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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 23, 2014 14:29:06 GMT -6
Going to a hybrid setup this year has really made me appreciate gear that's easily recalled. I frequently switch from one song or band to another and I hate recall with a fiery passion. Sometimes I won't even use a piece of gear because the thought of recalling it later makes me break out in hives. And the little digital devil on my shoulder keeps whispering in my ear.... "go back in the box... just do it... it's soooo easy." The problem is I much prefer the sonics and workflow of analog gear, so I don't want to abandon it for the sake of convenience. I've considered the x-rack, but it's kinda pricey, and I'm typically looking for more mojo than what I would probably get with SSL. Also, that system is kinda old now, so I'm wondering if something better might be coming along...
That being said, here's the gear I use that I find easy to recall:
EQ/Tone Shaping:
CAPI LC53a love child (all switched gain and freq).
Louder Than Liftoff Chop Shop (fully detented pots).
Compressors:
JLM LA500 (giant chicken head knobs with detented gain, and fully variable threshold).
I'm aware of the Bettermaker stuff, which seems like an elegant EQ solution, but beyond that, I'd be very interested to know what other gear you guys find easy to recall. Also, if you've used Bettermaker's EQs, I'd love to hear your impressions.
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Post by tonycamphd on Oct 23, 2014 14:42:34 GMT -6
its tough to find gear with detents for repeatable switching, i'm a huge fan of that gear you mentioned, and chicken head knobs, they take more accurate photos for recall reference IME
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 23, 2014 14:51:35 GMT -6
its tough to find gear with detents for repeatable switching, i'm a huge fan of that gear you mentioned, and chicken head knobs, they take more accurate photos for recall reference IME Yep, and oftentimes product descriptions aren't that clear as to which controls have detentes or switches. Photos can be a real pain on some gear... and you might need three or four to get everything (even on 500 series). I usually prefer to use a recall sheet with a visual depiction of the gear in question. I open it up in 'paint' and draw lines on it. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 23, 2014 14:58:45 GMT -6
Obviously Elysia stuff is all detented. I have the x-filter and think it's cool.
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Post by wiz on Oct 23, 2014 15:43:22 GMT -6
API 550 s
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Post by RicFoxx on Oct 23, 2014 17:11:14 GMT -6
Rupert Neve Portico Ii MBP
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 23, 2014 17:31:21 GMT -6
Couple other switched units that I've got...
TC Phoenix Mastering. All switched except output level, which is detented.
NTI EQ2. Mastering version/precursor to Nightpro and MAAG. Fixed frequencies with stacked switches for fine and broad gain. Either .5 dB increments or 3dB increments.
API 2500 (had). Mostly switched except threshold and makeup gain.
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Post by mdmitch2 on Oct 24, 2014 9:13:03 GMT -6
Thanks for all the replies thus far -- lots of cool pieces to research and gas for.
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Post by jimwilliams on Oct 24, 2014 9:26:31 GMT -6
Back in the 1980's the SSL did all the recall for the console, but the outboard was the assistants job to document.
Most large mix rooms had sheets made with the gear's switches and pots shown blank. A quick line in pencil marked the positions. Date and mark it, pack it with the 2". Photo's were done Polaroid and were less than useful.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Oct 24, 2014 10:42:53 GMT -6
Back in the 1980's the SSL did all the recall for the console, but the outboard was the assistants job to document. Most large mix rooms had sheets made with the gear's switches and pots shown blank. A quick line in pencil marked the positions. Date and mark it, pack it with the 2". Photo's were done Polaroid and were less than useful. Unfortunately most of us can't afford an SSL or assistant. Sheets with a pencil have been quicker for me than pics or using the computer. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,959 
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Post by ericn on Oct 24, 2014 18:32:08 GMT -6
Back in the 1980's the SSL did all the recall for the console, but the outboard was the assistants job to document. Most large mix rooms had sheets made with the gear's switches and pots shown blank. A quick line in pencil marked the positions. Date and mark it, pack it with the 2". Photo's were done Polaroid and were less than useful. Unfortunately most of us can't afford an SSL or assistant. Sheets with a pencil have been quicker for me than pics or using the computer. True but my $750 Otari can do it! As far as recall of outboard, iPhone camera is a god send! |
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Post by cenafria on Oct 25, 2014 2:12:26 GMT -6
We take good pictures with a digital camera of both the console and the outboard. My partner has worked out a really good system of what pictures need to be taken and how.
