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Post by longscale on Nov 26, 2017 10:16:03 GMT -6
why not use logic drummer and export the midi track to PT ? logic automagically imports MM files and you could build your baby song in logic ? The only reason I don't do this is I'm not a Logic user. I should probably try it again. I settled on PT long long ago and never looked back. I did pick up EZdrummer2 and SD3 to play with - hopefully that will do the trick.
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Post by longscale on Nov 23, 2017 21:24:14 GMT -6
Perhaps too broad but I'm curious what others use for writing tools?
I use the "Music Memos" app on my phone to quickly capture ideas (typically guitar/vocal, or piano/vocal). Then I thin the heard after a week or two. If I'm wanting to push an idea forward I use NoteTaker on my Mac to create a electronic notebook for the song. I keep all my lyrics and recording notes (signal chain; mic, pre, comp, eq along with pictures of settings if I really like a sound) there along with links to the audio session. I'll create a PT session for the baby song and down the rabbit hole I go.
Here is one place that I'm stuck (in PT). I've started to become more interested in adding drum parts to some of my songs. I'm curious what people like to use? I'm searching for something that is simple and easy to use, but sounds good. Leaning slightly to the must sound good over the completely easy to use. If I can start a simple loop with some basic kick, snare to write to that would be a win.
I'm also curious if people have other tools that they like for capturing ideas quickly. I've been using my phone for this because it is typically easily and quickly available.
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Post by longscale on Nov 21, 2017 16:27:17 GMT -6
Anybody have anything good or bad to say about E3 ELCOs?
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Post by longscale on Nov 18, 2017 12:55:53 GMT -6
Stupid q. I've been out of the VI drum market for too long. With SD3 can I easily slap down a basic kit with a basic groove that gets me 80% or more of the way to something that sounds good? I want something that is easy and fast to just get something basic going for my writing process.
I wish they had a demo that I could try.
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Post by longscale on Nov 16, 2017 18:31:05 GMT -6
I'm growing tired of the $399 per year for HD. I'm close to letting it expire this year - and going the reinstatement route (1k afaik for HD) every 3/4 years assuming they have some feature I want. Trade your license back in or sell it - then buy another. Cheaper than just buying it outright or paying the subscription. I think that is probably where I'm headed. Previously I had a need to keep my Mac updated with as close to Apple current release as I could. I was counting on the support plan to help me with that. But in reality they (Avid) have lagged behind long enough to force the issue. I ended up buying another machine so my Pro Tools box is now dedicated to just Pro Tools. I should have done that long ago anyway. I don't mind the subscription software model that much if they basically make it so cheap that I can't pass it up. But Avid did not go that route with HD anyway.
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Post by longscale on Nov 16, 2017 17:24:02 GMT -6
I'm growing tired of the $399 per year for HD. I'm close to letting it expire this year - and going the reinstatement route (1k afaik for HD) every 3/4 years assuming they have some feature I want.
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Post by longscale on Nov 13, 2017 19:17:50 GMT -6
Note that the player of a guitar never really hears what the guitar sounds like to the listener. Amen. That was the first lesson I had to learn. Wish I could have learned that in under 10 years. Apparently I'm slow. For whatever reason capturing acoustic guitar is something that to this day drives me insane. It is the instrument I most desperately want to get right - and fail in the most spectacular way. On a weekly basis this causes me to re-evaluate nearly everything in my life. Ha
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Post by longscale on Sept 27, 2017 19:00:05 GMT -6
The other element is monitor width and distance from the listening position. I positioned my speakers based on Jeff's recommendation which was probably based on frequency response-particularly low end. They are around ~65" apart which may hinder the focus of the reverb. I am hesitant to change their distamce apart due to not wanting to mess up the low end response. To me that (65") is a bit wide for near-fields. However keep in mind - I'm not a pro - so my experience could be completely wrong! I've used NS10s for years (not my only monitors). While I never get excited to hear them, I do find them useful for balance decisions and they work well for me. I find them easy to hear reverb with. In my smallish room at 65" I'd be sunk however. I need them at 36" or less. I'd say even those Adam7s could use to be closer. My room sucks, so I just can't allow that much room sound to compete at a listening position of >= 65". I'd for sure play with putting them closer and just see what you think/hear. It could be your pro that setup the room likes things way differently than you do. Far be it for me to dissuade anybody from buying new monitors, DAC, or monitor controller. But I'd think you would be able to get what you need with the NS10s - assuming you put them a little closer than 65" - but then again perhaps your room is super awesome and huge. I've never had any luck going much over 30 or everything just becomes unfocused and super hard for me to figure out.
