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Post by mikec on Jan 27, 2017 14:18:40 GMT -6
Aurora audio gtq2 -> $2600 2 channel plus 3 band eq, neve style sound but more open and modern. Just beautiful tones to be coaxed out of this baby! Not to mention it offers the best price point and features per channel than the bae, chandler, Ams Neve, and heritage offerings. It's also hand built in the USA, by Geoff Tanner and Co. Geoff Tanner is the neve guru and was part of the original Neve company until 1985/1986. I would strongly agree. I had one of these a few years back and regret selling it.
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Post by mikec on Jan 27, 2017 13:13:56 GMT -6
Hey Kcat, glad to hear you got your Symphony MKII. I had no complaints at all with my Apollo 16 BF and have no doubt it would accomplish everything I needed, but could not stop obsessing over the Symphony MKII. My wife said to just get it (she is a real keeper) so I did and noticed immediately that it just made things easier to mix due to my perceived depth and clarity. I hope you are enjoying your's and much as I am enjoying mine.
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Post by mikec on Jan 27, 2017 13:08:37 GMT -6
I have an A Designs Pacifica that works great for stereo acoustic guitar recording. I just recorded some last weekend running the Pacifica through a pair of IGS 576 blue strips and it came it nice. Most of the time I use a pair of Retro Powerstrips which really come out nice.
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Post by mikec on Jan 26, 2017 7:13:15 GMT -6
I've been using either my pair Avedis e27s or the line in on my pair of Retro Powerstrips to take advantage of the EQ section.
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Post by mikec on Jan 24, 2017 12:34:21 GMT -6
I received these two little guys on Friday. IGS 576. So far only used them to track some acoustic guitars with an A-Designs Pacifica, but they were fun and sounded pretty good.
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Post by mikec on Jan 7, 2017 8:25:45 GMT -6
I will admit to being somewhat of a tube amp snob and would never want to give up my collection of tube amps. There is nothing like just plugging into a good tube amp with nothing between the guitar and the amp but a good cord, whether its the big glassy sound of 6L6s, the bluesy sound of hot 6V6s, or the chime of EL84s. Nevertheless, when it comes time to get a great recorded guitar sound without any trouble or fuss, the Kemper is just hard to beat. I have the Kemper with the built in power amp so a while back I purchased one of the passive Mission Engineering cabs and it is pretty amazing how the Kemper through the Mission Engineering cab can really come close to the sound and feel of playing though a tube amp sitting right next to it. I've also had a Fractal Audio Axe-FX Ultra and the effects were outstanding, but I find for me, the Kemper is easier to use like I would use a regular amp head.
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Post by mikec on Jan 6, 2017 9:26:55 GMT -6
I just started using Revoice Pro and have been liking it.
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Post by mikec on Jan 2, 2017 8:57:07 GMT -6
Also sold a PRS Private Stock the I never really bonded with to cover all of it. Does anyone ever bond with a PRS? Hahaha Once I got my first couple of Echopark guitars from Gabriel Currie it's kind of made it hard to bond with any other electrics.
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Post by mikec on Jan 2, 2017 8:35:01 GMT -6
It's been a merry christmas and happy new year. Got a new Collings D2HA Traditional and Serpent SB4001 that I really like and I have a pair of IGS 576 Blue Strips on the way. Also sold a PRS Private Stock the I never really bonded with to cover all of it.
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Post by mikec on Dec 25, 2016 13:54:46 GMT -6
I just got this cool custom 2 space wood rack from Nice Racks for the Apollo 8P that I use for my more portable recording and live acoustic rig.
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Post by mikec on Dec 17, 2016 11:24:04 GMT -6
I've been using the FG-X only on my final printed stereo track after all mixing is done just to bump up the overall volume before bouncing to a wav or mp3. I've just been finding the preset I like best and then using the gain knob. It seems to raise the volume without changing the feel of the mix, but then again, I may not really know what I am doing.
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Post by mikec on Dec 15, 2016 8:32:07 GMT -6
A couple months ago I purchased the Switchcraft 9625 and it has been really great. It was expensive, but it seems like every time I try and save some money, like when I recently purchased the Chameleon 880 Rack lunch box, it bites me in the ass. Unlike the Chameleon, I have no regrets with my Switchcaft purchase.
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Post by mikec on Dec 11, 2016 8:30:24 GMT -6
The foot switch is great for live applications but I never use it when I am recording. The looper works well for practice but it only has about 30 seconds if I remember correctly. I always use the analog connection for recording.
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Post by mikec on Dec 10, 2016 14:19:42 GMT -6
I have a great collection of tube amps that I love, but every time I think I want to sell my Kemper I hook it up to the patch bay and record something, it's easy and so far in a mix even my guitar playing friends can't tell the difference.
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Post by mikec on Dec 10, 2016 9:00:01 GMT -6
I'm talking myself into a different direction I think. I think Been there and still doing that, as recently as yesterday.
