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Post by schmalzy on Aug 11, 2016 13:29:51 GMT -6
This is fascinating, really! It is a lot of information but I'm at the point now where I need solutions, not information. You have said a number of times $1 per appliance. But I don't know what that means.. Does that mean if I want to protect a computer and a monitor, I should spend $2? I should think not. and WHAT should I spend it on? OK, I need a protector - not protection, right? So what do that mean in terms of product and installation. I think a large part of what he's saying is this: without a single-point earth ground, protectors aren't doing a lot of protecting. Perhaps the first concern should be "does my studio/home/location have adequate earth grounding?" If yes, great. If not, solve that problem first. After that spend the money on commercial products equalling about $1 per appliance. Like, I'd get a $30 surge protector in my studio. That's how I'm interpreting what he's saying. I welcome the possibility (probability, even!) that I'm wrong.
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Post by schmalzy on Aug 3, 2016 15:21:51 GMT -6
I'm not in the same league as most of you guys, but I find I'm happiest with my reverb sounds when i combine a few.
Also...a little M/S processing on the wider one to emphasize the width has done some good for me, too.
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Post by schmalzy on Jul 25, 2016 8:55:19 GMT -6
Well, my Big Knob is serving me well and is starting to get some sticky buttons...so I get it: make an updated version of a thing a lot of people have and will eventually wear out.
But, damn, do they have to be so obvious?
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Post by schmalzy on Jul 21, 2016 9:48:25 GMT -6
The top/bottom thing is a more balanced view of drum spot mic'ing. That's what I was going to suggest: since he HAS to mic the top to get the attack, he mics the bottom to get the rest of the drum. Full picture of the instrument.
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Post by schmalzy on Jul 7, 2016 13:43:28 GMT -6
So, on tuesday i ended up using blumlein in front of kit with spot mics and a couple other stereo pair for room. The center image bugs me. It doesn't sound terrible, but lacks weight. Now that we're done and I'm just hanging out by myself this morning I set up a mid-side pair in front with stereo rooms adding slight delay to the room mics. Crazy. Wish I'd tried this before. Now I can get serious weight in the center image. I will definitely use this technique in the future. I really love M/S for drum room stuff. I went away from it for a while but I think I'll be going back the next time I have a drum kit wander into the studio. It sounds good. There's a solid center image that captures all the punch you have in the room. Also, the width is variable. Is the room sound wider during the last chorus on a lot of my stuff? You bet your ass it is! Worth noting is my predilection to mic'ing acoustic guitar with an M/S pair - it's like a direct mic and a "short reverb" mic that are phase coherent and provide a little width.
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Post by schmalzy on Jun 21, 2016 9:11:04 GMT -6
Ludwig Black Beauty, or the cast hoop version, the Black Magic. The Black Magic gets a lot less love, but you can pick them up new for around 200$ if you shop around. They are brassy, but rather dry, which I like since you don't have to choke them down with moongel. The beads are relatively sharp so you can tune rather drastically. This snare has the largest usable tuning range I've had in a snare drum. A drummer friend of mine has a Black Magic (plus a bunch of other snare drums). He swears by it up and down. If he needs a snare that falls into the background he'll pick something else, but he's using that Black Magic for most of the "snare drum needs to be heard" songs.
