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Post by mitchkricun on Jan 16, 2016 8:35:56 GMT -6
Apologizing in advance... :-)
How do you make two guitarists play in tune with each other....? Shoot one of them
How many lesbian folk singers does it take to screw in a light bulb? 2... One two screw it in and one to suck my d$#@!
A boy came home from his first bass lesson. His dad asked him how it went. "Today we learned the E string." The boy came home from his second lesson and dad asked him how it went. "Today we learned the A string." The boy came home from his third lesson. Dad asked, "So did you learn the D string today?" "No, today I had a gig."
What do you call the bass players wife? The guitar players F Buddy!
What do you throw a drowning guitar player? His Amp!
How do you get a guitarist to stop playing? Put sheet music in front of them. How do you get a keyboardist to stop playing? Take the sheet music away. Have a productive weekend!
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Post by mitchkricun on Jan 14, 2016 15:45:00 GMT -6
I ordered my AD/DA on Sept 1st and have had all 4 emails completely ignored. One was a technical question shortly after ordering and 3 in the last month, simply asking for an ETA on my units. If it wasn't for this thread, I would think they took my cash and went out of business...
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 27, 2015 10:48:52 GMT -6
I was lucky enough to have had a friend with limited space, leave an A200 at my place for almost 3 years. I've checked out a lot of the contenders and Tubed Wurli by Sampletek sounds the closest to what I remember that A200 to sound like. Did you ever smell something you haven't smelled in a long time, but your senses automatically remember it? That's how I felt with Tubed Wurli. It makes sense too, because they sampled it through a Fender Twin Reverb, which is exactly what I did when it was here. Here's a little sample to check out, with an added bonus, perhaps... I was testing the new Reverberate2 Bricasti Fusion IR's against the real thing. So I thought it might be helpful and/or fun (but not scientific) to do 8 bars dry, and then two passes with either the real M7 or Reverberate 2. But.. I'm not saying which is which! I used the same preset in both. Sorry for the crude playing! Also, I couldn't figure out how to load the file so that you could just click and play it without going through Soundcloud, and I thought the additional "magic" that Soundcloud adds would hurt the example. Attachment Deleted
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 21, 2015 13:35:12 GMT -6
Owning hardware is neither trendy or expensive, it's a solid investment, it works, it will continue to work, you cannot say that about any plugin, you are at the mercy of the modeler and OS upgrades, which means you have about a month of security in ur purchase. I would also contend that plugins cost much, much more $, In the past I have allowed myself to be comically nickled and dimed to death buying plugs, I probably own 10 reverbs plugs I don't use, my lex and Dp4 hardware kill all of them IMO. A Bricasti M7M is on my short list, that will require a plugin 8) I agree! But I'm seriously looking at Liquidsonics Reverberate 2 cuz I'm thinking' 11 reverb plugs should do the trick... I have (and overuse) a Bricasti M7 and a PCM70. The Bricasti is absolutely beautiful in sparse arrangements and I unabashedly have absolutely no self control/discipline with it. Not as dependable as I would have hoped. Mine has gone down 3 times in 6yrs, but each time they diagnosed the problem via email and sent me the new part for free. Great CS. FWIW, For freaking years I looked high & low for a Ursa Major Stargate & finally found one recently. On the console buss it can get impressively plate like. I often use the UAD 140/250…preceded by OW (especially on stereo console channels) or, Lexicon PCM stuff but, the depth of the HW box & how it envelopes the source can't be denied. Even a darn microverb used judiciously can be sweet. …The Sony being another very usable one to keep an eye out for. At least for the Lexicon PCM native bundle the creator of the code, Michael Carnes, stated many times that the plug in is based on the exact same code as the hardware. If there is a big diffrence it should fade away in a blindtest. If not I bet the level matching is wrong. I've compared the PCM 96 to PCM Native and they sound the same to me. Also agree with you that the REV500 is a sleeper...
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 13, 2015 17:28:55 GMT -6
I didn't own the console, but it was in the A room at the Warehouse in Philly where I was an assistant and later staff engineer. Apparently it came out of Sunset Sound, which I didn't originally believe until I assisted on a record with Andy Johns and he recognized it immediately! It was a black beast with the monitor section on the left and two upright patchbay sections, shaped like a "L" on the right. It had 4 560B's,16 550A's, 2 553's and two Aengus EQ's! Similarly, it was replaced with another API that had half the balls and all the noise... I'll look around for pics, but I didn't have an iPhone back then!
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 13, 2015 16:03:31 GMT -6
Agreed. My favorite compressor plug in so far. The sonics can often be startling. Sounds expensive!