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Post by mikec on Dec 9, 2016 7:41:46 GMT -6
So for a singer songwriter typically tracking 1-2 channels and or bringing in a drummer and using <8, the 8x8 module would work fine on usb and just set I pair of outlets as the line out ? I could keep running my octo card on the tbotl pci-e of my mbp. That would work or if you are in to analog summing you could run all 8 outs into the summing box and monitor off of that. When I track, for simplicity, I just run everything out of channels 1/2 so I am only using 2 channels of my summing box, and then when I start mixing I separate everything out into my combination of mono and stereo channels through the 2Bus. Since I mostly record other singer/songwriter types or my own stuff, I could have probably gone with an 8x8 Symphony but since I already had the 2Bus+ and my mixes usually end up with 24 to 30 tracks, having 16 outs to sum was easier on my brain when stemming what goes where.
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Post by mikec on Dec 9, 2016 7:36:18 GMT -6
I got my early Christmas present yesterday by getting a new Apogee Symphony MKII thunderbolt 16x16. I didn't need it since I just got the Apollo 16 BF from Sweetwater back in March, but since when does true need really have anything to do with it. I guess someone will just end up getting a deal on a like new Apollo 16 BF. I'm not leaving the UAD family though, since I have an Apollo 8P that I will still be using for live and mobile applications. mikec I might be interested in your Apollo 16 JK, just let me know and we can try and work out a price we can both live with.
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Post by mikec on Dec 8, 2016 17:35:10 GMT -6
If you must use cans, open yield lots better intonation than closed. I know that's conventional wisdom but I've found it varies. If a singer's most used to singing acoustically, unamplified/recorded, yeah it feels way more natural to have open cans. For me, the vast majority of singing I've done has been on stage (so either wedges or in-ears) or in a studio environment (cans). I'm way more comfortable in closed cans, feels like I'm more 'united' with the monitored signal and there's less of a tug of war between my voice acoustically and the recorded signal I'm monitoring. I'm in this same camp, but I do have a set of Beyer DT880s that are open so I will give them a try anyway. I never thought of using them due to the bleed into the mic.
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Post by mikec on Dec 8, 2016 17:30:23 GMT -6
Can you post a crude graphic showing how everything is wired? I can't quite picture it... My wife is an artist and thinks I have the drawing skills that would embarrass a 3 year old, so, how I wired mine up is just like the diagram on the Dangerous Music website. Once you get on their website, under products select the DBox. On the right side of the screen they have a list of set up diagrams. They don't have one of the 2bus+ but the the 2Bus LT wired to the DBox is wired the same. The only difference is that I am not using the summing feature of the DBox so I don't have the SUM out of the Dbox going into the expansion of the 2Bus+. Additionally I am only summing the 16 channels from the Symphony so per the diagram I don't have any D/A going into the summing input of the Dbox. The only other thing is I have the stereo summed output from my 2Bus+ going out of the Main outputs back into the Symphony to print my summed mix. Let me know if I can clarify anything, I'm happy to help. The connection between the 2Bus+ and the symphony was the easiest, just the 16 outs from the symphony to the 16 ins of the 2Bus+ using DB25 cables. I have my preamps all connected into my patch bay so I can route them to any channel or outboard compressor or eq that I have. It all fits nicely into a Sterling Modular Plan E desk.
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Post by mikec on Dec 8, 2016 13:58:12 GMT -6
so, is the dbox your D/A? I am only using the dbox as a monitor controller for the summed analog output of the 2Bus+. I do have spdif out from the Symphony connected to the digital in on the dbox, but have not had a need to use it yet.
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Post by mikec on Dec 8, 2016 11:46:03 GMT -6
Hey guys, I'm looking for recommendations for really great tracking headphones for vocals. My trusted Ultrasone Pro 650s are starting to show their wear after years of great performance. I've been looking at all the usual suspects from AKG, Beyerdyamic, and Sennheiser but every time I get ready to pull the trigger I read something negative for one reason or another. Just looking for opinions of which I know there is no lack of here.
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Post by mikec on Dec 8, 2016 11:31:24 GMT -6
I spent about 5 hours tracking acoustic guitars and vocals last weekend with my new Symphony MKII and never even opened Maestro. It would have been nice to have two headphone outputs but since I run the Symphony through my patchbay normaled to my 2Bus+ and then the 2Bus+ to a DBox it has not been an issue for me. Its pretty cool to be able to track and mix through the 2Bus+.
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Post by mikec on Dec 8, 2016 6:15:06 GMT -6
Must have!!
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Post by mikec on Dec 7, 2016 15:40:54 GMT -6
I need to start selling the stuff my wife already thinks I sold. Sounds like a plan: what ya selling ? Actually, I am in pretty good shape other than selling the Apollo 16 BF I just bought from Sweetwater back in March. I would keep it but since I got the Symphony and I have an 8P, even I can't come up with a rational reason.
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Post by mikec on Dec 7, 2016 15:19:01 GMT -6
This is the wrong crowd to go to if you want to be talked out of buying gear. In the last month I've gotten a Smart C1LA, two Avedis e27s, a Symphony MKII, and an UAD Satellite Octo. As far as my wife knows, I've sold enough other stuff to cover it.......as far as she knows. ...hey Mike, I'm selling some stuff in the classifieds. I need to start selling the stuff my wife already thinks I sold.
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