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Post by schmalzy on Jun 6, 2016 9:16:38 GMT -6
after doing what ever is clever with your tracking, i would suggest doing your mixing through your 2 buss compressor-vp28's/Missing links-ADC capture DAW-DAC-monitors. This is the most accurate(not the cheapest) way to get what you get IMO. is there a reason you hit the vp28's after the compressor? just curious. I can't speak for tony on why he'd do that but I can take a guess because I do something similar in my 2-buss chain (my compressor is ITB at this point, though): He's probably using the compressor with a slow attack time on his 2-buss. Oftentimes, that will allow for a big transient to come through before the compressor can really compress the signal. I end up using this style of compression because, to me, it helps the drums hit harder than they seem to when using a faster attack time. On a lot of the stuff I end up mixing, I'm looking for aggressive, punchy, transient-heavy drums and this is one of the ways I try to get there. Anyway, the compressor is allowing a big transient through and squeezing the body of the sound to be more consistent...but we probably still need to rein that transient in eventually if we're looking to get an appropriate dynamic range. He's probably running it into the VP28 and pushing the level pretty hard (either on the front end or the back end - I don't know what the VP28 likes more) to get the transformer to saturate on the transients and soft limit/limit/clip them in a different manner than a compressor/limiter would do it. I like running my 2-buss out through transformers (mine are in preamps but it could be any gear with good-sounding transformers, really) for that very reason - pushing the level into that gear a little higher than what might seem normal seems to give me a little "free" saturation and transient limiting with little downside. My ears like a little saturation on the 2-buss and I can get as much as I want with this sort of signal chain. The additional benefit of some soft-clipping/limiting from the transformers is just icing on the cake.
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Post by schmalzy on May 26, 2016 13:44:47 GMT -6
That's what I thought was going to be the answer. I used a swab to get the inside of male XLR connectors and I started to use 'em in female TRS connectors and thought: I bet this is going to leave some shit in there...
Thanks, all!
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Post by schmalzy on May 26, 2016 0:04:52 GMT -6
Yo, y'all!
I'm going through and trying to clean my connections in my home studio. I've got some downtime between now and ABSOLUTE FUCKIN' ANARCHY IN THE TRACKING AND MIXING ROOM starting in late June so I thought now would be a good time to try to make that happen. I'm using Deoxit D5 and F5 (for anything that needs extra lubrication).
Are you guys spraying your cleaner on to a q-tip and toothpick (for female XLR) and running it into the connector or are you just blasting it into the connector? My studio doesn't even have that damn many connections and I'm looking at it like "this is pretty annoying but I know is worth it in the long run." It would be WAY faster if I could just blast D5 into the end of a female connector or into a fader or into the top of a pot etc.. Is this going to create a problem for me?
Gross. I feel like such a newbie..."How do I use a spray cleaner?"
I guess we all have to start somewhere...
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Post by schmalzy on May 16, 2016 11:28:29 GMT -6
I'm really looking forward to it being different than the VLA II. I'm thinking this will be strapped across the stereo rooms when recording drums and master bus when mixing. Also, it would (theoretically) work well for some control on other pairs of mics. I thought about a pair of mics on acoustic guitar right away: maybe one on the 12th fret and one at the bridge. The stereo link will treat those dissimilar mic sounds with the same sort of compression shape. I don't necessarily trust the VLAII for master bus. I tried it and it felt like it wasn't really doing anything I liked any more than what ReaComp was giving me within a few seconds of tweaking. I also felt like it made the mix sound a little cloudy and wooly (in a bad way). The VLAII has been great on bass and some less intimate vocals, though. My vocals are often too bright and sharp...throwing it through that VLAII helps take the edge off.
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Post by schmalzy on May 16, 2016 10:22:42 GMT -6
Well, kids, I just replied to the email to claim my compressy prize.
I'll be gently compressing mixes and slamming drum busses with legit analog compression in no time (note: "no time" after it ships, plops on my doorstep, and can get integrated into my workflow).
I have a feeling this will be a significant step up from my only current analog compressor: an ART VLA II. Useful for some stuff, sure, but it's not exactly a precision or high-quality piece.
The SA4000, though - if that sample from a while back is any indication - seems to be a real-deal piece of gear. I'll be bangin' out a review with some examples when I can get my brain around it.
Thanks @johnkenn and Stam for running the contest!
(...in other news, it looks like I still don't know how to specifically tag people in posts. Hmmmm...)
