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Post by bluegrassdan on Aug 5, 2019 23:17:46 GMT -6
Been a musician for over 30 years. In the past month I've played in Seattle, Pennsylvania, uh....some other places I don't remember...and drove home this morning from a weekend recording session in Nashville. Life is good.
I don't get overly excited about live sound anymore. Our sound man tells me about all the cool new Digi-this and DPA-that. Just give me my in-ear pack and make sure the mix is inspiring and clear. That's all I want.
I still love good instruments. It's hard to impress me after all the trade shows. Everyone makes them beautiful...a few of them actually sound and play acceptably. My Bob Thompson dread is the only one I really need, and it's a tool.
HOWEVER...
I AM EAT UP with needing an honest-to-God U47 in absolute original condition. No Frankensteins. No clones. The real thing with all original components and accessories. I yearn...like a baby for its mammy.
A U47 and my two KM84s. There's nothing that I couldn't do with those three mics.
My wife is telling me to "just buy one...take out a loan or whatever."
The key to a happy musical life is a happy non-musical wife!
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Post by keymod on Aug 6, 2019 5:04:18 GMT -6
Hmm, If I could afford it I would get an Ssl AWS48.
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Post by svart on Aug 6, 2019 9:50:00 GMT -6
Small format SSL4K, maybe 30 channels, 6 stereo busses and center section w/o computer.
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Post by seawell on Aug 6, 2019 11:08:57 GMT -6
I'd also go for an SSL 4k. Maybe someday...
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Post by indiehouse on Aug 6, 2019 11:23:10 GMT -6
I've actually been thinking about this very thing lately. I can honestly say there isn't a single piece of gear that I'm chasing after. However, there is ONE thing that I REALLY want. A studio space. I'd even take just a single room setup. Something open with tall ceilings. I've been after this for years, but can't seem to find a way to make it work without having a bunch of money tied up in overhead every month. Sigh.
Fun thread. Should be moved to the Pro Audio section.
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Post by EmRR on Aug 6, 2019 13:47:24 GMT -6
I've been thinking about this half a day. I'm more in indiehouse camp. There's a lot of gear that I'd be interested in trying, but nothing I need more than available space improvements. I've been working on my building and plotting some improvements this year, so that's more on my mind. I've generally got way more mics/preamps/compressors than any other studio around me....and ya can't have it all....it becomes impractical. A lot of those other places have better rooms, or at least swankier rooms that do far more to attract clients than a gear list ever does.
Way off topic, maybe: sharing recent experience with a real Telefunken badged U47, and it's an experience emblematic of a lot of really expensive equipment. It. Sounded. Fine. It. Did. Not. Blow everything else out of the water. It just sounded like one among many mics that were working in it's assigned role that day. I really could not assign extra magic to its performance in any way. It may be one of those things that proves itself over 6 months time as being consistently useable (like an SM7!) more than other things, and therein lies it worth. But I did take it off a couple roles before I landed it, too. To own one to me would feel like I felt when I got my hands on some really expensive (makes a pair of 1073's look cheap) Western Electric preamps for awhile; I was more afraid of seeing them go down on my watch than anything else, and not being able to afford the parts replacement costs. It'd be super cool to still have them around on one level, but really, they just sounded fine, no better or worse than many of my other old tube preamps. I've watched a few people swallow the 'RCA OP-6 is holy grail' line, and drank the whole kool-aid on it, and I feel bad for them. Heck, I'm an RCA collector, and I've never kept one. There so many things with whisper rumor marketing on them like that, and I don't buy it sound unheard anymore, I need hands on convincing.
There are really esoteric things I'd like to have, an RCA 78-A mixer to go with my late 1930's RCA preamps, but it's not a thing that's gonna make me an extra buck, or a thing that's gonna make anything sound better, or a thing that wouldn't deprive me of some other thing I need more, so.....right now I want to knock my live room ceiling out and go up 2 feet, get some non-parallel angles into it, get some more soundproof exterior windows, revamp some HVAC.
I'd like to have:
KM53 (loathe the maintenance though)
RCA 44-B or BX (but why? I already have a BK-11A)
another KM 131
another MKH 20
some more clients to justify all this
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Post by bluegrassdan on Aug 6, 2019 14:29:21 GMT -6
I know what you mean EmRR. Owned a 44BX briefly and flipped it for a Flea 47, which was far more useful with no concerns about maintenance.
Tested out three U47s a few months ago. ONE of them was absolutely stunning and magical on my voice. The other two, meh.