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Post by longscale on Sept 27, 2017 7:41:46 GMT -6
For me it boils down to the entire chain. DAC, monitor controller, amp, speakers, room, ears. I used a Apogee Mini DAC as my DAC/Monitor controller for quite a few years. It was fine. However when I finally added a Coleman M3PH MkII I was blown away by the clarity I was missing. I needed the Coleman for a few reasons (source switching, speaker switching....) and I was a little depressed at the cost. However after I heard the difference in the audio path I wish I had picked it up years ago. Once I heard it - I would have been willing to pay 2x the price. It is a solid unit, and for me was astonishing how good it is. For me personally the Coleman now represents something I'd never part with.
Don't get me wrong - the Apogee Mini Dac is solid - but its volume control sucks compared to the Coleman at low levels (left right balance is not maintained). To my ears it also lacks the audio path clarity that I get with the Coleman. For a DAC only it is solid - but all I have to compare it to is my DA-16x.
However I'm not sure I was unable to hear revert tails with the Apogee Mini DAC. It worked fine for me. I've not heard the Presounous Central Station so I suppose it could be possible that its converters and analog section messes things up to the point that you are having trouble. With all gear if possible get your hands on what you think will solve the problem and listen to it in your room with your setup.
I do lean on headphones to check reverb balance - but I'd be fine if all I had were my speakers. I'd probably miss a little on the side of too much verb if only using speakers; but I know that about my ears/room so I tend to automatically compensate now.
One thing you might want to try is messing with speaker toe-in and placement. I know you paid money for room setup/treatment but I'd still mess around a little to find what works for you. Listening to some reference material move the speakers around a little and see if you can get yourself a better phantom center image. I did this with the help of a friend and a few 2x6's so I could move the speakers easily a few inches off their heavy sand filled stands. Messing with the toe-in for me presented a much better phantom center that had depth and height. Something you might try anyway. If you can't get things to a point where you hear reverb with source material then I'd start looking at other items in your chain; DAC, monitor controller, amp.
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Post by longscale on Aug 26, 2017 21:44:49 GMT -6
That photo made me drool. Both for the mics and for the room. Man. You guys are not helping my monthly budget. I'd love to hear that REDD some day. Thanks for sharing that photo.
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Post by longscale on Aug 26, 2017 21:37:47 GMT -6
I've never been able to make one work. I always figured I just sucked at recording whenever I used one. Boxy, funny comb filtering, a pita to get the mic positioned. The one I played with was not really that quiet either. So in reality it saved me nothing, and gave me a sound I did not like. Lucky for me that cab was not mine - so when the friend asked for it back I was not sad to see it go. I can't remember what it was - this was probably 10+ years ago when I used it.
I did the power attenuator thing for a bit - but was also never really happy with that either and a few of my amps would eat expensive NOS tubes for lunch with mine (a Marshall SE100). I'm dipping my toes into the Kemper world at the moment. So far so good - but it is way too early to make a final call on that. But honestly given the variety of amps that the Kemper can profile, and the fact that I can still easily take a direct signal and re-amp later; I'm not sure I see any other quiet path forward at this point in time.
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Post by longscale on Aug 26, 2017 21:28:03 GMT -6
Depends on the guitar and the desired sound for me. I play around until I find the guage that drives the guitar how it wants to be driven. Lights to me tend to be more shimmery and sparkle. I play mostly old Gibson's and each model seems to call for something different. I do enjoy the fun of tossing new strings on and giving it a run.
I admit for solo blues I tend to go big. I love the power and thump they provide for my dry old Gibson's.
Now don't get me wrong I do still slap lights on a guitar - exactly for the shimmer. No one way works for everything and half the fun is doing something unexpected and finding a song.