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Post by schmalzy on May 10, 2016 10:25:30 GMT -6
Kick: EV N/D868 + Yamaha sub kick-> API 3124 Oh, man, I love those N/D 868s on kick and floor toms. I've only been able to use them when I was doing mobile recording (one of the bands I worked with had a couple of 'em laying around) - they worked great! They didn't sound too scooped (like a lot of kick mics do) but were definitely getting me moving towards a finished drum sound before I even had the input gain fine-tuned.
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Post by schmalzy on May 9, 2016 15:14:53 GMT -6
Toms are generally Michael Joly 219PE's, with CAD M177/179's as a backup if it's a more "modern" sound. I HATE, HATE, HATE 421's as their off axis ruins my drum sound if left open. I like leaving the tom mics open if they sound good, and the way I do it, it always sounds more "alive" leaving them open with not being played. Awesome info, drbill! (I'm about 100% that's not going to tag you in the post like I'd like...hmmmm...). Thanks for detailing your thought process. I agree with you about 421s on toms. They "sound" good but their bleed is terrible. If you're getting good isolation, your drummer is great at really blasting the shells and laying off the cymbals, and you're gating (manual "gating" is what I prefer) the non-tom stuff out then 421s can be super useful - but their off-axis is gross. That's why I've settled on mostly using some SDCs on toms. They're not the best sounding SDCs to be honest but their polar pattern is fairly tight, these can take the level (something like 137db), the top end is hyped from the factory, and the bottom end is there (but needs some boosting)...plus, since it's a condenser, it seems like the transient response is quick and I find I like big transients for toms. I've also used a 205 in front of the kit (that 6' distance seems great) before, too - I always try it when I'm tracking drums outside my studio. I really dig it. My room doesn't seem to like that position as much - must be something in the acoustics. What are you hearing in the API preamps (Silver Bullet front end and the CAPI stuff) that makes you like them?
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Post by schmalzy on May 9, 2016 13:51:57 GMT -6
I'm quite a bit lower end on the gear scale than a lot of you guys are. My mic locker is useable but not near some of the prices of some of the other mics kicking around in this thread. I have a total of 16 inputs. Depending on the tracking day input requirements, I'll subtract mics.
I'm always starting with my overheads. Typically it's two or three mics - spaced pair much of the time and sometimes x/y (I'd love to get a mic stand that would allow me to suspend an M/S pair 7' up over the kit...that's the next purchase). The third overhead is over the ride pointing at the snare (generally the same distance from the snare as the stereo overheads). I really try to use this mic as much as possible and - if this is used with a spaced pair - try to use the space pair for width and spice while I use the middle mic to concentrate on punch and tone. It's oftentimes a ribbon. Many of my mic choice decisions are based off my stereo overhead selection: the LDCs are a little wider cardioid and sound less detailed than the SDCs while the ribbons are nicely subdued up top.
I like having stereo rooms. Often behind gobos. I'll go to mono if I need to (but I'll never go without a room mic).
I also really like having another mic that is trying to get as much personality as possible out of the snare and kick. It's sometimes over the kick pointing at the snare, it's sometimes under the snare pointing at a piece of wood on the floor, it's sometimes a couple feet in front of the kick pointed under the rack tom at the snare.
From there it's all pretty standard placements.
OHs - AKG Perception 400 LDCs or M-Audio Pulsar II SDCs for the stereo mics and a modded Apex 205 or Cascade Fathead for the middle. Every now and then I'll use Fatheads as a spaced pair and an AT4040 in the middle if the cymbals need to be tamed. Rooms - Cascade Fatheads in mono or stereo or Perception 400s in Mid/Side Personality mic - AT4040 or Shure PE45 (early 80s handheld dynamic mic) Kick In - SM7B or Heil PR40 depending on needs Kick Out - AKG Perception 400 if not used somewhere else Snare Top - SM7B, Heil PR40, or SM57 depending on what's on the kick drum Snare Bottom - Cascade M39 (random Chinese SDC) or SM57 or Shure PE45 Toms top (no bottom) - Cascade M39 or Sennheiser e604
I'm looking at a couple mic purchases in the not-too-terribly-distant future. I'd like to get another AT4040 but I'm most interested in a legit pair of SDCs. I'm really digging what I've heard of the Mojave MA-100 tube SDCs. Anyone have experience with those?
