|
|
Post by kcatthedog on Aug 14, 2015 6:18:18 GMT -6
The D4 isn't colored but has a very nice presence and tone.
|
|
|
|
Post by stratboy on Aug 14, 2015 7:14:48 GMT -6
Wonderful, Martin.
In addition to the useful comparisons, I really line the video itself. Good production values, and you have a nice on camera presence.
Thanks for inspiring me to tackle the next frontier. What camera are you using?
|
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 14, 2015 8:14:09 GMT -6
Thanks stratboy. My friend Dusty Wright, ( culturecatch.com) brought over a $10,000 Sony camera, which you can see just before 8:00 in the video. Funny thing though, I got better results on a previous video when a photographer friend used a $200 small camera, but spent time lighting properly. So, I guess that means lighting trumps camera quality, even an iPhone is pretty high res.
2002digging, the D4 does have a sound, but not highly colored, like some are. I tested my mic once through a restored Neve console at a great studio, with no processing other than the board itself, and no EQ. There was a very solid feeling to the sound. Beyond the obvious "sound" of a Neve, there was still a certain power to the tone I can only describe as "pro". It's just different than most less expensive preamps and sound boards. The D4 reminds me of that sound, only not the tone, but the impact, a tight full bottom, but no bloat, clean highs that shimmer a little, but are smooth.. a great combination that give tracks a high quality finish, right from the start. A bargain, I would say.
|
|
|
|
Post by odyssey76 on Aug 14, 2015 17:44:11 GMT -6
MJB - 1st of all thanks for the effort on this one, great production and I really like the song. I know I've heard this song before here at RGO and liked it then and sounds even better now!
I have a WA76 and will pick up a second in the not-so-distant future. From the sound of your video, I'm pretty sure I abuse mine in grand fashion.... I love this compressor.
So the biggest thing I took from your video is how good a vocal sound you get from the start. Is that your Blackspade UM17? Very good mic for your voice - I had a "wow' moment for a second there! You've got great pipes and are a terrific songwriter, I'd really like to hear more MJB tunes around here!
Lastly, the logo - I wouldn't care if it was steam rising off a Warm turd. I can't wait to add more WA76 here.
|
|
|
|
Post by joseph on Aug 14, 2015 20:57:34 GMT -6
Yeah, great video and song.
And to reiterate WA76 has such a nice tone, even if it looks/feels a little cheaper.
|
|
|
|
Post by sopwith on Aug 14, 2015 21:02:07 GMT -6
Track sounds great! Always love shootouts/demos with actually enjoyable performances. Thanks for this Martin.
|
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 14, 2015 21:17:40 GMT -6
Thanks Odyssee, Joseph, Sopwith, your thoughtful comments mean more than you know.
When Odysee76 said, "Lastly, the logo - I wouldn't care if it was a steam rising off a Warm turd. I can't wait to add more WA76 here." it really cracked me up. My wife's sleeping and I could barely hold back when laughing out loud.
That was the UM17 Blueline, which is the UM17 with the Thiersch M7 installed. I'm getting an even better vocal tone than the one in the video lately, this was done quite a while back. My apartment has an unusually high level of low level noise. There are two elevator motor rooms and a laundry room directly underneath me that hum all day.
I would love to step back a little more, but as soon as I move further from the mic, and crank the gain, the hum becomes insufferable.
|
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Aug 15, 2015 4:27:36 GMT -6
Lastly, the logo - I wouldn't care if it was steam rising off a Warm turd. I can't wait to add more WA76 here. Thank you for searing that image into my brain. Now how am I ever going to buy one? Seriously, if there was ever a comp I would consider buying in my price range, this has to be it, but.. GAH! Maybe if someone could design a facade that's a bit more tasteful and get a couple of people in on a group buy from a site like Tony mentioned. |
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 15, 2015 9:00:18 GMT -6
Guys, just pretend the logo's a three slice toaster and buy one.
|
|
|
|
Post by tonycamphd on Aug 15, 2015 10:07:39 GMT -6
consider this a feeler, if you guys want to order them from me, i'll design Urie faceplate knockoffs that look like the real vintage thing, Urie doesn't exist anymore, so it shouldn't be a problem right?(please correct me if i'm wrong), i could probably provide them for about $150 each, but don't hold me to that until i figure out the $ details.