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Post by longscale on Aug 26, 2017 21:12:56 GMT -6
After sitting on the fence for way too long, and not getting as much electric guitar playing in as I used to (old tube amps != family friendly) I took the plunge. Whoa. I realize I'm in the honeymoon period at this point but I'm having a blast with this thing. It *feels* like a real tube amp when I play. Love the M Britt stuff especially so far.
When I was gigging I'd have loved to have something like this available. Light, and a ton of sounds in one simple box.
I did a little song writing with it this evening. I got some good chime, and low gain Marshall tone (what the song wanted) out of my Les Paul and the family is happily sleeping! This is going to be a blast to explore. I'm really looking forward to tracking; taking the direct and the Kemper profile sound. Then if I feel like it I can re-amp later with a real tube amp. But at the moment I'm not sure I feel the need to re-amp. I'll listen with fresh ears in the morning.
I can't wait to try this out on Bass. I can't wait to profile my own amps that I've collected. First toy in many years that has me pumped.
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Post by longscale on Mar 30, 2017 9:44:29 GMT -6
E for me. Same reason - less bright. I like the energy that A brings; but got a little fatigued by the bright and perhaps a bit too much crush. Nice work.
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Post by longscale on Mar 17, 2017 9:56:45 GMT -6
For the right song/artist/arrangement I really like what I get from a nice tube LDC on acoustic guitar. For solo guitar and voice - singer songwriter stuff I nearly always reach for a LDC for both. With a good room and a performer that can balance themselves well I like to use a single LDC. Otherwise I tend to use two LDCs each in figure 8; and I point the nulls where one normally would to get some isolation. I'm equally happy using the LDCs not in figure 8 however - I don't fret over the bleed if I'm getting the sound I want out of the mics.
I don't have access to something nice like a KM54 so I might change my mind on a LDC if I did.
For me a C12 style mic - or U47 LDC on acoustic is magic. I use a Lucas CS1 and a CS4 and I'm super happy with the results. Big, lush, smooth. Sounds like the real thing in a room, only better with magic pixy dust sprinkled all over. Super simple to get results - put the mic up and go.
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Post by longscale on Dec 28, 2016 18:53:25 GMT -6
I lacked the stones to try to disassemble my Focal's. I opted for a less invasive approach. I found that a 5lb Reebok hand weight was just about perfect to set the Focal's on and gently stretch them out a bit. I left them on the the weight for about two weeks. This seems to have done the trick to ease up on the tension. I'll probably put them back on the weight for another week or two to see if they ease up further. I'm happier with them now wrt physical comfort.
It goes without saying that if you have Focal Spirit Pro's and attempt to stretch them out - do so very carefully. Many people have reported cracking in these joints and the plastic involved with these stress points seems to be somewhat suspect. I've not had cracking with mine - but as always YMMV. Some early versions of these headphones seem to be especially prone to cracking.
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Post by longscale on Dec 13, 2016 16:12:18 GMT -6
Christian, the tubes I got from you that you recommended for my GT pre make it awesome. thank you. guys, you need tubes? this is your man to call, for extra sure!! just saying, in my experience, the Focals are phenomenal. do let me know if you ever want me to tell you what I found out about IF one needs to make them looser on your head. it might be an important thing for you, perhaps for 2 reasons: - if they're not quite so tight, they're a little less closed. for me, that works really good. I can hear my acoustic guitar a little better, as I sing. - the distance from your ears to the headphone speakers, can be critically important. by which I mean, that if the cans are tight, it might smush the speakers right up against your ears, and affect your monitoring negatively. I speak only from my experience. as in all things, ymmv. I'm interested in what you do to the Focal Spirit Pros. I have them - they are punchy and fast - but start to bug me comfort wise quickly. Hope Focal picks up a better head model/form to help them with their design soon. Typically that is the feedback I get on these. Most people nearly instantly either hate them or love them; mostly based on the fit. As for other suggestions; I'd second the ATH-M50x's. I much prefer them over my DT770 Pros (80 ohm) which I find to be quite bass heavy. I've found headphones to be quite personal as far as preference. You really just have to try them - I wish it was not that way. I've got a small collection of them that I had to go through in order to find what works for me. For me tracking my voice I most often reach for the ATs. I used to lean on the Focals, but the ATs are just way more comfortable on my head for longer periods of time. But having said all that - I do prefer to track without headphones. I enjoy the results and my performances way more than when I have to use headphones. If I'm forced into having to use a click I use a Peterson BodyBeat. Works like a charm for me anyway.