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Post by schmalzy on May 3, 2016 9:11:55 GMT -6
If only there was a place you could join and not pay any fees for selling your gear...if only. ...A place where professionals and hobbyists could come together, talk about the things that matter in music production, and buy/sell gear to their heart's content. It's too bad there's definitely no place like that. I've never been on a site like that. I mean, who would run a site that operates like that? It has to be out there, right? I know, for 100% certain, all of us on the RGO board wishes there was a place like that. If only we could find it....
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Post by schmalzy on May 2, 2016 8:49:37 GMT -6
Cool...I'll do it tomorrow. I was kinda hoping I could dump the Burl, honestly. When I first got the Burl, I had been using the Apollo to print back in, of course...and I remember kinda wondering if I didn't like that sounds a little better to be honest...but I'd just bought the damn thing, so I was determined to use it lol. I feel like the mixes and tracks I've gotten with the Apollo/D-Box/Burl have been the best I've ever gotten...So, of course, I'm looking to change it lol. RMS match the results and test yourself blind. Have someone rename them and set up a triangle test: two source files are used to make three test samples. One of the samples will be a duplicate. That methodology is used in tea/beer/wine/spirits taste testing all the time. It allows for so much doubt that it's hard to have any sort of confidence regarding what you're expecting to taste/hear.
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Post by schmalzy on Apr 27, 2016 13:46:25 GMT -6
Maybe someone could contact the Kush Audio guys to see what they can tell us. They just released the Omega Transformer Plugins.
I'm sure there's a little there they could reveal without giving away the farm.
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Post by schmalzy on Apr 20, 2016 8:32:36 GMT -6
I just grabbed a Lindell 7x-500 and a pair of Alta Moda AM-10 compressor/limiters. Let us know what you think of the Lindell. I've been considering those for a while now and I just haven't pulled the trigger on a 500 series chassis.
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Post by schmalzy on Apr 11, 2016 15:41:24 GMT -6
I couldn't tell you what to do in this situation.
...but...listen to Modest Mouse. They have two drummers live so it would be interesting to see what they do for a live recording in comparison to a studio recording.
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Post by schmalzy on Apr 7, 2016 11:11:31 GMT -6
Anyone used the Verona? These things are selling for pennies on the dollar. $10k boards new, selling for 2-3k used. This seems like a really great tool for tracking, let alone mixing. For tracking, even if you already have a bunch of high end preamps, you would add variable HPF and EQ section, plus the aux section for analog headphone mixes. Is there any better bang for the buck option to add 16 channels (or more) of decent eq and HPF? With a board like this, you could even keep 16 channels dedicated to tracking and 16 channels dedicated to summing. What you're saying is exactly why I pulled the trigger on a super cheap Allen & Heath GL4: Decent-sounding preamps (not great but not destructive - sounds like an interface preamp) Variable HPF on every channel Sweepable 4-band EQ 8 Groups 10 Aux Sends I'm slowly working on integrating all the features into my workflow...I'll need some time to get that all handled!