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 13, 2015 15:31:40 GMT -6
BTW - as a side note. As Jeff Steiger eloquently observed when he invented the Missing Link - there are a LOT of gain stages in these vintage consoles. Way more than just a simple mic pre provides. Going through a mic preamp is not going to give you the same sound as going thru the same mic preamp in a console. It's just isn't. There are multiple gain stages in a console - and each and every one colors the sound. As a matter of note, I used to bypass the bussing and / or EQ stage by patching around them in the patchy of the old DeMedio API console that I had so that I could get to tape "cleaner". Back in the old school days, you didn't need all the harmonic coloring that consoles and tape provided. As a matter of fact, we worked against that color a good deal of the time to provide cleaner recordings, but even then, the sonic signatures of those consoles are obvious in the recordings. Now with Digitius and mixing ITB in full epidemic modes, we have to add back in what we took for granted a few decades ago.... Yes! This is so true, which I learned kinda the hard way after buying a 3124+... Nice, but not the same. I worked on a DeMedio for several years. It had a massive long frame patch bay, with tons of patch points, allowing you to patch around gain stages. Cleaner and less noise, which adds up. On Jazz or Big Band stuff, we'd patch right after the mic pre to tape. I even know a guy who would often mix from the monitor section, because it was very clean, quiet and believe or not, very punchy! When he mixed on channels, he would patch around any eq's that he wasn't using. Also, I checked out the Silver Bullet at AES and I was so impressed! It is so well layed out. I was able to dig right in and dial in several BEAUTIFUL tones in seconds. The image is so wide and the textures are vintage-y and hi fi at the same time. A few settings reminded me a lot of the tone and sound stage of my Overstayer FET, which I love. I wasn't able to check out the pre's, but if they are anywhere near the quality of the rest of the box, you guys have created a super versatile audio toolbox and I hope you sell a million of 'em!
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 7, 2015 15:46:31 GMT -6
Thanks to John and Jerome for posting these examples! The SLL1731's are (to me) definitely clearer and less compressed sounding in both examples. I did really like the saturation of the Red Dots in Jerome's clip. I've been been going back and forth trying to decide if I should sell my 3124+ and buy 4 CAPI's, or swap the op amps in it and see if it sounds less sterile than it does now. 2 channels of Red Dots and 2 channels of the 1731 could make for a pretty versatile box! But on the other hand... ;-) If you want that sound you should go with the Capi's. I had a 3124 and swapping the opamps while would surely help, still son't get you that sound. The good news is if you list it over on the purple site you'll get top dollar and probably have a good bit of cash left over. I KNEW I should have went with the 10 slot lunchbox...! :-)
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 7, 2015 15:15:06 GMT -6
Sounds great! Love the one room sound. I do agree about the bass and lead vocal. The vocal is maybe a little loud or perhaps a little bright at times. Also felt the piano sounded a bit bright/harsh when banging on the upper register. Overall, really nice!
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 7, 2015 14:36:33 GMT -6
Thanks to John and Jerome for posting these examples! The SLL1731's are (to me) definitely clearer and less compressed sounding in both examples. I did really like the saturation of the Red Dots in Jerome's clip. I've been been going back and forth trying to decide if I should sell my 3124+ and buy 4 CAPI's, or swap the op amps in it and see if it sounds less sterile than it does now. 2 channels of Red Dots and 2 channels of the 1731 could make for a pretty versatile box! But on the other hand... ;-)
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 7, 2015 12:59:58 GMT -6
For those who don't know Geoff is a great guy! I can confirm these findings... He and his brother George are great guys (and musicians)!
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 6, 2015 16:54:56 GMT -6
Has anyone tried these in an API 3124+? I know they're not out yet, but you never know. :-)
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 1, 2015 12:41:46 GMT -6
Tell you what, you pay shipping and I'll fix it for you. Wow!