|
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Aug 15, 2015 10:25:35 GMT -6
consider this a feeler, if you guys want to order them from me, i'll design Urie faceplate knockoffs that look like the real vintage thing, Urie doesn't exist anymore, so it shouldn't be a problem right?(please correct me if i'm wrong), i could probably provide them for about $150 each, but don't hold me to that until i figure out the $ details. Damn tempting - but I can't afford the unit right now.. Besides, my mind can't help but think OTB.. I mean you have a blank slate here.. One knob ranges from Toast to Bagel. Another is labeled "Temperature - High/Low," another, "Doneness - Light/Burnt" and another, "Butter - Dry/Slathered," etc.. |
|
|
|
Post by tonycamphd on Aug 15, 2015 10:34:49 GMT -6
consider this a feeler, if you guys want to order them from me, i'll design Urie faceplate knockoffs that look like the real vintage thing, Urie doesn't exist anymore, so it shouldn't be a problem right?(please correct me if i'm wrong), i could probably provide them for about $150 each, but don't hold me to that until i figure out the $ details. Damn tempting - but I can't afford the unit right now.. Besides, my mind can't help but think OTB.. I mean you have a blank slate here.. One knob ranges from Toast to Bagel. Another is labeled "Temperature - High/Low," another, "Doneness - Light/Burnt" and another, "Butter - Dry/Slathered," etc.. Ur talking about poo right? ( too easy haha 8) |
|
|
|
Post by M57 on Aug 15, 2015 10:45:07 GMT -6
Damn tempting - but I can't afford the unit right now.. Besides, my mind can't help but think OTB.. I mean you have a blank slate here.. One knob ranges from Toast to Bagel. Another is labeled "Temperature - High/Low," another, "Doneness - Light/Burnt" and another, "Butter - Dry/Slathered," etc.. Ur talking about poo right? ( too easy haha 8) Of course we're talking scatalogically! It's all about poo. |
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 15, 2015 12:45:57 GMT -6
Not as in Winnie I take it.
|
|
|
|
Post by warlordpriest on Aug 17, 2015 22:00:15 GMT -6
Been on the fence about the whole '1176 thing but this presentation shows how, using it subtly instead of smashing things really brings out the qualities of a track. Very interesting and thanks for the great song and effort required to produce this.
|
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 18, 2015 8:38:21 GMT -6
Thank warlordrpriest, and welcome to the forum !
When I'm not producing an instructional video, I typically use the WA76 on a few less tracks, and it's even more subtle and refined. I love it on acoustic guitars and bass, and just a pinch on vocals. It helps keep background vocals in line too. I'd love to have an LA-2A or a Sta-Level to try along with it, both separately and in unison.
Maybe Bryce will come to the rescue and produce a WA-2A soon !
|
|
|
|
Post by warlordpriest on Aug 18, 2015 12:32:06 GMT -6
Yes! The video had me salivating, thinking "someday…soon"
Have to get around to that. Videos, especially well done ones like this are so essential.
From all the sound samples I have heard of the 1176 it seems so harsh, mainly suited for rock and acoustic…more than the jazzy type stuff in my repertoire.
This is a different look. Used judiciously it can be very smooth.
And from the samples of the LA2A it seems like a more essential tool for me, but the price is way too high, so, still hoping Bryce will make his version.
Got my hands on a Sta level a few months ago and had a chance to use it on a couple of remixes. It was awesome. So much vibe to it, its my first choice out of those three.
The simplicity of the design is a winner too for less experienced folk like me.
