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Post by nobtwiddler on Apr 2, 2023 17:16:15 GMT -6
I have about 8 x Red Boxes, used them when I was doing live sound for a few touring acts. Way back when they were first released, they were the SHIT~! Fabulous control when mixed in with the live mic'ed amp. And the same use in the studio.
But that said, a few years later, H & K released their little 1 x watt amps! The Blues Master, The Cream Machine, The Metal Master, (my least favorite) and the BATT, Bass Advanced Tube Technology.
Still have one of each!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 28, 2023 17:14:24 GMT -6
I purchased 2 x Rivera "Rock Crushers" When recording final tracks, if only attenuated a few DB's these things work & sound great. More than that, not so much.
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 28, 2023 12:42:30 GMT -6
I still have all the audio files (somewhere?) for the Helios shootout we did a number of years ago at my place...
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 27, 2023 19:23:59 GMT -6
Such a deal!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 26, 2023 20:20:35 GMT -6
I think it's foolish of anyone to think that software (the Dolby Renderer) can create a stereo mix from the ATMOS mix, that comes anywhere near a dedicated stereo mix.
I've compared them both here, on my work, and it wasn't even close. But once again, it could just be me...
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 24, 2023 8:58:51 GMT -6
OK, so I'll chime in here.
Just a few weeks ago, I had a listening session at Blackbirds Studio "C" with Mark Rubel. He played all the songs that everyone is high about right now, in "ATMOS". Beautiful room, amazing monitors
Yeah it was cool, but ground breaking? Breathtaking?
Please.
I've done a few ATMOS mixes for clients and in a nutshell, I feel certain types of music can benefit from this. But that said, Not enough to really make a difference to anyone but those who are actively seeking this type of thing out. The general population, wouldn't even notice, or care.
Also, the rendering, stereo fold down / mix thing, at least at the moment, doesn't sound like the stereo mix I made, which for me was better in every way. Especially for Pop, and Rock, the stereo mixes were always punchier, and more visceral, I felt like they had much more energy, and emotion, then the ATMOS rendered mixes!
But who knows, maybe it's me.
I feel exactly like most of you do.... For movies, and maybe certain types of music presentations this could be cool...
But I know I'm not one who they are marketing this towards, I still watch TV with whatever speakers came with the TV...
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 14, 2023 13:15:00 GMT -6
Hey Quint, " so using your preamps on inserts might be worth considering as a way to get some extra tone on each channel " This is exactly what I did with my remote mixing setup, I'm using Helios type 69's before the Neve 8816. And it sounds amazing. Basically, a easy to recall small console. Attachments:
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 8, 2023 16:25:00 GMT -6
I also think an important part of Analog Summing, is the ability to mix thru all the outboard gear you love, with no "insert latency"
I go out of my summing mixer with as many channels, (usually 24) as I like, into whatever gear I need to achieve my sound, and that all gets mixed Analog in the summing mixer, (Neve 8816 in my case) with more Analog stuff on the "Stereo Bus" and then back thru my convertor of choice, Crane Song Head Quantum, and back into the computer.
I have yet, (after many, many, years of trying) to match what I achieve with this setup, to a in the box mix?
The summed mix for me is always better. But what do I know, I'm sure it's just me...?
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 7, 2023 14:55:03 GMT -6
I'm wondering what's the big deal with hardware inserts....?
What I mean is, if you were to incorporate some sort of summing mixer, then you can mix into whatever outboard you like, into the mixer, and then mix out using more outboard, and you're done! NO LATENCY! If you used a summing mixer that has no faders or pots, then recall is instant.
Wouldn't this be a pretty damn good option?
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 3, 2023 8:37:44 GMT -6
A few of you guys might know I was recently in Nashville, scouting for a new place to live, as well as looking for a place to set up shop.
Anything I found that was reasonably priced, was a bit out of town.
The places I'm interested in are located in or around, Lebanon, Hendersonville, Hartsville, Dixon, Gallatin....etc.
Put in offers on a few, have yet to hear anything back...
But my question is, How far is acceptable? As I'm not looking to do the 3 sessions per day (demo) thing. This would be more of a destination type joint.
Would musicians / artists travel a hour to come to a studio, or is it the Berry Hill neighborhood only or bust?
I'm used to being in the country, as my place in Millbrook was 90 miles from Manhattan, and I did very good there for many, many years.
Although what actually changed everything was when I built the house for musicians to stay... Then things went thru the roof. And that was back in 87..
Sadly the new places Im looking at now in Tn. DO NOT have enough room for me to put musicians up...at least not initially.
So that said, I was wondering what everyones take is on this.
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 2, 2023 16:31:44 GMT -6
Eric, Nope not yet...! We will see.... Haha
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Post by nobtwiddler on Mar 1, 2023 17:10:49 GMT -6
I don't have one, BUT, take this for what it's worth.
I recently spent time at Paul's shop, (a lot of time!) and I can tell ya, what he's designing, and building today is way beyond anything he's done up to this point. Totally Amazing stuff.