The patchbay is done with pencil and paper.
The advantage of the pictures for us is that it is faster to make the recall than with pencil and paper. And if the pictures are done properly, you can really match what you had. It is true that it is extremely rare that the recall is really justified. Those sessions quickly end up turning into a new mix rather than slightly modifying the old one. However, it is something we have to do with most clients as many people unconsciously expect total recall similar to working itb.
I think the Distressor is a great piece of gear for photo recalls. The LA22 and the 165A are examples of the opposite.
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Post by Randge on Oct 26, 2014 7:41:04 GMT -6
Another big plus about the RTZ stuff. Even their preamps are stepped in the input leaving only one knob that is sweepable to have to really pay attention to when you recall. www.rtzaudio.com/PEQ1549.htmlR |
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Post by odyssey76 on Oct 26, 2014 8:14:52 GMT -6
WA76.Both Input and Output are stepped.
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Post by winetree on Oct 26, 2014 13:49:16 GMT -6
We used to take a small cassette recorder and read the settings into it.
Saves time marking down the settings. Play it back, listen and reset, saves time looking back and forth to the paper when resetting them. |
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Post by cenafria on Oct 27, 2014 12:33:28 GMT -6
We used to take a small cassette recorder and read the settings into it.
Saves time marking down the settings. Play it back, listen and reset, saves time looking back and forth to the paper when resetting them. You don't do an entire console like that, do you? |
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Post by winetree on Oct 28, 2014 19:30:54 GMT -6
Yes, back then consoles did not automatically reset themselves.. On an old SSL you have to look at the screen and turn the knobs until they null out.
Many consoles didn't have that feature. So you would just listening back and reset the knobs. If not you had to write down all the channel settings.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Oct 29, 2014 6:25:16 GMT -6
Yes, back then consoles did not automatically reset themselves.. On an old SSL you have to look at the screen and turn the knobs until they null out. Many consoles didn't have that feature. So you would just listening back and reset the knobs. If not you had to write down all the channel settings. This is why studios had interns, real engineers would rather scrub the toilet than fill out the recall sheets on a console. Don't forget the Ameks where the voice of Rupert Neve guided you through a recall! |
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Post by cenafria on Oct 29, 2014 11:59:27 GMT -6
Yes, back then consoles did not automatically reset themselves.. On an old SSL you have to look at the screen and turn the knobs until they null out. Many consoles didn't have that feature. So you would just listening back and reset the knobs. If not you had to write down all the channel settings. I know a little about consoles that don't reset themselves : ) In our studio we've had a 32 channel Harrison 32 series console that we have carefully maintained and modified over the last thirteen years. Before that, I cut my teeth on all sorts of analogue consoles. My question was whether you were using this method nowadays. I just imagined that dictating the settings into a recorder would always be approximate and would take longer than taking pictures with a digital camera with auto focus. We do a lot of records in less than five days so the mixing has to be fast, sometimes a mix per hour. My partner can take the console pictures in under five minutes. While I start on the next mix he does the outboard. The patch bay recall is usually done before we print the mix. To stay on topic, the Electrodyne 511 is very easy to recall. All switched. |
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Post by geoff738 on Oct 30, 2014 16:51:38 GMT -6
Plus, it's a great comp. I believe the pre-eq and maybe his 4pre have some of the pots switchable - the frequencies on the eq for sure. Not so sure about his 500 series stuff - but I'm fairly certain that less stuff (perhaps none) is switchable in that format. Cheers, Geoff |
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Post by ElGato on Nov 4, 2014 20:34:28 GMT -6
SSL x-rack has recall but you need the 6-sloth rack. Unfortunately, the mynx 2-sloth rack doesn't.