|
|
|
|
Post by odyssey76 on Aug 18, 2015 12:48:57 GMT -6
Yes! The video had me salivating, thinking "someday…soon" Have to get around to that. Videos, especially well done ones like this are so essential. From all the sound samples I have heard of the 1176 it seems so harsh, mainly suited for rock and acoustic…more than the jazzy type stuff in my repertoire. This is a different look. Used judiciously it can be very smooth. And from the samples of the LA2A it seems like a more essential tool for me, but the price is way too high, so, still hoping Bryce will make his version. Got my hands on a Sta level a few months ago and had a chance to use it on a couple of remixes. It was awesome. So much vibe to it, its my first choice out of those three. The simplicity of the design is a winner too for less experienced folk like me. I really hope Bryce has a WA-2a or WA-Level coming in the future...... I find my WA76 very smooth even at higher GR levels (on some sources of course). It definitely has a "sound" which I love but completely understand if some people don't. For jazzy - type stuff though I'm not too sure. That's one genre where your sound really gets scrutinized. Bunch of guys here have or have had Sta-Levels (either Retros or Drip) and the WA76 at the same time. Maybe they can chime in on the mojo of both units? |
|
|
|
Post by wiz on Aug 18, 2015 16:33:26 GMT -6
Yes! The video had me salivating, thinking "someday…soon" Have to get around to that. Videos, especially well done ones like this are so essential. From all the sound samples I have heard of the 1176 it seems so harsh, mainly suited for rock and acoustic…more than the jazzy type stuff in my repertoire. This is a different look. Used judiciously it can be very smooth. And from the samples of the LA2A it seems like a more essential tool for me, but the price is way too high, so, still hoping Bryce will make his version. Got my hands on a Sta level a few months ago and had a chance to use it on a couple of remixes. It was awesome. So much vibe to it, its my first choice out of those three. The simplicity of the design is a winner too for less experienced folk like me. I really hope Bryce has a WA-2a or WA-Level coming in the future...... I find my WA76 very smooth even at higher GR levels (on some sources of course). It definitely has a "sound" which I love but completely understand if some people don't. For jazzy - type stuff though I'm not too sure. That's one genre where your sound really gets scrutinized. Bunch of guys here have or have had Sta-Levels (either Retros or Drip) and the WA76 at the same time. Maybe they can chime in on the mojo of both units? I have a WA76, STA (drip, well.. I have TWO!!! 8P ) and a Drip LA2A.... I Sometimes chain them... Mostly 76/LA2A usually it goes like this for me.. though usually everything gets a quick run.. and a LOT of the time I am passing through a box for its colour.. and apart from the STA most things only do 2-3dB GR.. STA who knows? 8) Bass LA2A Acoustic 76 Kick 76 Snare 76 and just recently DBX 161 Lead Vox .. tracking STA mix down LA500 Elec Guitars mixdown LA500 76 Backing Vox all the compressors might get a run if I am stacking OOOHS Percussion... all the boxes get a run for the tone shaping. The thing for me is using HARDWARE... I mostly am using the box for its TONE first and thinking about COMPRESSION slightly behind that.. yes I am thinking about comp, but its more a holistic process of the whole picture... Say I have an acoustic guitar and I am searching for its tone.. I might try the 76,LA2A,STA, DBX,LA500 ... quickly... with the patch bay I can do that in a couple of minutes.. and A/B by just moving two patch leads, most of the time with one hand... I am also adjusting knobs on the comps with BOTH hands... I can't tell you how much BETTER the process is than dealing with plug ins... the physical nature is a far better interaction... The result is one of two things happens, inside a couple of minutes... 1. One of the boxes WINS outright, or a pair of them, and I am done and move on and I think no more about it. 2. NONE of them work and I leave it alone. Either way, I commit to the sound via revamping, and I am done... Say again, done. 8) My mix down in logic might have a couple of plugins, reverb and delay, and it might have one or two EQ plugs to clean something up.. thats generally it. My point. The boxes I have cost me really not very much.. I bought the STAs and the LA2A secondhand for not much more than a WA TEC each 8) and the WA76 is cheap, as is the LA500 and the DBX cost around the same as well. Invest in hardware if you at all think it will work for you in your situation... you (well I ) stopped buying every plug in that came out. cheers Wiz |
|
|
|
Post by guitfiddler on Aug 18, 2015 17:29:25 GMT -6
