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Post by M57 on Oct 27, 2018 4:19:42 GMT -6
Holy crap, was it someone from here that did that? Absolutely, full ban. We need to have more open communication as to who has it and for how long. Yes, Brad! That would be awesome! A sign-up/out thread or PM thread would do the trick.
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Post by BradM on Nov 1, 2018 15:10:34 GMT -6
Holy crap, was it someone from here that did that? Absolutely, full ban. We need to have more open communication as to who has it and for how long. Yes, Brad! That would be awesome! I think it was, but it's all in the past. Moving forward! I'm thinking about how we can set this up to run smoother in the future. In the meantime... I know you guys here on RGO love a good deal. So for the next 14 days (11/1-11/14) you can get 20% off any Mister Focus module. I rarely do promotions like this, but I wanted to invite you all to check out the new collection and discover what it's all about. The discount will be automatically applied when you add items to the shopping cart. Here's something cool I figured out the other day that I asked drbill to test for me. STAGE II makes a cool little preamp for loud sources like drums and guitar/bass amps. It effectively has 24 dB of gain control via the DRV knob. Just set MIX to 100 and move the internal jumper to Boost mode. This works surprisingly well. Pick your flavor - British, American, or Tube. I'm hoping to create some sound clips demonstrating how good this unit sounds as a mic preamp. I'm pretty jazzed about being able replace four channels of clean D&R console preamps that I typically use on toms, room mics, and bottom snare mic. Now I can configure as API-ish or Neve-ish as I need it. Now that I think about it...if I load in Implode and set it to bypass I can get 1176 flavored gain and dial up the gain another 10-20 dB via Implode's output trimpot. Sweet. Brad
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Post by drbill on Nov 1, 2018 16:03:57 GMT -6
Thoughts on using the MF yesterday for mic pre duty : first, I only used the first stage of the MF, and not the second analog plugin slot or Focus EQ . Actually, come to think of it, the one I tested was more of an RGB variant than a Stage II. Actually the Stage II would be even better with the HPF / LPF / Saturation options, but so be it. I just tested the raw Mr Focus with a Mass Drivr line card in it -- but set to "boost" mode where it adds and extra dollop of gain. Using it this way essentially turned MF API line card into an API mic pre card. Not as much gain as an API pre, but for drums or other loud sources, it was more than adequate and worked fantastic. Of course it's not MEANT to be used this way. LOL Who cares. It worked. I guess it's the mic pre that didn't know it was a mic pre. Transgender confusion??? LOL Sounded pretty dam similar to my favorite API clone single stage pre. One of those v things. Having the Focus EQ (Tilt) while tracking makes it super fast and great sounding. Well done brad. Putting one of these Stage II's BEHIND a normal preamp like it's meant to be used turns the pre/stage II into a complete pre / console topology, but having the thing work as a mic pre on it's own just floored me. Kudo's Brad!! PS - just checked with Brad's offer.....the price of this thing as I used it came to $322. <<thumbsup>> I've mostly been using this to color or obliterate audio, so using it this way really adds functionality. Of course no 48v or phase reverse or other normal mic pre options, but still nice to use it that way. Next up, I'm going to try a API into Neve mic pre variant by adding Royal Blue to the second slot. That would add another $80 orr so......
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Post by nudwig on Nov 1, 2018 16:43:19 GMT -6
Brad's discount put me over the edge and just pulled the trigger on a Royal Blue Stage 2. Total luxury as it isn't really that difficult during tracking with pres that don't have highpass to patch in an EQ to filters lows before heading over to the Silver Bullet but freeing up these for other duties and gaining the focus EQ has me pretty excited to put it to work. I'll have to try it as a pre too as I've been managing to overload the kick pre quite nicely lately.