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Post by mitchkricun on Nov 1, 2015 12:38:18 GMT -6
Anyone else have noise issues with the PCM4222? A couple years ago I bought a used Ross Martin ADC on ebay but unfortunately it had some noise issues (turns out it was modded and I got scammed - previous owner put in different opamps and caps). I sent it to Ross, paid $80, he replaced the opamps and the 2 (mylar?) caps next to each opamp, but when I finally got it back it made a different noise. I didn't bother sending it back again because it took forever, he was very unresponsive after taking my money, and initially sent my ADC to someone else and Ross sent me his DAC. Complete debacle. The left channel is somewhat usable, but the right channel is not. Been using it on and off but now I'm determined to just get the damn thing fixed so I can use it properly or sell it in good conscience. If I lift out the mess of wiring from behind the meters and hang it over the edge of the case, then I can get the noise reduced almost completely. I am thinking that there is some kind of interference going on with the wiring and the proximity to some components on the board, however I am not an EE - I only know enough to get into trouble. Here is a clip of the noise if anyone is interested (I'm hitting the reset button in the clip): PCM4222 noiseI've considered replacing all the cheapo caps and rewiring the unit, but not sure it would make a difference. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the cause and/or solution might be? Any help or suggestions is very much appreciated. If you're getting the noise to disappear when you move the wires? I'd document the connections well, pull twist/ reroute, replace with shielded cable, i fully expect to have to rework my multi channel units if and when they get here.... So, this is what it's come to? Doesn't he test the units before they go out? Very depressing. If he sends Jim Williams a unit that hums out of the box, what chance do the rest of us have? It appears the back log that exists with RMA has a lot to do with repairs and redesigns, that could have been avoided with more thorough testing before shipping.
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Post by mitchkricun on Oct 27, 2015 19:27:24 GMT -6
That console measures -48 db stereo crosstalk, .4% THD at higher levels and a pretty good amount of hiss thrown in. It's tough enough battling musicians, but to fight the console? Without the Toft 'brand' it would have been considered another Mackie. The best part about a 48db crosstalk spec on the Toft is, you won't need to check your mixes in mono haha Ouch and ouch... I bought version one of the ATB 24, partly because of the name, partly because Tchad Blake bought one and spoke well of it. I do think it's a step up above a Mackie. The crosstalk does suck, as do the faders and the eq, umm... sucks pretty much. I only use the mic pre's on toms when a Neil Peart type drummer comes in and I don't have enough outboard pre's, or for a scratch vocal while tracking a band. Like Jim said, the low end is not solid and I find the low mids to be murky. It's not without it's charms, and using it primarily as a summing mixer with sub groups and aux sends, I get decent results. I'm considering sending the Master section to JW, but I kinda don't want to dump any more money into this board, plus it's such a pain in the ass to remove! Problem is, I would take such a bath selling it... so I've been in a kind of limbo, trying to figure out what's my next move. I've been on Ebay looking at Delta's, but don't quite have the funds to buy console plus JW mods right now. (Also, working hard to get my ITB chops up to snuff, in hopes of rendering the point moot!) And yes, I've had my own crazy customer service experiences with PMI, which I won't go into here... But I will say, it would be very hard for me to ever buy anything that Mr. Hyatt (PMI) puts out. He's the Jimmy Buffet of Pro Audio IMO.
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Post by mitchkricun on Oct 27, 2015 17:49:08 GMT -6
I really like the tone of IC's gear. I've heard a few of his pieces and they just sound "right" to me. The new offerings look very interesting, although it's getting hard to keep track of all his different versions of VCA 500 Series compressors! I have a Brute and love the tone, but even at full gain reduction, and the meters showing 20+db of GR, it's too smooth to stop things from popping out on a vocal. And I'm not even talking about fast transients. I wonder if the added ratio's in the new Brute 2 will give more control...? I will definitely check these out at AES! Thanks for the heads up!
Love this quote from the website, "The Bad Boy is a good thing for any 500 Series rack." .... Steven Slate has nothing on Mr Firlotte marketing-wise!
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Post by mitchkricun on Oct 24, 2015 12:14:59 GMT -6
Depends on the song, but usually a pair of Awtac's, A-Designs Hammer, Smart C2M, Burl B2.
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Post by mitchkricun on Oct 18, 2015 15:11:56 GMT -6
At least for my setup, using Apogee AD16X/DA16X for I/O, the round trip conversion loss renders the Bricasti to be just average. I've been using the I/O plugin in Logic on an insert with the M7, and it always disappoints compared to out of the box. I feel the same way about inserting my outboard comps and eq's. Going digital, I'd have no quality loss. I usually mix OTB for this reason.Not my experience at all. I've used the Bricasti extensively via both digital and other high end and moderate level converters and the Bricasti has performed and sounded outstanding in each scenario. There are always differences depending on the setup, but I believe we have become hyper sensitive to the whole digital verses analog thing. I have my own preferences, but would gladly use the tools at our disposal in either arena. We are spoiled with great tools these days. Thanks for making me go back and revisit this. After spending a little more time level matching the send and return, I concur. They are different but the Bricasti still sounds amazing, if a little less 3D. Definitely going to pick up this plug. Thanks again!
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Post by mitchkricun on Oct 15, 2015 23:58:26 GMT -6
you don't need an AES converter. they just used AES in the video as an example. it'll work fine with the analog i/o on the back of the unit. At least for my setup, using Apogee AD16X/DA16X for I/O, the round trip conversion loss renders the Bricasti to be just average. I've been using the I/O plugin in Logic on an insert with the M7, and it always disappoints compared to out of the box. I feel the same way about inserting my outboard comps and eq's. Going digital, I'd have no quality loss. I usually mix OTB for this reason.
