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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 16, 2021 8:03:23 GMT -6
I get the “sounds like a sample” take. Just listening on my phone, so you can probably take everything else I’m saying with a grain of salt…but yeah, that cartoon smack snare just sounds dated to me now. Like 2014 dated. Lol. And the room mics are compressed to high heaven.
Honestly, sonically, how do you really tell anything about a mic pre without hearing what it sounds like in sources that you know what sound like in your room?
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 16, 2021 8:08:05 GMT -6
As an aside…am I the only one that doesn’t like a lot of click in my kick? It just reminds me of metal. I want my chest to thump and for it to have no similarity to the snare.
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Post by allbuttonmode on Dec 16, 2021 8:24:27 GMT -6
I love me some big fat snare drum.
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Post by phantom on Dec 16, 2021 8:37:20 GMT -6
As an aside…am I the only one that doesn’t like a lot of click in my kick? It just reminds me of metal. I want my chest to thump and for it to have no similarity to the snare. Yeah, that amount of click only works for dense and fast songs like metal and punk imo. Not really a beautiful sound to my ears.
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 16, 2021 9:48:17 GMT -6
Listened on monitors...it's not as clicky as I thought. It's the snare that I'm not crazy about...but that sound is what all the beanies like.
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Post by the other mark williams on Dec 16, 2021 10:50:57 GMT -6
In the right context, I love that snare sound. Beck’s “Sea Change” is probably my favorite Beck album. I even like to listen to the Eagles sometimes, Lebowski notwithstanding.
I for one am glad there are different snare sounds in the world. Over the years I have come to appreciate many of them.
Except piccolo snares.
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Post by notneeson on Dec 16, 2021 11:01:11 GMT -6
I think it's a total balancing act to get the right upper mid presence in your kick without turning it into a cartoon. It's one of those jigsaw puzzle challenges that make mixing interesting. You want to hear the kick on most devices, but not ruin it in the process.
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Post by ab101 on Dec 16, 2021 12:03:35 GMT -6
I think it is fair to say that these heritage units should not be judged based on their own demo! So maybe there will be another one some day.
A seawell review would be great!
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 16, 2021 12:55:09 GMT -6
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Post by nick8801 on Dec 16, 2021 13:12:24 GMT -6
I think it's safe to say that these will sound good regardless of the Heritage demo. Everything I've owned that they make is good to great.
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Post by kcatthedog on Dec 16, 2021 14:55:58 GMT -6
Notwithstanding the great solo, these drums, just sound like live drums!
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Post by seawell on Dec 16, 2021 15:53:27 GMT -6
I think it is fair to say that these heritage units should not be judged based on their own demo! So maybe there will be another one some day. A seawell review would be great! I'd love to! It may be a while(unless Heritage reads this and would like to send me one 😁). In the meantime, I'm working on Highland Dynamics BG1 and AML ezP-1A reviews 👍🏼
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Post by ab101 on Dec 16, 2021 16:13:41 GMT -6
I think it's safe to say that these will sound good regardless of the Heritage demo. Everything I've owned that they make is good to great. Odds are this is correct. I have heard some negative comments about the Heritage Symph eq. And that is the only Heritage product for which I heard something negative. But I have not tried it. I have tried the 1073/500, the 73eq jr and HA-609a - and they are all superb.
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Post by nudwig on Dec 16, 2021 16:49:42 GMT -6
I just realized this thread started way before they released their elite series 1081. Wondering if there was one in their hardwired series they were planning?
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Post by mike on Dec 16, 2021 17:35:13 GMT -6
I just realized this thread started way before they released their elite series 1081. Wondering if there was one in their hardwired series they were planning?
I wish they did, but I don't think Heritage makes a full 1081 in their elite series that has a 1081 class AB preamp, and is sometimes described as a little more Hi Fi and works well for vocals,....but they have a 8173 module in the elite series that combines the popular class A 1073 preamp with the four-band EQ of a 1081.
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Post by nudwig on Dec 16, 2021 18:10:39 GMT -6
I just realized this thread started way before they released their elite series 1081. Wondering if there was one in their hardwired series they were planning?