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Post by longscale on Jun 23, 2016 8:54:03 GMT -6
Anybody find any tape wound strings that they like? I've been wanting to give that a try.
The flats on my '65 Jazz have to be pushing 10 years old now. I love that sound. There was a time where I liked the Roto Swing Bass rounds on that bass. For the alternative rock I was doing at the time they were awesome live. I was never happy with them for recording....but playing out with them made me smile.
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Post by longscale on Jun 1, 2016 19:43:05 GMT -6
Very nice. Personally I'm in love with the one mic setup for guitar and vocals. When you get it right - it sounds awesome. You got it right.
Not to dredge up an old battle - but I assume a u87i (non Ai)?
I've got a u87Ai that I've never been able to get to work for me for acoustic. I don't want to start any arguments over that. I know what people say. I know what I hear with mine. I hate mine on acoustic guitars. I'm moving mine on out - as I just don't use it. Plus you know - I need to free up funds for other gear (like a RS124!).
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Post by longscale on Jun 1, 2016 19:20:13 GMT -6
Crikey I think I've listened to that song 20 times in a row now. Is that bad?
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Post by longscale on Jun 1, 2016 18:19:45 GMT -6
Sounds super cool to me. I enjoyed the performance a great deal.
I want a RS124 bad. Ok ok. I want two RS124's bad.
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Post by longscale on May 23, 2016 20:47:27 GMT -6
I'll add to the party - though everybody here has way more experience than I do. Simple bone dry track. My old 1953 J50 into a Lucas CS-4 and then into the REDD.47. No EQ, no compression, no nothing. Typically I'm a Piedmont style blues finger picking guy - but since Johnkenn was putting up strumming acoustic guitar parts I did the same.
https%3A//soundcloud.com/user-223023301/dryj50
I've been doing some mic testing with the REDD.47 and a few of my acoustic guitars. I really like the REDD.47. It sounds big, bold, 3D, stunning - IMO. I'm enjoying that box quite a bit. Vocals, acoustic guitars, upright bass, electric bass all seem very very happy running into that box. My only real problem with it is that I need another one!
And yes Johnkenn that Tverb sounds really quite nice to me. I'm dreading my demo running out. I've sort of sworn off plugin's - but this one is making me think twice.
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Post by longscale on Apr 19, 2016 19:01:28 GMT -6
noah shain had a bunch of specific info, a few things that stuck out as items that I found helped me. I'll admit however this is something I still puzzle over and struggle with to do what I want and get sounds like what I hear from other people.
First was EQ. Once I figured out I could heavily EQ my returns I started to make more progress. With EQ I'm able to get the reverb to disappear a bit more and become more of a pillow than a rock canyon. The other EQ trick noah mentioned is to EQ/filter the source and let the reverb run full spectrum. Depends on the sound you are after. But I was much happier with my reverbs when I started doing simple things to them with EQ. I tend to roll off quite a bit of lows and highs if I want something to just form a bit of room around the vocal and not actually stick out as a reverb.
I also tend to layer two or three reverbs. I nearly always run a plate on the vocal. Unless I'm going for a very live plate sound I typically use the plate to thicken things a bit. Usually you can't really hear it much but it adds some tone and weight. Next I'll pick a room, I lean toward small to medium room sizes, but obviously if I want a vocal in a giant space that can change. I'll use the room to help set the environment. I'll tend to also send a few key melody elements (usually acoustic guitars, upright bass in what I'm doing) to this same room. I tend to EQ both the plate and the room a bit - dropping low end and depending if I want light or dark I'll be heavy handed on the highs as well. I'll also layer a hall into this mixture as well occasionally.