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Post by guitfiddler on Nov 1, 2018 17:55:31 GMT -6
When discussing API gain, like the API preamp, does the Chroma have the same gain as say an API preamp? When you change settings from the (N)eve/(A)pi setting, is the gain the same, or does the gain structure change? Or are they consistent in gain? I have even more questions regarding the MR Focus line of products, but I need to do some more research. Thanks
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Post by BradM on Nov 1, 2018 18:16:53 GMT -6
When discussing API gain, like the API preamp, does the Chroma have the same gain as say an API preamp? When you change settings from the (N)eve/(A)pi setting, is the gain the same, or does the gain structure change? Or are they consistent in gain? I have even more questions regarding the MR Focus line of products, but I need to do some more research. Thanks An API 512C has up to 65 dB of gain in MIC mode (34 to 65 dB with Pad out, 14 to 45 dB with Pad in). Chroma has up to 60 dB of gain in both A and N modes when you are using it as a mic preamp (MIC switch engaged). With HI GAIN out the gain range is 8 - 34 dB. With HI GAIN engaged the gain range is 34 - 60 dB. You can think of the HI GAIN switch as working in a reverse manner as that of a pad. You can toggle back and forth between A and N modes and the gain stays constant. I wanted the user experience to be intuitive and not tweaky so I did the work under the hood to make it do what most of us would expect. I hope that helps. Feel free to ask whatever you'd like to know about Mister Focus. I'm happy to help. thanks, Brad
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Post by nudwig on Nov 5, 2018 19:04:04 GMT -6
Got my Royal Blue Stage 2’s in and had a play today. Still learning how everything interacts but after having a Silver Bullet for a while it feels very familiar and intuitive. First test was DI P-bass going ZOD to Stage 2. What a tone! I’m not sure how to describe it but while very similar to what I could do going to the SB it feels different (more extreme?) in the way I could get it to break up. Very easy then to just back it off a touch or dial in some dry, move the tilt around till it fit and I was good to go. Fun and quick to audition the range of what’s possible. Also digging the filter, very smooth (I have mine set with the vintage and saturation in). An interesting surprise was the way one can play the tilt filter against the lift in the Royal Blue module, didn’t anticipate that but it’s turning out to be one of my favorite features. Also ran some OH’s and guitar thru it, again, easy to explore ranges of what’s possible with everything having a nice 3D harmonic glow to it. Looking forward to tracking vocals this week and learning what it can do there. I'm in the honeymoon phase for sure but what a product!
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Post by BradM on Nov 6, 2018 10:37:32 GMT -6
Got my Royal Blue Stage 2’s in and had a play today. Still learning how everything interacts but after having a Silver Bullet for a while it feels very familiar and intuitive. First test was DI P-bass going ZOD to Stage 2. What a tone! I’m not sure how to describe it but while very similar to what I could do going to the SB it feels different (more extreme?) in the way I could get it to break up. Very easy then to just back it off a touch or dial in some dry, move the tilt around till it fit and I was good to go. Fun and quick to audition the range of what’s possible. Also digging the filter, very smooth (I have mine set with the vintage and saturation in). An interesting surprise was the way one can play the tilt filter against the lift in the Royal Blue module, didn’t anticipate that but it’s turning out to be one of my favorite features. Also ran some OH’s and guitar thru it, again, easy to explore ranges of what’s possible with everything having a nice 3D harmonic glow to it. Looking forward to tracking vocals this week and learning what it can do there. I'm in the honeymoon phase for sure but what a product! Hi, Thanks for the great feedback! You make an excellent observation about using the Treble Boost on Royal Blue with the Focus EQ. I was just playing with that myself and I find that if I set the Focus EQ to about 9:45 or 10:00 (Bass tilt) then I get a top end that feels similar to the dry signal, but there is more meat down low and more clarity throughout the mids. It's like a more exciting version of the original track, but without being bright or muddy. This may be a secret weapon preset. I'll have to take some sweeps of that setting to see what it's doing frequency wise...and then post them. thanks, Brad
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Post by nudwig on Nov 6, 2018 12:07:47 GMT -6
Hi, Thanks for the great feedback! You make an excellent observation about using the Treble Boost on Royal Blue with the Focus EQ. I was just playing with that myself and I find that if I set the Focus EQ to about 9:45 or 10:00 (Bass tilt) then I get a top end that feels similar to the dry signal, but there is more meat down low and more clarity throughout the mids. It's like a more exciting version of the original track, but without being bright or muddy. This may be a secret weapon preset. I'll have to take some sweeps of that setting to see what it's doing frequency wise...and then post them. thanks, Brad That's about where I'd be with the tilt driving the Royal Blue (going full bass tilt on a kick was some fun abuse though). it'd be interesting to see technically what it's doing, sounds great whatever it is.