I really hope Bryce has a WA-2a or WA-Level coming in the future...... I find my WA76 very smooth even at higher GR levels (on some sources of course). It definitely has a "sound" which I love but completely understand if some people don't. For jazzy - type stuff though I'm not too sure. That's one genre where your sound really gets scrutinized. Bunch of guys here have or have had Sta-Levels (either Retros or Drip) and the WA76 at the same time. Maybe they can chime in on the mojo of both units? I have a WA76, STA (drip, well.. I have TWO!!! 8P ) and a Drip LA2A.... I Sometimes chain them... Mostly 76/LA2A usually it goes like this for me.. though usually everything gets a quick run.. and a LOT of the time I am passing through a box for its colour.. and apart from the STA most things only do 2-3dB GR.. STA who knows? 8) Bass LA2A Acoustic 76 Kick 76 Snare 76 and just recently DBX 161 Lead Vox .. tracking STA mix down LA500 Elec Guitars mixdown LA500 76 Backing Vox all the compressors might get a run if I am stacking OOOHS Percussion... all the boxes get a run for the tone shaping. The thing for me is using HARDWARE... I mostly am using the box for its TONE first and thinking about COMPRESSION slightly behind that.. yes I am thinking about comp, but its more a holistic process of the whole picture... Say I have an acoustic guitar and I am searching for its tone.. I might try the 76,LA2A,STA, DBX,LA500 ... quickly... with the patch bay I can do that in a couple of minutes.. and A/B by just moving two patch leads, most of the time with one hand... I am also adjusting knobs on the comps with BOTH hands... I can't tell you how much BETTER the process is than dealing with plug ins... the physical nature is a far better interaction... The result is one of two things happens, inside a couple of minutes... 1. One of the boxes WINS outright, or a pair of them, and I am done and move on and I think no more about it. 2. NONE of them work and I leave it alone. Either way, I commit to the sound via revamping, and I am done... Say again, done. 8) My mix down in logic might have a couple of plugins, reverb and delay, and it might have one or two EQ plugs to clean something up.. thats generally it. My point. The boxes I have cost me really not very much.. I bought the STAs and the LA2A secondhand for not much more than a WA TEC each 8) and the WA76 is cheap, as is the LA500 and the DBX cost around the same as well. Invest in hardware if you at all think it will work for you in your situation... you (well I ) stopped buying every plug in that came out. cheers Wiz I no longer buy plugins, except for a verb I am eyeing thanks to Randge. You guys are keeping me broke. Just one more piece...and that's what I always tell myself, just one more piece...I want to stop wanting, it is a sickness... |
|
|
|
Post by odyssey76 on Aug 18, 2015 18:42:57 GMT -6
wiz - I agree with you 100% about the "hands on experience" with hardware. I can get a result I'm happier with much faster with hardware than cycling through a bunch of plugs. I'm also chasing the 90% or so OTB mixing aesthetic but I have a long, long way to go...... Am I the only one who feels like I can't get a good result with acoustic guitar with a 76? What are you guys doing with that thing on acoustic? wiz - I don't know how you track when you're recording your own music but I imagine you play your acoustic pretty evenly (dynamically) throughout. Do you like the 76 for tone or just subtly for controlling a peak here and there? warlordpriest - keep an eye out for the Dizengoff D864 comp that will be released soon. Could be another contender in the "too good to be true" price bracket. Could be a nice compliment to the WA76 as well.......
|
|
|
|
Post by guitfiddler on Aug 18, 2015 19:08:41 GMT -6
wiz - I agree with you 100% about the "hands on experience" with hardware. I can get a result I'm happier with much faster with hardware than cycling through a bunch of plugs. I'm also chasing the 90% or so OTB mixing aesthetic but I have a long, long way to go...... Am I the only one who feels like I can't get a good result with acoustic guitar with a 76? What are you guys doing with that thing on acoustic? wiz - I don't know how you track when you're recording your own music but I imagine you play your acoustic pretty evenly (dynamically) throughout. Do you like the 76 for tone or just subtly for controlling a peak here and there? warlordpriest - keep an eye out for the Dizengoff D864 comp that will be released soon. Could be another contender in the "too good to be true" price bracket. Could be a nice compliment to the WA76 as well....... I agree 100% also |
|
|
|
Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 18, 2015 20:44:59 GMT -6
I like the WA76 for acoustic on "strummy" songs, not as much for songs with lots of note picking detail, but I always test it out to see.
|
|
|
|
Post by wiz on Aug 18, 2015 23:25:54 GMT -6
wiz - I agree with you 100% about the "hands on experience" with hardware. I can get a result I'm happier with much faster with hardware than cycling through a bunch of plugs. I'm also chasing the 90% or so OTB mixing aesthetic but I have a long, long way to go...... Am I the only one who feels like I can't get a good result with acoustic guitar with a 76? What are you guys doing with that thing on acoustic? wiz - I don't know how you track when you're recording your own music but I imagine you play your acoustic pretty evenly (dynamically) throughout. Do you like the 76 for tone or just subtly for controlling a peak here and there? warlordpriest - keep an eye out for the Dizengoff D864 comp that will be released soon. Could be another contender in the "too good to be true" price bracket. Could be a nice compliment to the WA76 as well....... Hey Justin mostly tone, I don't do much compression on the acoustic... perhaps with the 76 the transients might get adjusted some.. but mostly, tone and I get that by usually going through the box itself, and the compression never much more than 1 or 2 dB per the meter... but honestly I am only looking at the meter(s) cause they are there... 8) cheers Wiz |
|
|
|
Post by Ward on Aug 19, 2015 6:09:33 GMT -6
Yeah, great video and song. And to reiterate WA76 has such a nice tone, even if it looks/feels a little cheaper. Are you familiar with 1176s in general?? They all feel/look cheaper than they sound, IMHO!! |
|
