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Post by M57 on Jan 7, 2023 9:25:38 GMT -6
Why is it that when someone asks for advice regarding a purchase and they give a specific price range, invariably folks here manage to recommend gear that is double ..or even triple the price? I hate you all! Well, maybe not ..but my wife does
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Post by M57 on Jan 5, 2023 13:27:06 GMT -6
The PCM60 was my first reverb. I probably bought it within the year from when it came out; used it with my Fostex 8-track until my first digital box somewhere in the 90's. Never used it again. Sold it 4 or 5 years ago for decent money and don't miss it one bit. I seem to recall it thick and hairy with a noise floor that drove me nuts. The only reason I'd consider buying the plugin would be to remind myself how much better off I am without it.
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Post by M57 on Jan 3, 2023 20:51:40 GMT -6
So this is bad? I only run one pair at a time. Auralex monitor pads between them. My nearfields only sound right when their tweeters fire directly at my ears, not above or below. The sweet spot is tiny. I would figure out a way to angle yours - probably both, but most likely the bottom pair. Whatever solution you find might even decouple them a bit more and improve things.
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Post by M57 on Jan 3, 2023 16:00:33 GMT -6
The only difference between the two available chips on the Studio with M1 Ultra is the GPU (with 48-core and 64 core respectively). Otherwise, they're the same; they both come with a 20-core CPU and a 32-core Neural Engine. And I think GPU is more about graphics processing. Best to save a $1000 there, right?
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Post by M57 on Jan 3, 2023 9:38:44 GMT -6
Welcome to the world of diminishing returns of CPU power, many developers, not just plugins get lazy and as performance increases get even lazier. It’s not just our world, the funny thing is I was talking to a former Fortune 500 CIO and he said the worst always seam to be the developers who work for hardware manufacturers. You would think there would be this general corporate policy of lean and mean to show off our latest and greatest hardware, wait that would make sense. Yeah, the guy on my right shoulder is telling me that I really should get the Ultra.. The guy on the left (with my wallet) would probably shoot him if my head wasn't in the way.
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Post by M57 on Jan 3, 2023 8:34:53 GMT -6
Here's an example of what I might consider to be large-ish for my personal projects.
Analog:
Drums: 6ish tracks, possibly multiple takes
Lead Vocals at least 1 track
Bass: 2 or three tracks
Piano: 3 or 4 mics per take, at least two sets of recordings for a total of at least 6 tracks
Background Vocals: 10+ voices, (typically three - five part homophonic writing, doubled) more if there are countermelodies
Acoustic and or electric guitar: 1 - 2 tracks.
Digital/MIDI:
Spitfire strings or equivalent ensemble VIs - 4-8 tracks
maybe one other hungry VI - 1-2 tracks
less hungry synths - ambient tracks, etc. 1-3
Processing for all: I try to be sparing with hogs like soothe2. Luckily the update let's you choose different setting for playback vs rendering. I don't really like to print MIDI tracks all the time because I'm always tweaking them right to the finish line, but I do have to freeze tracks like crazy with my current iMac.
So for me say 50 tracks, 3/4 of which are analog is not uncommon.
I know I probably shouldn't be too worried about now, but I'm always concerned that the next generation of plugins (in the next 3 or 4 years) will require significantly more firepower, and bring whatever computer I purchase now to its knees unless I have go for overkill with Ram and CPU speed, etc..
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Post by M57 on Jan 3, 2023 8:02:46 GMT -6
Q2: Can you connect multiple displays out of the single HDMI port, i.e. intelligent video monitor routing. Everything I've read indicates you can't have two independent screens fed from one HDMI port, although I did get the impression from one of the sites I checked that you can somehow 'extend' a single screen onto two monitors with the right hardware. I have similar questions regarding USB-C ports. How expandable are they? I have a number of things that need to be connected.. interface, monitors, keyboards, controllers, ilok, external drives, emergency mouse, etc. ..not to mention potentially one or two hybrid/analog processors with plugin accessibility. Wouldn't some of these (e.g. my interface, or a drive from which I'm running files from a project) prefer to have dedicated ports? Where are the bottlenecks that I should be concerned about?