I wish they did, but I don't think Heritage makes a full 1081 in their elite series that has a 1081 class AB preamp, and is sometimes described as a little more Hi Fi and works well for vocals,....but they have a 8173 module in the elite series that combines the popular class A 1073 preamp with the four-band EQ of a 1081.
I wish they did too. I was seriously checking the 8173's out a few years back but then AML released their full 1081 so I went AML. I love my pair but am still haunted by the sound of the original 1081's I sometimes rent. I'll get around to trying the HA81 sometime, price is definitely nice.
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Post by mike on Dec 16, 2021 18:24:43 GMT -6
I wish they did too. I was seriously checking the 8173's out a few years back but then AML released their full 1081 so I went AML. I love my pair but am still haunted by the sound of the original 1081's I sometimes rent. I'll get around to trying the HA81 sometime, price is definitely nice. The AMS Neve 1081's really tempt me,.... but the added expense of a proper rack/power supply raises the total cost of a pair of 1081's higher than my wallet can tolerate so far,.. but I'm weakening. How close or far away does the AML ez1081 come to the Neve's in your experience?
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Post by nudwig on Dec 16, 2021 18:59:19 GMT -6
I wish they did too. I was seriously checking the 8173's out a few years back but then AML released their full 1081 so I went AML. I love my pair but am still haunted by the sound of the original 1081's I sometimes rent. I'll get around to trying the HA81 sometime, price is definitely nice. The AMS Neve 1081's really tempt me,.... but the added expense of a proper rack/power supply raises the total cost of a pair of 1081's higher than my wallet can tolerate so far,.. but I'm weakening. How close or far away does the AML ez1081 come to the Neve's in your experience? I haven't tried the AMS 1081's yet, I had a chance to get a pair a while back but hesitated as it would've been a stretch, wish I would've now as everything has exploded in price. I had files I posted here a while back comparing the AML and the OG 1081's, think it's in the AML thread. Long story short the AML's are more polite and a bit cleaner, better for bus work and more versatile in general use. The originals had a stronger opinion and an electric edge to everything, sometimes over the top but always inspiring to use. I feel the Tape Op AML review is an accurate assessment and in reality I probably get much more use out of mine as they never get you into trouble the way the originals can (and no maintenance issues). That said I would still love to have a pair of the originals and would like to try/have a pair of the AMS version. That's probably enough thread derailing, I'm looking forward to anyone here that's tried the HA81.
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Post by mike on Dec 16, 2021 19:34:46 GMT -6
I haven't tried the AMS 1081's yet, I had a chance to get a pair a while back but hesitated as it would've been a stretch, wish I would've now as everything has exploded in price. I had files I posted here a while back comparing the AML and the OG 1081's, think it's in the AML thread. Long story short the AML's are more polite and a bit cleaner, better for bus work and more versatile in general use. The originals had a stronger opinion and an electric edge to everything, sometimes over the top but always inspiring to use. I feel the Tape Op AML review is an accurate assessment and in reality I probably get much more use out of mine as they never get you into trouble the way the originals can (and no maintenance issues). That said I would still love to have a pair of the originals and would like to try/have a pair of the AMS version. That's probably enough thread derailing, I'm looking forward to anyone here that's tried the HA81.
Sorry for going off thread topic, and thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Mike
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Post by matt on Dec 16, 2021 22:11:56 GMT -6
I own an HA-81A. It is currently serving snare top duty, handling an SM57 over an LM402 Supraphonic. We tune high (A220) and the Heritage handles the Supra's sharp transients with ease. It is quiet, the EQ section is everything you'd expect in an 81-style pre, and the build quality is very good. It isn't going anywhere any time soon.
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Post by sirthought on Dec 17, 2021 6:43:15 GMT -6
The Eagles' drums are a good comparison.
Sounds like the kit has a cold...or like the drummer is in a cupboard. I bet it's the settings and not the strip.
I think a wee bit of click on the kick is helpful for feeling it punch through a mix at lower levels.
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Post by jakeboy on Dec 18, 2021 17:04:47 GMT -6
Drums sound good, but you can def hear that dampening device. I prefer a crackin’ snare and not that…but that ain’t the fault of the 81.
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