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Post by klauth on Dec 14, 2017 17:12:07 GMT -6
With all the talk about mic pre’s on these forums, I’m curious as to how many people actually achieve their dream rack, or did they become jaded alone the way. I’ve heard many say, I’m over it, just make music! Did you loose your gear lust along the way, or... did that infamous life thing, get in the way ?
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Post by svart on Dec 14, 2017 17:15:18 GMT -6
I think I did. I have 4x Neve 1272, 2x 1073 preamp clones, 8x CAPI 312's and 4x SSL 9K clones. I have a few others like the APP MA1 that I find to be really cool and use occasionally too, but those are my workhorses. I find that they cover pretty much anything I need.
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Post by Tbone81 on Dec 14, 2017 18:41:59 GMT -6
I did, 10 channels of Capi (vp28's and vp26's), 2 aml 1073's and 4 channels of sebatron tube pres.
I pretty much never lust after pres now. Microphones are different story!
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Post by EmRR on Dec 14, 2017 18:57:13 GMT -6
Pretty much. More Altec, Collins, Gates, and RCA than I can use on one session.
Always others to try, though. Don't have anything like a Gordon yet.
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 14, 2017 19:30:44 GMT -6
I did. Helios in a Boutique Audio rack...
And promptly sold it.
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Post by Vincent R. on Dec 14, 2017 19:32:58 GMT -6
I'm still building toward it, but I have an idea of what I want. I love my Tab Funkenwerk V78M and really want a second one. I want to get my TNC ACMP-84 upgraded by Revive Audio. Normally I would sell it and get a better neve channel strip, but no one makes a decent 1084 channel at a decent price point. I know at this point I want to grab and SSL channel strip and decide if getting more SSL or more Neve is better for what I do, and either get the SSL VHD 4 channel preamp or a Vintech 473 or maybe 2 Stam 1073 MPAs. I have a couple of more ideas. Maybe a UA 4-710 to expand my Apollo rig to 18 Inputs and give me 4 blendable tube/transformer Preamps. As well as dumbed down 1176 style compressors.
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Post by klauth on Dec 14, 2017 19:47:36 GMT -6
I did. Helios in a Boutique Audio rack... And promptly sold it. Why did you sell ?
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,937
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Post by ericn on Dec 14, 2017 20:05:25 GMT -6
I did. Helios in a Boutique Audio rack... And promptly sold it. Why did you sell ? It's what he dose😎 No I have not, the 8 Ch of Dan Alexander 1272 recreation will work on almost anything but I want 8ch of CAPI a pair of something tube based and a pair of ultra Clean.
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Post by Quint on Dec 14, 2017 20:39:56 GMT -6
I'll probably never exhaust all preamp lust but I'm pretty happy with the VP28s, Chandler Little Devils, Vintech 573s, and Sebatron 4000e that I have. It's enough channels to track a full live band and I really only want/need more channels of those units that I already own so that I don't have to be forced to make as many choices between where I want to use a particular preamp type.
I will say that I actually don't want any OTHER types of preamps though. I've got all the basic flavors covered with what I already have and the last thing I want during tracking is 15 different kinds of preamps. Option paralysis sucks.
V72/V76 though.... I doubt I'll ever own one, but I sure would like to.
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Post by mjheck on Dec 15, 2017 8:59:44 GMT -6
Cool question.
I'm going to say yes - I had a tidy eight channels of preamps and compressors patched in my preferred combinations (the preamps were vintage 1066's, vintage V72's, some API's and some vintage telefunken 672's I just loved on guitars).
It was at this point that I decided that it mattered a lot less than I originally thought. I ended up stripping down to just the vintage Neves and some LA 3A's, and even went down to all digital for a couple of years.
Following the very generous sale offered by Dr. Bill and Brad, I picked up a Silver Bullet, which is just awesome. It actually managed to do what I couldn't do with my "dream" rack - namely, get the overall signature of the Neve's which being able to dial in just a touch of the mid forward bite of the API's for things like vocals.
I should note that I added the Zulu this year which I just love love love. The adjustable headroom is so cool.
I rarely work with other artists, so this lean little set up is ideal for my world.
MJH
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Post by Martin John Butler on Dec 15, 2017 9:07:36 GMT -6
mjheck, I'm curious about the LA3. Some major producers swear by it for lead vocals. How did that work for you?
I haven't used one yet.
From tracks I've heard, I like the sound of the Tube Tech CL1B compressor for vocals even better than an LA2A or a Retro 176.
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Post by terryrocks on Dec 15, 2017 9:49:21 GMT -6
Getting closer all the time. 11 channels of Capi (vp28/26/312) 2 hamptone, 2 bla autuer, 4 sytek, 2 rnp, 1 n72
Really wanting a rack of the new AML 1081/1073 kits
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Post by mjheck on Dec 15, 2017 9:55:21 GMT -6
Hey Martin,
I kept the 3a's as I thought they were just easy, and sounded good on pretty much everything. My favorite of the group of comps I had were the Retro 176's, but found the 3a's more flexible. I should state that, while my preamps were mostly vintage, my comps were new or reissues (2a's, 3's, 1176's).
I've not used a real Tube Tech, but if this exercise taught me anything, it is that these things are extremely personal, and need to be assessed in the context of the full chain, from room to conversion. If you like the CL1-B, that's pretty important. Whether it is your instrument, your path, your hearing, whatever - if you like what you are hearing in your monitoring, that is huge.