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Post by M57 on Jan 2, 2023 7:31:04 GMT -6
This is the only way to guarantee the same instrumental and vocal volumes! But is this necessarily the goal?
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Post by M57 on Jan 1, 2023 11:22:30 GMT -6
Mix weak and/or out-of-tune vocals lower ..and with extra reverb sauce.
But seriously, this is subjective territory and dependent on too many things to name.. comparison with exemplars in its genre, personal preference, density of the mix, desired dynamic range, phase of the moon, etc. I've struggled with it many times. Sometime you just know it's right. Other times I find myself revisiting my insecurities. Every recording is different, at least for me, and I consider that to be a good thing.
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Post by M57 on Dec 31, 2022 8:24:18 GMT -6
I run Logic and am in need of a new computer. It probably needs to happen sooner than later. There's a huge price differential between the two Studio M1 chips. Which version are you rocking and how hard are you hitting it? Any plugin and/or compatibility issues? Which plugins need Rosetta, and are you having any problems with that?
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Post by M57 on Dec 30, 2022 20:43:19 GMT -6
One other thing that nobody ever asks about recallable gear is how accurate is the recall? What’s the bit depth of your protocol and how does that translate into reality? This in the past as moved many beyond recall and back to the IPhone camera. I would think that the inaccuracy of the recall (settings) are insignificant in comparison to the amount of deviation that normally occurs with every pass on any piece of analog equipment that hasn't be touched.
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Post by M57 on Dec 30, 2022 8:56:32 GMT -6
My non-recallable gear will work that way forever, whereas my automated stuff will be recallable for as long as I run compatible software, after that it will work just like the non-recallable stuff. I'd avoid the no controls on the face plate type units. I'm pretty sure the Bettermaker units like the passive EQ have full control on the faceplate, though the boost and cut settings have no numbers.
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Post by M57 on Dec 29, 2022 10:34:42 GMT -6
because while you may some point have to run it with a legacy computer and OS without supporting a legacy DAW. now how much quieter would it be if it wasn’t there? I think the point is you don't have to run it with anything if you don't want to, or if the remote option becomes obsolete.. As for how much quieter without, do you really think it has any impact?
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Post by M57 on Dec 29, 2022 8:19:41 GMT -6
I've noticed that a number of folks have been reticent about purchasing hardware that offers connectivity to DAWs, at least in part because they are concerned that when the format becomes obsolete, so will the hardware. However, I've also noticed that more and more are expressing interest/desire in some of the Bettermaker products. Are we softening our stance and willing to let down our guard? Or are the products that good regardless of whether or not you're taking advantage of their recall capabilities?
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Post by M57 on Dec 26, 2022 16:47:33 GMT -6
The maag audio eq2 500 series looks like simplified and very affordable solution. Two independently switchable on/off bands and supposedly the same quality as their 19" unit and a wide range of frequencies, including switchable Q's on the bottom end. I also like that it includes 15k on the air side. It's boost only, but that's all I'm going to do with it on both sides, right?
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Post by M57 on Dec 26, 2022 16:27:49 GMT -6
Get a 2 ru panel with xlr punches. Wire it up with some cables and a few panel mount xlr’s. Make up a few 16” xlr patch cables, label it with a ptouch out over in and you’re all set to go and can pop a few more in there if / when you expand your outboard. You mean something like this? XLR PatchbayI'm still trying to wrap my head around how it would work with no normalized connections.
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Post by M57 on Dec 26, 2022 13:56:41 GMT -6
I don’t think a patch bay is worth the hassle for one/two pieces of gear. Go with Digital patching through your interface. We had a big thread about it earlier this year. So if I buy a set of EQP's and I want to use one of them for tracking, then switch to using both of them on the mix buss AND I already have a stereo compressor on my mix buss, there's a way to hook it up so using digital patching using Logic? Could someone point me towards that thread? Mind you I want them to work in series with the compressor on the mix buss. Even if I can do that with digital patching, it's going to involve multiple da/ad trips, and I'll still have to manually change one of them out for tracking, right?
