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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 23, 2019 19:30:22 GMT -6
I had a job Friday/Saturday doing some remote recording and ended up taking my lunchbox and Aurora(n) for my mic pres and interface.
I think for location jobs it would be most efficient to travel light as possible.
Is the MOTU 8M, for instance, a decent enough quality to do some concert recordings?
If I had my druthers, it would be 7 more channels of Hardy m2 and the Aurora.
Maybe there is an 8 channel pre set like the Audient ASP880 that I can rack up with the Aurora.
But I wouldn't mind a dedicated all in one solution so I can just take the interface, laptop and mics.
Thanks!
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Post by kcatthedog on Mar 23, 2019 20:09:12 GMT -6
Why wouldn’t you demo the new Apollo x 8p?
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 23, 2019 20:36:53 GMT -6
Mostly because the majority of the jobs I would be doing wouldn't require analog modeled plugins. I'm sure the converters are very good as well as the pres, but part of that money is for the DSP that I doubt I would use very much on classical types of music.
However, I will await your rebuttal of price to performance ratio to sway me otherwise.
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Post by Tbone81 on Mar 23, 2019 21:03:45 GMT -6
Metric halo maybe?
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Post by EmRR on Mar 23, 2019 21:39:44 GMT -6
The Zoom F8 or F8n is solid as a standalone capture device or as an interface with a laptop. You could work entirely off battery power too. Contrary to what someone else (cough) expressed here, it sounds just fine, you certainly would have done worse with a MOTU pre/AD combo 10 years ago. nobtwiddler sounds like he's been pretty happy with his.
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Post by kcatthedog on Mar 23, 2019 22:04:07 GMT -6
That’s a fair point, have you listened to the apollo demo done in abbey road with the classical orchestra ?
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 23, 2019 23:20:29 GMT -6
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 23, 2019 23:21:13 GMT -6
The Zoom F8 or F8n is solid as a standalone capture device or as an interface with a laptop. You could work entirely off battery power too. Contrary to what someone else (cough) expressed here, it sounds just fine, you certainly would have done worse with a MOTU pre/AD combo 10 years ago. nobtwiddler sounds like he's been pretty happy with his. Oh very interesting. That isn't even on my radar(no pun intended) Thanks. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 23, 2019 23:21:40 GMT -6
That’s a fair point, have you listened to the apollo demo done in abbey road with the classical orchestra ? I have not. Linky dinky please and thinky. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Mar 24, 2019 3:40:23 GMT -6
X16 linky dinky 4u2 likey me thinky !?
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Post by kcatthedog on Mar 24, 2019 3:46:23 GMT -6
Sorry Air not abbey Road, I honestly find that performance very moving, such wonderful symmetry and interplay between the classical and modern pop rock.
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Post by Guitar on Mar 24, 2019 9:58:49 GMT -6
That Zoom F8n has got my interest.
Currently with what I have, I'll either grab a small interface, or a rack of big interfaces, and a computer, and do it that way. It's sort of tried and true.
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Post by bigbone on Mar 24, 2019 10:18:22 GMT -6
If your on a MAC ( and Logic) the Apogee Element 88 could be what you are looking for
simple,8 pre's .Great converter, all in the DAW integration.
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Post by EmRR on Mar 24, 2019 11:31:54 GMT -6
A couple weeks ago I had back to back remotes, one was simple 8 track americana electric band capture with expectation of possible overdubs, the other an acoustic duo that, in the past, has thrown all sorts of instrument changes at me so I have to prep for a large number of possible inputs. The first I took the F8n and a laptop, the second I took an iMac, a rack of preamps and Motu 16A and Monitor 8. No complaints about the sound of either one. If you're gonna distant mic very quiet classical performances, the F8 likely won't win, but I can also add I compared the noise floor against my Sytek, and while the background hiss was a couple dB higher in the F8n, the Sytek also had a 20dB hotter hum component that was totally lacking in the F8n, and that with both run on AC power.
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Post by Tbone81 on Mar 24, 2019 12:46:30 GMT -6
No direct experience with Metric Halo, but I've talked to plenty of people who like there MH interfaces for remote recording. Their preamps are highly regarded. They're worth checking out. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 24, 2019 12:55:54 GMT -6
X16 linky dinky 4u2 likey me thinky !? Haha!
I do like. Yea, plenty of good sound quality there for what I would be doing! I'll keep it in mind. The advantage of the Apollo being I do own UAD plugs and on the occasion that I do record something that would benefit from analog modeling, I could do that. Plus I just like the way it looks. I'm a simple man.
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 24, 2019 12:57:49 GMT -6
If your on a MAC ( and Logic) the Apogee Element 88 could be what you are looking for simple,8 pre's .Great converter, all in the DAW integration. Not bad at all! I do miss physical knobs but I suppose that would be ok.
I am on a Macbook pro but my main rig at home is a PC I built. So it's not ideal for me to be on just one system. Though the Logic integration looks good.
Riddle me this - for instance, this last session totaled 9 hours of recorded audio. The importance of dropping markers that I can render from in regions with file names already in place cannot be understated. Does Logic have a "logical" way of doing this?