He's really thinking outside the box.
Keep a look out for his new products!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 21, 2023 14:53:35 GMT -6
The initial Manor Mobile Helios console outfitted the world's first purpose-designed 24-track mobile recording studio, its 24 inputs later expanded to 40 inputs with the use of additional Helios submixers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Led Zeppelin, IV (1971) Robert Plant tracking outside the Rolling Stones Mobile. You could toss a coin over whether Led Zeppelin's III or IV was the more significant album, but it doesn't really matter for our purposes—both made very extensive use of the Rolling Stones Mobile (RSM) and were released before two other other landmark RSM recordings, the Stones' Exile On Main St. and Deep Purple's Machine Head. A former 18th-century poorhouse, Headley Grange in Hampshire was the chosen venue, as it had been for much of Zeppelin III. The majestic sound of John Bonham's drums—sampled a thousand times and still used today—was created in wood-paneled Headley Grange with a pair of distant Neumann condenser mics. It has probably never been equalled. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Rolling Stones, Exile On Main St. (1972) Just as The Who's Live At Leeds is regarded by some as their finest hour, so the Stones' Exile On Main St. stands as a testament to the band at its peak—even if a wobbly one at times. In 1970, Mick Jagger bought Stargroves, a country house in Hampshire. The band's pianist and tour manager, Ian Stewart, suggested that in order to make full use of it, they needed their own mobile studio. This saw the birth of the most famous truck of them all, the Rolling Stones Mobile. It is one of the few things you can use the word legendary about without risk of exaggeration. Unlike earlier trucks, the Stones Mobile had a control room inside the vehicle, so it really could go anywhere and do almost anything. The band used it to record most of the Sticky Fingers album, and a year later, beset with taxation problems, they decamped to the Villa Nellcôte in the South of France, with the RSM following. The sessions that followed have become the stuff of rock legend and lore. Beside the technical problems imposed by an unsuitable recording environment—a cramped, damp basement—and compounded by an erratic power supply, the band's "personal issues" should have made the resulting album a shambles. Indeed, engineer Andy Johns described them as "the worst band in the world" for much of the time. But somehow, in true Stones fashion, what emerged from the chaos was one of rock's most memorable and charismatic albums. It just reeks of authenticity thanks, at least in part, to the location and the way in which most of it was recorded. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If Exile On Main St. really put the Stones Mobile on the map, it was Deep Purple who immortalized it in "Smoke On The Water." The song recalls the night in 1971 when the Casino in Montreux, Switzerland burned down following a gig by Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention. The plan had been to record the next Deep Purple album in the Casino, but the fire put paid to that. A couple of other venues in the town were hastily found for the recording sessions, which produced, among others, "Smoke On The Water," the lyrics of which refer to the RSM as "the Rolling truck Stones thing." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ronnie Lane in his mobile studio On the face of it, this seems an unlikely album to have emerged from a mobile studio, and in fact it was made at an unlikely location, too. Ronnie Lane's Mobile (known as the LMS) was parked in Battersea, south-west London for much of the recording of Quadrophenia, in an urban jungle outside a still uncompleted Ramport Studios, which The Who were in the process of building. Ronnie Lane, the ex-Faces bass player, had chosen an American Airstream trailer for his mobile studio, and Bad Company, Led Zeppelin (notably on Physical Graffiti), Rick Wakeman, and Eric Clapton were just some of the musicians who would make excellent use of it. Of all the British golden-era mobiles, Lane's was one of the most successful. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There were many impressive albums recorded using mobile studios outfitted with Helios consoles, and there were more mobiles than we have space to include here, among them Jethro Tull's Maison Rouge, Virgin's Manor Mobile, and Mickie Most's RAK. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ By the late '90s, however, the era of the truck was coming to an end. Relatively inexpensive and highly portable digital equipment and computers meant that the need for a large studio on wheels was passing. That's why I put this together, basically to have a no excuses, go anywhere tracking, and mixing, system....based on my love of all those British Mobile trucks and the GREAT RECORDS recorded thru those WONDERFUL Helios consoles! Attachments:
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 20, 2023 5:45:58 GMT -6
Well, if it's all or mostly solar, then I guess he'll be fine?
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 19, 2023 13:47:01 GMT -6
As much as I am jealous of what he's building.... (It's a dream of anyone in this biz to have a facililty like that!)
I give him a year...or a few at best.
One brutal winter, the cost of doing business in that room will NEVER BE WORTH IT! NEVER, NEVER, EVER. Haha
Heating, snow plowing the driveway, cooling, etc, etc, etc...
He could however work in that space for 7 / 8 months a year!
Living in the Northeast all my life, I know what it's like heating a 4000 sq foot room for one vocalist, or guitar player... Insane. And I only had 14 foot ceilings, NOT LIKE HIS SPACE!