Really, all of these tools have been just lovely - i think it is why I was comfortable scaling down. Could I hear differences? Of course. Were they in degrees of quality? Not really. Mostly just how they fit within the context of everything else.
MJH
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Post by EmRR on Dec 15, 2017 10:50:48 GMT -6
Context context context. Yes. What works great one year may fall from fashion as clients and methods change.
You get labeled depending on the thing people see you doing in the snapshot of their mind.
I've had the era where I did all the punk and heavy stuff. The pop and acoustic people wouldn't touch me.
I've had the era where I did all the pop stuff. The punk, heavy and acoustic people wouldn't touch me.
I've had the era where I did all the acoustic stuff. The punk, heavy and pop people wouldn't touch me.
I've had the era where all I did was remote work. Couldn't get freelance work in studios, not that there are many/any to do that in around here. Now there's hardly any remote work, and I can't get what is there.
The jazz and classical people still won't touch me; not in those circles. In terms of dynamics and techniques, I'd almost rather be doing that stuff. Cause there's SO MUCH work in those fields! : )
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2017 11:53:09 GMT -6
Coming from a very different place than most of you, mastering, and only need one stereo pre (make up gain for my Pullet passive EQ with 40dB insertion loss). Picked up a Chandler TG2 about 9 years ago, and haven't wanted for anything else! 99% of the masters I've done since then have been through it and I love it to bits. Just transparent enough for mastering, just coloured enough for heavenly tone. Recently been actually using it as a mic pre more too, also with great results.
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Post by subspace on Dec 16, 2017 11:29:41 GMT -6
Nope, my fantasy mic pre rack has busses with EQ, solo switches on each pre and bus, some might even call it something other than a mic pre rack. I've got some outboard Chineve, CAPI and Focusrite pres, but yesterday I just went with all Audient because they sounded good and were in an exceedingly functional form factor.
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 16, 2017 12:44:09 GMT -6
I did. Helios in a Boutique Audio rack... And promptly sold it. Why did you sell ? The standard Helios Modules are pretty rudimentary...10db steps...of course, the rack had attenuation...but I just got the hots for something else. Ended up with the 500 series ones for years...got rid of those not long ago too...didn't realize I'd never be able to get another one...
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Dec 16, 2017 12:51:00 GMT -6
I haven't acquired my dream channels yet. And probably won't. I don't make much money with what I do and it simply isn't worth the investment. These days, I make music with good gear that I have.
BUT, I am not one of those who thinks anything will do. It won't. You make music with crap, you'll have a crappy result. There is an entry threshold for recording. If anyone argues with that, then they are clueless to what good gear can do.
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Dec 16, 2017 12:51:54 GMT -6
The standard Helios Modules are pretty rudimentary...10db steps...of course, the rack had attenuation...but I just got the hots for something else. Ended up with the 500 series ones for years...got rid of those not long ago too...didn't realize I'd never be able to get another one... You can! VK has them for a kidney.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Dec 16, 2017 13:01:53 GMT -6
I can't see myself having the true dream rack. Pretty happy with what I've got though.
2X BAE 6x CAPI 4x NIGHT PRO (MAAG) 2x Sound Skulptor Neve clones 2x Phoenix DRS (Neveish) 2x Tonelux 2x Presonus MP20 2x Locomotive 286a (tube / incoming) 48x Midas and a JoeMeek VC3 for kicks
I'd like to have a couple Neve channels that feature the EQ section and a couple Focusrite 110's, but neither is probably in the cards.
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Post by c0rtland on Dec 16, 2017 13:59:00 GMT -6
V76 2v72 2v72a 2v77 cmv m72s mp1a 4 Helios 69 channel 2 chandler tg channel chandler germ 4aml 1073 2ma5 2ams1073lb 2vp28 512c 6 rca ba71a 2 op6 2altec 1567a 2altec 1591 12 langevin am16's
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Post by jayson on Dec 16, 2017 14:44:13 GMT -6
It's a moving target for me- ALWAYS. I doubt I could ever actually attain such a thing, but I'm bound to chase my tail trying. One of the things I am enjoying about the modular 500-ization of the gear landscape is that it makes it really easy to just keep plugging away at it; you can mix and match at will. Plus you have the scalability factor; When you fill one up, just start another one!
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Post by drbill on Dec 16, 2017 15:02:24 GMT -6
I can't see myself having the true dream rack. Pretty badly with what I've got though. 2X BAE 6x CAPI 4x NIGHT PRO (MAAG) 2x Sound Skulptor Neve clones 2x Phoenix DRS (Neveish) 2x Tonelux 2x Presonus MP20 2x Locomotive 286a (tube / incoming) 48x Midas and a JoeMeek VC3 for kicks I'd like to have a couple Neve channels that feature the EQ section and a couple Focusrite 110's, but neither is probably in the cards. jcoutu1 - like you, I love the locomotive stuff, but I'm curious what made you get the 286a's as opposed to the other options like coil, DWFearn, Mercury, etc.? Care to elaborate?
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Post by jeremygillespie on Dec 16, 2017 17:02:08 GMT -6
Matt Ross Spang has a Spectra Sonics console that I’d give my left nut to have. I’ve got 2 channel strips and they are absolutely stunning. IMO Blow away Neve and API.
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Post by swurveman on Dec 16, 2017 17:31:44 GMT -6
Can't say I have my dream rack.
I have 10 preamps:
4-Vintech x73i 1- API 3124 1-UA 2-610
I think someone could make good recordings if they had 10 of the same preamps (pick any of the three) instead of having three different kinds.
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