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Post by mitchkricun on Oct 15, 2015 17:52:40 GMT -6
Wow, this looks very interesting! I'd have to pick up a small AES interface to make it work though it seems. Anyone have a suggestion on a cheap way to get AES in and out of my Mac Pro? I saw a Tascam UH700 for $400 but it's got a lot of stuff I don't need.
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Post by mitchkricun on Sept 12, 2015 17:43:23 GMT -6
Thanks for taking the time to respond Svart. Guess it's not gonna be that easy... :-)
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Post by mitchkricun on Sept 12, 2015 14:21:33 GMT -6
Actually the part is red. I'm a little color blind. There is a cut out on the back to allow access to the dip switches, as shown in this pic
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Post by mitchkricun on Sept 12, 2015 9:13:27 GMT -6
Hi DIYers, I was hoping someone could help with my powered KRK E7 problem. It's passing audio, but it sounded like a blown tweeter so I replaced the tweeter, and it still had the problem. Pulled the power amp section and discovered the abnormality in pic 1. I'm guessing that discoloration is the problem area, but I just wanted to confirm before I de-soldered it. Pic 2 shows the part in question. It's that green thingy with the 2 white dip switches, and is a hf cut filter. Of course, it would make sense that the blown tweeter effect would come from a blown part that effects the hi end, but I just wanted to be sure before I tried to source the part. Also, any help on the actual name of the part and where I might source this part? Thanks so much, and I apologize for such a newbie question.
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Post by mitchkricun on Sept 9, 2015 23:11:25 GMT -6
1st post here... I actually found out about this board a few weeks ago, minutes AFTER purchasing a Super Beast ll and a PCM4222! I thought I had done my due research on RM last year after reading a Jim Williams post on another forum, regarding the latest greatest AD/DA chips and (paraphrasing) how these chips were a major improvement from current offerings. This eventually led me to my interest in Ross Martin's products. I vaguely remember reading at the time, that the customer service issues were bad, but improving... So, I bookmarked his page and a few threads for future reference. I still thought my Burl B2 AD and Apogee DA16x were sufficient to print and monitor my OTB mixes. (Admittedly, spending 8k in AD/DA might've helped lead me to that position..)
What got me looking into a new AD converter, you ask? Well, throughout the production process, I'll do quite a few rough mixes, using plug ins, to have better sounding tracks to overdub to, maybe listen in my car to evaluate the day's work, etc... When it comes time to mix, I've tweaked, tried new plugs, tweaked some more and my rough mixes are sounding pretty good coming off the board. So, I would start off by popping in my Burl to act as my 2 track machine, and monitor post AD... Holy Crap.... It doesn't sound anywhere near as good as my board (pre AD) rough mix! I have a $3200 AD converter (that I really like for tracking) that's giving me 80-85% of my source??? As long as I begin the mix, monitoring after the AD, I'm good. But it is a bit depressing when I first get setup to mix, and I have to take two steps back before I even start. I'm thinking, "Do I have to buy a Lavry Gold just to capture my mix?" Don't get me wrong, I like my mixes... but i love my board mixes, and if only there were a way to get THAT on a stereo file, I'd be very happy.
Then recently, a friend let me check out his Antelope Pure ll for a few days... The AD was by my estimation 95% true to the source! Pretty shocking. But what was really shocking was the DA... I didn't even know I needed a new DA! I had been monitoring through the Apogee DA16x, and the difference in balance and imaging was truly startling! Holes in my stereo field that I didn't know I had were filled. The low midrange muddiness that I had attributed to my Adam S3A's was all but cured! I needed to make a change ASAP.
Since I didn't have 2k to drop on a Pure, I went to my bookmark and pulled the trigger on the Ross Martin AD and DA. Then I did a new google search to find out what was going on in Ross Martin land, and I found this thread. (and this forum!) Wow! I finally got through the whole thread (and the Svart thread) and what a roller coaster it's been! It started out great. Feeling validated by people I recognize and respect saying great things about the RM stuff. That great feeling quickly, almost laughably turned to horror as I read some of the crap you guys were putting up with. Just incredible. Wish I had found this forum earlier. Probably would have went with a Svart. But it's too late now, so I guess I better strap in for the long haul, knowing that I'll most likely wait a long time, but eventually (hopefully) I will end up with a major conversion upgrade for about $700. Time will (literally) tell.
The silver lining here is finding RGO! Glad to be here.
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