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Post by Guitar on Nov 10, 2018 13:11:17 GMT -6
very cool product I'm especially intersted in the Stage II
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Post by BradM on Nov 10, 2018 14:09:47 GMT -6
After you pay off the new guitar there will be a pair here waiting for you. Brad
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Post by Guitar on Nov 10, 2018 14:19:54 GMT -6
After you pay off the new guitar there will be a pair here waiting for you. Brad Yes but you will have to silkscreen "stage III" for me or maybe some stage of gear addiction recovery like "twelfth step"
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Post by drbill on Nov 10, 2018 18:15:11 GMT -6
After you pay off the new guitar there will be a pair here waiting for you. Brad Yes but you will have to silkscreen "stage III" for me or maybe some stage of gear addiction recovery like "twelfth step" Scratch a "1" in front of the 2 and there you go - STAGE 12.
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Post by BradM on Nov 14, 2018 16:38:54 GMT -6
Hey all,
The big sale ends tonight at midnight. So if you were on the fence, I suggest hopping over to the analog side.
cheers, Brad
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Post by Guitar on Nov 14, 2018 17:32:41 GMT -6
I am super interested in the Stage II... still very much on my radar. Great sale opportunity as well.
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Post by nudwig on Dec 5, 2018 22:59:32 GMT -6
I just got a Mass Driver module in so I made some tests for myself to hear all the different Stage 2 flavors of Pentode, Mass Driver and Royal Blue. I wouldn't call these the most optimum settings as I just put them full wet with drive at 12:00 then blew them up a little to see what was what. Not the way I've been using them but found it interesting to hear the different characters. Thought I'd share since I've been loving these tracking this past month, everything is going through them and everyone's super happy. Mono Addictive Drums loops at 44.1. www.dropbox.com/sh/undkjzjcn183c0s/AAAIkWix4sFoHTnYSomtmAd4a?dl=0
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Post by drsax on Mar 22, 2019 21:35:30 GMT -6
My Mister Focus Stage 2 pair is finally on the way... stoked to add them to the rig. I’ll be using them alongside a pair of Chromas as a pair of tracking and mixing channel strips. I’ll be re-arranging my color palettes so the Chromas will have the Mass Driver, and the Stage 2’s will have the Royal Blue. I’m already totally diggin’ The Chromas... adding these is gonna make for some fun while tracking and mixing. And my Silver Bullet is glued to my Master Buss... a second Silver Bullet is the next purchase
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Post by nudwig on Mar 22, 2019 22:01:13 GMT -6
There's a fun way you can mismatch the jumpers on the Super Filter to give yourself a resonant peak at the cutoff freq. I'd have to pull mine from the rack to see if it was the top or bottom that was mismatched but I have one at 23 and one at 50 to give the peak, the other option seems to be a more shallow slope than standard. Brad can correct me on exactly what they do but when he suggested the trick and I figured out the configuration to get the effect I did it to all 3 of mine and left them there, sounds awesome.
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Post by drsax on Mar 22, 2019 23:07:12 GMT -6
There's a fun way you can mismatch the jumpers on the Super Filter to give yourself a resonant peak at the cutoff freq. I'd have to pull mine from the rack to see if it was the top or bottom that was mismatched but I have one at 23 and one at 50 to give the peak, the other option seems to be a more shallow slope than standard. Brad can correct me on exactly what they do but when he suggested the trick and I figured out the configuration to get the effect I did it to all 3 of mine and left them there, sounds awesome. cool tip nudwig - can’t wait to check it out!! Thanks for sharing
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