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Post by swafford on Mar 24, 2019 12:58:54 GMT -6
Company dedicated to not churning product and supporting the things they make. Rock solid drivers, 8 high gain clean preamps, connectivity over ether net, card slot for expansion, virtually latency free monitoring, ability to set up the unit host free, on board DSP for running plugs in their software, used in large FOH, theater, location recording, road bands and studios. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 24, 2019 13:03:50 GMT -6
A couple weeks ago I had back to back remotes, one was simple 8 track americana electric band capture with expectation of possible overdubs, the other an acoustic duo that, in the past, has thrown all sorts of instrument changes at me so I have to prep for a large number of possible inputs. The first I took the F8n and a laptop, the second I took an iMac, a rack of preamps and Motu 16A and Monitor 8. No complaints about the sound of either one. If you're gonna distant mic very quiet classical performances, the F8 likely won't win, but I can also add I compared the noise floor against my Sytek, and while the background hiss was a couple dB higher in the F8n, the Sytek also had a 20dB hotter hum component that was totally lacking in the F8n, and that with both run on AC power. It's always a surprise in remote situations. Totally different experience.
Interesting about the Sytek. I had an Mpx-4aii as my first set of real preamps. I sold them for other gear and really miss them. People crap on them for not having a sound, but honestly I do find they have a sound, subtly. It's just a very fast transient that makes people think they don't. I could be wrong but, they certainly sound a lot different to my Hardy and the Millennia stuff.
I digress.
I will be distant mic'ing classical style stuff/choirs so noise floor and clarity are important. Decisions decisions. No hurry on my end, though. Just planning.
Good to know, though. Thanks.
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 24, 2019 13:06:48 GMT -6
Honestly a big plus for the Aurora(n) I have is the SD card confidence recording. It doesn't mean much to me at home, but live one take stuff like this it does. It actually saved me this weekend when I was typing marker names and somehow spacebar stopped the recording right after they started their take. Just dropped it in and had a good version when I got home. However, I doubt I can justify another Aurora(n) and add 8 pre's to it(though that would be great).
Also. DAW's need a "record-lock" feature for this live stuff.
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Post by EmRR on Mar 24, 2019 13:17:05 GMT -6
I will be distant mic'ing classical style stuff/choirs so noise floor and clarity are important.
You'd really have to demo an F8 and see for yourself. It does have the ability to lock out controls, drop markers when recording internally, two SD card slots for redundant recording, and bluetooth iOS remote control. I haven't checked to see if markers are preserved in meta-data on export. There is also a window for titling from remote control. Extensive time code options if you're syncing to video also, but no word clock. |
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Post by christopher on Mar 24, 2019 13:39:07 GMT -6
Unless it’s just for demo or documentation purposes, it’s going to be worth it to drag along your lunchbox and interface. Or you’d have to spend thousands. You have one chance to get a great capture. You might want to use one of those Zoom F8 as a back up though?(they might be Zoom in name only/better than the rest?) I’ve used the dirt cheap Zoom R16 ($299), and the preamps are noisey, reminds me a lot of 80s tascam, kinda cool but not really. I had to track drums with it recently, and it got the job done.. after mixing through good channels it will work fine, actually might be great, we’ll see. The sound isn’t bad per say, somewhat not detailed.. hazy, yet smooth and sort of rolled off sounding on top, which is better than old cheapo converters. It was a long day and pain to gain stage for drums, very noisey. Drums are loud so that helped me use less preamp and get far above the noise. Anything else I’d want an external mic pre.
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 24, 2019 14:13:43 GMT -6
Unless it’s just for demo or documentation purposes, it’s going to be worth it to drag along your lunchbox and interface. Or you’d have to spend thousands. You have one chance to get a great capture. You might want to use one of those Zoom F8 as a back up though?(they might be Zoom in name only/better than the rest?) I’ve used the dirt cheap Zoom R16 ($299), and the preamps are noisey, reminds me a lot of 80s tascam, kinda cool but not really. I had to track drums with it recently, and it got the job done.. after mixing through good channels it will work fine, actually might be great, we’ll see. The sound isn’t bad per say, somewhat not detailed.. hazy, yet smooth and sort of rolled off sounding on top, which is better than old cheapo converters. It was a long day and pain to gain stage for drums, very noisey. Drums are loud so that helped me use less preamp and get far above the noise. Anything else I’d want an external mic pre. Indeed - and luckily right now I am able to get good sounds, though I need a better SDC pair than my Charter Oak m900s. Something DPA, Earthworks, Schoeps, Joesphson... I love the tone of my Soyuz 013 pair, but they are far too noisy for distant classic recordings in my opinion.
Perhaps I should get another chassis of Hardy m2, and fill the rest of the current one. That would give me 8 great pre's. The Aurora has 8 in/out currently. Or on the more affordable side, two used Sytek mpx-4aii's.
Or, add in Lynx' own preamps to the unit.
However, I don't see a problem with something like an Apollo 8channel with pre's onboard. That could work and have great sound I would think.
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Post by EmRR on Mar 24, 2019 14:21:08 GMT -6
You might want to use one of those Zoom F8 as a back up though?(they might be Zoom in name only/better than the rest?) The new F8/F4 are entirely different beasts from the Zoom you knew previously. |
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Post by Mister Chase on Mar 24, 2019 14:27:55 GMT -6
You know what, I just watched a video on the preamp modules for the Lynx Aurora(n). I erroneously presupposed that they would only function as preamps and take up 4 to 8 of my line level spots. Not so, apparently. So this might be the best bet for me. Because those 8 XLR's on the back of the unit are not only hi-z combos, but they function in line mode exactly the same as the line modules on the rest of the unit. So I could have a 16 in/8 out unit with 8 channels on board for mobile recording. That is looking more tempting at $630 per 4 preamps.
Hmmmmmmmmm
Still, a grab and go Apollo or Zoom F8 in the closet is even quicker...
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