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Post by M57 on Dec 26, 2022 7:02:02 GMT -6
Has anyone ever compared it with the 500 series version?
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Post by M57 on Dec 25, 2022 11:07:25 GMT -6
If I could buy only one: Which is preferred for tracking vocals?
If I could buy only two: Which one is preferred for the mix buss? (stereo so they have to be the same)
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Post by M57 on Dec 25, 2022 9:21:08 GMT -6
Have a happy whatever it is you celebrate ..and a Merry New Year to all.
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Post by M57 on Dec 25, 2022 8:35:25 GMT -6
I'm starting to realize that even with just a single gear purchase, I'm probably going to want a standard bay. One thing I didn't think of is that I already have a Buss Compressor that sits on the 2 buss. I'll want to avoid multiple DA/AD trips from my interface, which I'm pretty sure means I'll also want to have the buss compressor hooked up to the bay. The Samson S does the trick very affordably. Of course, I'd be spending more on cables than the bay.
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Post by M57 on Dec 25, 2022 6:57:39 GMT -6
Doing a little more research on the 500 series option..
Also the Fredenstein Bento 8 Pro. It doesn't have a patchbay per se but..
TepeOP review: Of course all bets are off if I decide to go with 19" gear. Then my original question still applies.
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Post by M57 on Dec 25, 2022 6:39:42 GMT -6
Let's say I'd want to purchase a stereo compressor (or eq) for the mix buss, but also to be able to use one or both of its channels for tracking. Assuming this is the only peice of gear that I anticipate wanting to do this with, should I just deal with the hassle of switching cables all the time, or should I get a patch bay? I wouldn't be doing it that often, maybe a couple times a week at most and likely a lot less, so I don't think that wear and tear would be an issue. Is there such a thing as a tiny patchbay that only supports a couple of units? One solution that comes to mind ..I use 500 series pre-amps. Are there perhaps boxes with switching to let me do this assuming the compressor is also 500 series? Hmm ..might there be such a thing as a 500 series patchbay module, or is that just silly? EDIT: Yeah, I know how to use a search engine.. www.blacklionaudio.com/store/500-series-racks/pbr-8-500-series-rack/..but I'd like to hear what folks think..
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Post by M57 on Dec 23, 2022 5:21:19 GMT -6
Hardware isn't something you commit to half heartedly..
Yes, I realize that things can't be unprinted. But it's not as black and white as saying that a little uncertainty is unacceptable. I can't go back and change the mic, its placement or the pre-amp. Printing a little 2A on the way in is certainly going to help more than hurt, even with 0 gain reduction. It's not that I don't trust my decisions. I know what I want, and that makes it that much harder to let go. On the other hand I also know I have limitations, some of which no doubt I'm unaware of. A new set of ears at the mastering stage makes a lot of sense.
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Post by M57 on Dec 23, 2022 4:24:20 GMT -6
In recent years with all the advances in technology and the release of so many great clones and boutique designs I've built my studio around getting all the "magic sauce" at the tracking stage with boutique mics, pre amps and compressors and then adding all the vibe, depth and 3D soundscape with boutique tube and SS gear on the stereo mix bus. Then when it comes to "mastering" well there's virtually nothing left to do. A couple of dB of light limiting, perhaps a dB of mastering compression and the odd corrective/ track matching touch of EQ here and there. I have the monitoring, ears and gears to take care of that myself Nice. I'm not quite there, but I'm close. From treatment to hardware, and now the Dyn 48's are burning in, etc. But I'm also realizing that, as much as I want to, I shouldn't trust myself or my gear 100%. Having someone else master seems to make a lot of sense. That, and at least in the medium term, I'll save a lot of money. Paying to have a two or three EP's mastered costs a lot less than two or three pieces of boutiquey gear.
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