Other options are:
-Stock or custom stepped pots and take pics with notes attached.
-Regular pots and pics.
I still wonder why the 500 series took over the X-rack format. Costs I guess. To my knowledge, the SSL is better and has recall.
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Post by mdmitch2 on Nov 4, 2014 20:44:30 GMT -6
SSL x-rack has recall but you need the 6-sloth rack. Unfortunately, the mynx 2-sloth rack doesn't. Other options are: -Stock or custom stepped pots and take pics with notes attached. -Regular pots and pics. I still wonder why the 500 series took over the X-rack format. Costs I guess. To my knowledge, the SSL is better and has recall. I came really close to buying an 8 space x rack with g buss compressor on eBay the other day. Resale value on that stuff is pretty low compared to popular 500 series units. I'm still on the lookout ... If I got one I would probably just fill it up with with eqs and comps. Even though they wouldn't be mojo pieces , I still feel like they would greatly improve my workflow. I really wish the 'total recall' concept would spread to more gear. I remember several years ago Tim at seventh circle was talking about developing a line of plugin controlled modules, but I guess that fizzled out. Doesn't seem like SCA is doing much development these days. |
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Post by ElGato on Nov 4, 2014 20:55:43 GMT -6
I came really close to buying an 8 space x rack with g buss compressor on eBay the other day. Resale value on that stuff is pretty low compared to popular 500 series units. I'm still on the lookout ... If I got one I would probably just fill it up with with eqs and comps. Even though they wouldn't be mojo pieces , I still feel like they would greatly improve my workflow. I really wish the 'total recall' concept would spread to more gear. I remember several years ago Tim at seventh circle was talking about developing a line of plugin controlled modules, but I guess that fizzled out. Doesn't seem like SCA is doing much development these days. The wait for a 2nd-hand one was not in vain, here. A shame more companies didn't adopt this format. They pay for the proprietary thing of the 500 series, I think? Pretty similar to what SCA wanted to develop. A developer's nightmare, I can see why SCA gave up on this. |
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Post by ionian on Nov 6, 2014 15:19:18 GMT -6
Elysia Xfilter EQ and Xpressor Comp are great and detened for recall. Another one that flies under everyone's radar is the RTZ PEQ1549 500 series EQ which has everything detented and has high and low pass filters as well... www.rtzaudio.com/PEQ1549.htmlI have the Buzz Essence comp - everything is switched but the drive and gain makeup are pots so not 100% recallable, sadly. My bus comp is the Obsidian. Everything is switched, including threshold and gain, and very recallable. Easiest recallable comps in my mind would be the IA Brute, and both the Shadow Hills Dual Vandergraph and Mono Optograph. All three have two knobs and both switched. Regards, Frank |
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Post by mdmitch2 on Nov 6, 2014 15:36:01 GMT -6
Elysia Xfilter EQ and Xpressor Comp are great and detened for recall. Another one that flies under everyone's radar is the RTZ PEQ1549 500 series EQ which has everything detented and has high and low pass filters as well... www.rtzaudio.com/PEQ1549.htmlI have the Buzz Essence comp - everything is switched but the drive and gain makeup are pots so not 100% recallable, sadly. My bus comp is the Obsidian. Everything is switched, including threshold and gain, and very recallable. Easiest recallable comps in my mind would be the IA Brute, and both the Shadow Hills Dual Vandergraph and Mono Optograph. All three have two knobs and both switched. Regards, Frank That RTZ EQ looks really functional, and not too bad price either ($799). Oh and a lundahl output tranny option too (for more money). Interesting. |
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