Personally he should have put radiant heat in there, as he was incorrect about having to remove the slab...I've done it a few times already. Just install, a new hardwood floor on top of the slab that has the tubes already installed, they just fit together and is relatively easy to install! Works amazingly well, and keeps a constant temperature at much less cost.
But no matter, I do wish them all the best!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 18, 2023 8:14:13 GMT -6
John & Martin, I will definitely contact you both next time I'm in town!
Sadly, my favorite place for GREAT BEER in town has closed~!
I drove by it when I was just down there, "The Beer Sellar" closed because of the terrible bombing last year! Took my breath away to see the destruction it caused. Unbelievable.
On a lighter note, it's probably gonna take a few weeks to get all the paper work to and from the bank. And if things go as planned, (although they rarely do) I should be down there again in a few months.
Right now it's daily trips to the three storage rooms for all the studio gear. Hopefully this is the last time I move!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 17, 2023 19:51:13 GMT -6
Ward, If it hasn't been, it will be soon enough
Haha
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 16, 2023 15:22:17 GMT -6
What am I missing?
For example, I record a few vocal takes using different track versions in Luna, make new COMP VERSION, highlight a section on one of the vocal takes, fly it in, go thru the tune, and then I have a comp?
It's simple and easy,,, But I'm old school
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 16, 2023 8:28:11 GMT -6
Hey Chris, Nope... His name is Steve, I just met him, he was working on a friends house in Donelson and came by the Church to take a look for us. Since he had a guitar in his truck, I had him play and sing few minutes in the Sanctuary, and it sounded pretty darn great!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 16, 2023 8:08:36 GMT -6
Hey Chris, Nope... His name is Steve, I just met him, he was working on a friends house in Donelson and came by the Church to take a look see. Since he had a guitar in his truck, I had him play and sing few minutes in the Sanctuary, and it sounded pretty darn great!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 12, 2023 17:14:30 GMT -6
Martin, it ain't mine yet...! Haha
Let's see what the bank says this week?
In the meantime, friend of ours, a carpenter who we brought to the Church to check it out, is also a weekend guitar player.
Funny enough he happened to have his acoustic in his truck, so we had him play and sing a few tunes while we were there, the room had just the most beautiful acoustic, the reverb was amazing, not overblown, boomy, it sounded perfect as it was....
That helped seal the deal. So, fingers crossed.
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 12, 2023 5:41:46 GMT -6
It's a small Church, which is exactly what I want. I've been searching for a smaller old Hall, Church, Synagogue, etc, for a few years now. Most are too big to be comfortable, and where I was in Northeast a real drag to heat or cool, would cost lot of $$$ to keep it comfortable. Smaller rooms are more realistic, at least for me. So now on my way home to work out the details, and pack up the house, studio, and pub. Attachments:
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 11, 2023 20:55:15 GMT -6
Martin, Sorry bud, I missed ya. Already on my way home, in Roanoke now... Will be back in a few weeks, found a nice little Church I want to buy.
Headed back home to pack everything up.
And I'm sure our paths have crossed, quite a few times.
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 11, 2023 20:52:32 GMT -6
Dan, Yes I did, Funny story as I turned them down for months, and months, before finally agreeing to produce / engineer that record. The reason was simple, I never did anything like that before, and I told them I'm really not a fan of that style of music and or production. But I'd take on the job, if I could produce it the way I knew how, which was like a rock record. And after I did it, I apologized for ruining their career, as that record initially wasn't received well. Now I hear it's a classic. GO figure.
The guys in the band have become like family to me!
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Post by nobtwiddler on Feb 10, 2023 18:06:57 GMT -6
Hey Martin, Yep, I'm a old guinea from Queens! Haha
Yes I did sound at the Coventry, many times, as well as all major City joints back then;
Max's Kansas City, CBGB's (and the Gallery) Hurrah, Limelight, 82 Club, Tracks, The Great Gildersleaves, The Ritz, Snafu, etc, etc, etc, and another 20 or so clubs in Long Island And my band at the time "The Special Guests" would play most of those joints all the time.
The place you are thinking about, was where my third Queens studio was located, was called "Roxie" rehearsal, off of Review Ave. in Long Island City. As you stated, all those bands rehearsed there. Owned by Keith Angelino, and Charlie Oliver, at the front desk was Ronnie, (with the Buddy Holly glasses!)
I had the biggest upstairs room, which was my recording room!
From there, I actually partnered up with Keith in a separate business, a studio in Manhattan called "Beethoven Studio" on 31st and 6th. 2 rooms, 48 tracks in each...we bought an existing studio called "First Choice" which was a R & B studio, but once we purchased it, the Rock n Rollers came in and the R & B kinda went away. That said, before they were all gone, I did get to record "The Fat Boys", "Shannon", "Curtis Blow", "Chaka Kahn", and many more...
I'll spare you the rest of my history, but from that place in Manhattan, I moved upstate NY to build studio #4, #5, #6, which is the one I'm packing up as soon as I get back home.
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