As for level of all of this - that is to taste. Typically if I don't want to hate it later I'll do the bring it up until I can hear it and then drop it back a bit trick. I'll also put on some headphones and listen. For me I hear reverb better in the headphones, so I typically use them to help set my levels at the start and then quickly switch to my monitors once I've established my rough baseline of what I know is not too loud. Using other references (car, friends stereo...) is another way to check your levels. If you do that enough you quickly get the hang of what is too much and what is just right at least to your own personal preference. If you are trying to sound match some other recording then I'll bring that up and listen, and compare my results, usually I do that by just focusing on one small section of a piece.
I'll also skip through presets and find something close and tweak it from there to make it work. However I have spent considerable time messing around with a few reverb plugin's trying to wrap my head around what is going on with all the controls. For me the plugin that seemed to click was the Exponential Audio stuff. I like and use both R2 and Phoenix quite a bit. I like their sounds, and I like the UI. I especially enjoy messing around with the early reflections, and to be able to visually see the representation just clicked in my head for some reason.
Now Delays - man I struggle with them and I know many people use them all the time and they do it very well. noah had quite the list of delays in his post. I struggle with anything past the odd slap. ;-)
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Post by longscale on Apr 2, 2016 10:32:55 GMT -6
+1 on the Focal's. They are fast and seem to translate well when I use them for tracking. Fit has been an issue for some with these, but they are ok for me.
I will say that you do want to checkout other head amps. I was on a mission not long ago to replace my old AKG K240's with something with a bit more isolation. I also was hoping to find something for tracking that would translate a bit better than what I was getting with the 240's. After going through several different headphones I switched my headamp and one of the big bass translation issues I was having went away. I was using the headamp on my HD Native interface because it was located in a good spot and in my mind I thought I'd get better latency (less) by using that. When I switched to using the headamp in my Coleman M3PH it was like night and day. The Avid box did something quite odd in the low end on my voice when I was tracking. I'd hear occasional distortion through the headphones, and I'd hear way more bass than I was actually getting when listening through my mains. The Coleman solved that issues - when previously I was thinking it was my headphones hyping the lows. I have a smallish pile of headphones that I went through trying to solve this problem when in fact it was my headamp. I've not had issues with too much hype on the highs, so your issue might be different than mine. I'd only offer that you should try a different headamp just to double check. I wish I had done that prior to buying a bunch of different closed back headphones.
The Focal's seem to be the best out of what I tried however and I still use them. But I do admit that I went back to using the 240s more often than not. I'm not sure if that is because I'm more comfortable with them having used them for many years, or if it is something else. I've not tried that many closed back headphones, but for me personally when using them for tracking I don't get along with them very well. They tend to mess up my performance when I'm singing as they all tell me I've got way to much bass (when in fact it is just fine).
The DT770s that I've got (DT770 pro 80 ohm) were really bad for pushing the bass. They lied to me bad - and nothing I heard in them translated to what I got.
I'm still searching for something that works just right for me. In general I hate headphones. They suck the life out of my performance so I tend to avoid using them as much as possible.
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Post by longscale on Apr 1, 2016 12:47:15 GMT -6
I'm not sure why there are not more offerings in SDCs. Perhaps because the LDCs are sexier and can command higher prices? That and perhaps the fact that 84s are not all that expensive and still can be had?
With Oliver's sad passing I'm not sure what ever happened to the Lucas CS-3 project. I was hoping to get my hands on one or two as I've been very impressed with the Lucas CS1 and CS4.
Echoing what others have mentioned I too was stunned when I put my 184's up next to a friends Oktava MK012s. I preferred the Oktava's by more than a little. I know it is fashionable to bash 184s, but I've never enjoyed mine at all. Way to harsh and spitty on acoustic guitars for me (which is what I wanted them for). I really wanted to like them, but could never make them work for me.
I do a bunch of singer/songwriter stuff of my own and I prefer a tube LDC on acoustic myself. Most of the time I favor my CS1. I mostly record my old Gibson's and I can't stand my 184s on them. The quality of my LDCs far exceed the quality of any of my SDCs however so that might be part of the bias here. I've not tried that many SDCs personally. I need to get my hands on a good 84. The 84s in good shape do seem to be harder to come by lately. I wish I had taken the time to find one instead of buying the 184s (long ago).
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