And you can find a ton of Grundig/Telefunken/Philips mics designed for tape recorders and such. That's an easy way to test the waters without breaking the bank. |
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Post by ragan on Apr 22, 2021 14:49:22 GMT -6
I've got a Shure M67 sitting in my studio closet. $20 garage sale impulse buy. I should at least try it one of these years.
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Post by ericn on Apr 22, 2021 14:53:16 GMT -6
Another vote for cheap mics over cheap preamps. I bought a Shure M267 mono mixer with a limiter thinking it would be cool for that. It was just noisy and average sounding, I couldn't sell it fast enough. I think there's too much "lofi" hype and people/stores selling junk just because people will fall for it, only to sell it later like I did I think the coolness of the Portastudio is mostly the cassette sound, and you were also probably using only dynamic mics where you would use a condenser these days. I was actually checking out some of those old Shure mixers! Well it's good to know that it's not worth it then. Yeah I remember I used to see them for $20 , now they're " vintage " and sell for good money... I wonder if maybe I'll pick up a Portastudio then, just for the occasional song that needs it. I'm just not sure how it would sync. It seems like it could be a major headache I don't know. Any cool cheap mic suggestions? Those Shures are all more noise than tone, if you want the sound of the Level Loc without the noise go for the Standard Audio. Porta Studios are the low fi of low fi, the thing is most owners never cleaned the heads or if they did they used one of those cleaning cassettes that’s more like using sandpaper. |
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Post by ericn on Apr 22, 2021 14:54:43 GMT -6
I've got a Shure M67 sitting in my studio closet. $20 garage sale impulse buy. I should at least try it one of these years. Find a school with a Video class donate it ! |
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Post by superwack on Apr 22, 2021 15:08:36 GMT -6
Obviously not hardware but there is a new Airwindows plugin called Mackity that emulates the input stage of the Mackie 1202 and could be cool for what you are trying to do www.airwindows.com/mackity/ |
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 22, 2021 15:08:44 GMT -6
Thanks it was a fun record! Recorded live with minimal micing through an audient asp880 on location in the band’s tiny untreated rehearsal space. Given the conditions I’m happy With how it turned out. I actually tried the copperphone and didn’t get it. It was just too much. I’ ll check out the moth mic!! 635a fan as well! Cool sounding track, thanks for sharing. As for "specialty" mics, I didn't like the Copperphone. It's got "a sound" but in order to fit it into the mix you need to EQ it a lot, and at that point, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Check out this Spanish company: www.mothsound.info I have one of their mics and it's all I wanted the Copperphone to be. Still, that's very lo-fi, special effects territory. You could try to find some Mellodium stuff, since you're in France. Old Oktava can be very cool too. And you can find a ton of Grundig/Telefunken/Philips mics designed for tape recorders and such. That's an easy way to test the waters without breaking the bank. |
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Post by gouge on Apr 22, 2021 15:20:05 GMT -6
Have you tried Transformer based preamps driven into saturation followed by a bandpass filter.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Apr 22, 2021 16:23:56 GMT -6
If you got some guitar amps, try reamping some of your tracks through them. You can get some cool “lofi” tones out of what you’ve already recorded well.
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Post by Guitar on Apr 22, 2021 17:14:12 GMT -6
Mackie VLZ4 would be my recommendation, big fan of those for this task.
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Post by drumsound on Apr 22, 2021 20:20:58 GMT -6
The Art VLA is a good option. I used to really love a knee mic through the VLA driven.
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Post by notneeson on Apr 22, 2021 21:20:16 GMT -6
Try hitting the front end of a tube pre with a line level signal.
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 23, 2021 0:29:20 GMT -6
Have you tried Transformer based preamps driven into saturation followed by a bandpass filter. This is actually what's gotten me the closest. Driven Capi preamp followed by a LC53a cutting His and LOws aggressively and then boosting some mids. It definitely gets me in the ballpark. |
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 23, 2021 0:35:02 GMT -6
Thanks guys for all the great suggestions.
I have tried quite a few of these options, guitar amp, driving the tube pres and none quite get me there though they sound great and I love doing those thigns.
I'm demoing a cassette emulation plugin and it sounds really close so I'm thinking a lot of what I'm missing is just that Cassette sound, the wow and flutter.
I'll try to see if I can grab a cheap Zulu, or I might try to get a Portastudio 246 and see how I can fit it into my workflow but it seems a little overkill for something that is really more of an effect that I'd use sparingly
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Post by bricejchandler on Apr 23, 2021 0:35:45 GMT -6
Anybody have some other cheap funky lofi mic suggestions they like??
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