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Post by schmalzy on Mar 29, 2016 13:53:17 GMT -6
Actually, it's not that model. I got mine in 2005 or 2006 new from a store but I'm having a hard time finding information about it right now. There are a few used listings out there but there's not much regarding information. It came with a 6X10 matching cab. It's a little bit less retro looking than that version but it's similarly 100 watts tube with similar connections on the back. All I know is I love how it sounds, live engineers love how it sounds, bands coming into my space love how it sounds, and good friends (and some not-so-good-friends) of mine are constantly asking to borrow it because of how it sounds. It's really similar to this ( www.ampeg.com/pdf/V4BH.pdf ) but it's silver and, if I remember correctly, it's noted with some sort of AV in the name. Ha! Found one just like it! I was starting to think I was crazy! www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Ampeg-V4BAV-Bass-Stack-USA-Made-Limited-Edition-Vintage-Cloth-/222059771962?hash=item33b3cb383a%3Ag%3AWmIAAOSwoudW7uE8&nma=true&si=VQxw03FEZLK%252FDc21iiy0nhAMh7k%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557One guy was trying to sell his in NY in 2011, too: www.talkbass.com/threads/ampeg-anniversary-set-1200.729107/That's just like the one I have. When I bought it from a weird little shop in a 17,000 population town I thought "this will be cool." It's turned out to be a fantastic amp that I've played a ton of shows with since then. I'm not one for collecting pieces; it's not an amp unless it's putting out sound! Part of me thinks "I should have taken much better care of mine." But then I think of all the shows it's played and I just can't help but know I made the right decision.
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Post by schmalzy on Mar 29, 2016 9:20:37 GMT -6
May I trouble the community with a question? How important or useful is having a DI which can accept a "speaker level"? How many folks use this regularly? The reason I ask is that a new Pueblo Audio DI is in final pre-release design and may consider adding such a feature, last minute, if valuable Thanks! I have to echo a couple comments you've gotten from the others: I have a DI line out on my Ampeg V4-B Anniversary bass head - I think it's post-master volume but I know for sure it's post preamp gain and EQ. It's absolutely fantastic to have around, for sure! I like to drive bass amps into a bit of scuzziness but oftentimes the cab always ends up smoothing that out. Having that DI sound coming after the preamp gain, EQ, etc., is really nice for studio or live.
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Post by schmalzy on Mar 22, 2016 21:17:10 GMT -6
Ahhhh shit! Pre-ordered!
This is the first new piece of gear I've bought, I think...feels weird. Everything else has been used or b-stock, etc.
Sooooooo...now...I wait. And I'm not good at waiting...
But, for as good as this compressor sounds, I can wait!
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Post by schmalzy on Mar 17, 2016 13:32:49 GMT -6
Can anyone explain to me how this doesn't over-squish the squash ..or why it's advantageous. I mean - let's say you're taking 6 db off the top at a 3:1 ratio. The next time you take the top 2 db off the top (at a 3:1) ratio, you'll be crushing that original 3db down to 0.66db - with a 9:1 ratio. I'm not saying it's bad - I use a bit of compression in series at times - I'm just curious what the reasoning is from a more technical pov. I don't actually know other people are doing but I can tell you what I'm looking for when I'm using multiple coats of compression: 10 db of reduction on a source using one compressor gives you one attack characteristic with one release characteristic, one knee characteristic, and one type of saturation (if any at all). 10db of reduction on a source using a few different stages of compression (with different compressors or settings) give you a mixture of attack, release, knee, and saturation characteristics. One technique demonstrating this is something I end up using a lot of drums that have too much attack: 1. Very fast attack and release with a high ratio to smack down the spikiest portion of the transient (and as little of anything else as possible) bringing the volume of the spike closer to the volume of the rest of the drum. 4db-ish reduction. 2. Slow attack and timed release to "reshape" the sound's envelope. Makes a "longer" transient before the compression kicks in and, working the release to move with the beat, the tone of the drum comes in a little more. 3 db of reduction, maybe. 3. If desired, you could then use fast-ish attack and a medium fast release to bring the ambience out. Layers of compression are, for me, typically to nudge the sound in the right direction to accomplish a thing that a single compression envelope couldn't get done.
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Post by schmalzy on Mar 7, 2016 10:20:33 GMT -6
Two things:
A late-70s (I'm told - the serial number seems to agree but I've not done a bunch of digging) Ludwig Super Sensitive 6.5"X14" snare drum. Decent aesthetically. It sounds awesome, the snares can be really chunky and rattly or really snappy. I'm digging it, for sure.
My first patch bay. Man, that's awesome. It makes things so much easier. I don't even have it completely dealt with and wired and it's already improved my situation.
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