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Post by Tbone81 on Aug 6, 2019 15:00:28 GMT -6
Air Conditioning....I dream of the day it’s not hot as balls in my studio...
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Post by M57 on Aug 6, 2019 15:30:03 GMT -6
This is a great topic, and it's really interesting to see how different people WANT really different things. As a non-professional with a project studio, I'm in a very different position than a lot of you obviously. ..and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm close to build-out in terms of what I NEED.
My room is well treated, and pretty much all the gear I use these days makes me smile. So the way I look at it, anything I buy from here on out is all about want and not need. Even more importantly, I'm know that what's holding my mixes back at this point has more to do with my engineering skills than my gear. Not that they wouldn't be with better equipment, but a simple thought experiment proves the point - I'll bet that those of you who work with top of the line equipment could get better mixes out of my gear than I could with your gear.
I'm looking to sell a concert instrument from my days as a classical guitarist that would raise some decent money for gear. With the lastest round of spending that's gotten to me to where I am, my mantra has been, "Buy quality and buy once." I wouldn't mind experimenting to find a better mic for my voice, but the thought of selling my Blackspade UM-4X for what would likely be pennies on the dollar makes me cringe a bit.
Where I'm thinking I'll get the most bang for my buck is with compressors, and particularly of the stereo variety. I can track through them and throw them on various busses when mixing. I'm really loving my AS Buss Comp and I can see where piling up 'real' gear like this can impart a lot of mojo whilst providing functionality. So the Manley may very well be at the top of my REALLY want list at this point.
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Post by bluegrassdan on Aug 7, 2019 10:49:26 GMT -6
Gear itself can be artistically inspiring. Put any singer in front of an old RCA ribbon mic and see what happens. It can make them perform differently...more confidence, perhaps.
How it sounds is sometimes secondary to how it inspires.
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Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2019 11:30:29 GMT -6
i have a friend with a cut down SSL 4000 with centre section that sits unused in a spare room, a sad sign of the times..
Personally i think i may have reached for the time being enough tools to get the job done, there could
be even more instruments but at the moment in the current climate i can't really think of anything i would want.
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Post by Blackdawg on Aug 7, 2019 13:35:34 GMT -6
SSL Duality 48ch
2x EMT140s
2-3 more PCM42s
4xLA3As
2x Fairchild670s
Neverending PT HDX license
Studer a810 1/4'' tape machine
Studer a820 24 tack 2'' tape Machine
Endless supply of tape
That with the gear I have would be epic. Id be as happy as can be and nothing I couldn't mix.
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Post by drbill on Aug 7, 2019 19:18:18 GMT -6
ONE of them was absolutely stunning and magical on my voice. The other two, meh. And that is the reality. I remember being at Capitol and doing some mic tests. I had Frank's U48, their M249c, a U67 and a Joly modded 1080 mic up. For simultaneous takes, with the console RS88 pre's - all perfectly level matched so that I could get a really good idea of what is what. Honestly, the U48 was great, but not THAT great, the 67 was a 67 (not really the right thing), the Joly mic stood pretty much head and shoulders with the U48 until extremely LOUD vocals, where the U edged it, but the 249c....man, that one had the magic. And I would have killed for that mic. (It will never be sold) IMO, you cannot really go on a quest to buy a U47 at this point in time unless you are very patient, have a HUGE amount of $$$ (pushing 6 figures), and are willing to eat it on some purchases. When you find / hear the magic one - you don't let it out of your sight until the owner hands it over and sells it to you - whatever the cost. That's the only way of getting a magic 47/249/etc.. Then you off all the average ones you bought with high hopes to the other dreamers. There's one out of a hundred that's still magical and in great shape. The rest are various forms of....how did you say it?....meh. |
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Post by drbill on Aug 7, 2019 19:19:33 GMT -6
Air Conditioning....I dream of the day it’s not hot as balls in my studio... Hahaaaa!! YES!!! Best and most valuable 10k I ever spent on gear. If you're not comfortable, you're not creative.... |
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Post by drbill on Aug 7, 2019 19:26:05 GMT -6
Gear itself can be artistically inspiring. Put any singer in front of an old RCA ribbon mic and see what happens. It can make them perform differently...more confidence, perhaps. How it sounds is sometimes secondary to how it inspires. Absolutely agree 1000%. But it doesn't have to be a 44. It can be an 87, 47 variant, 77, or any obviously old (vintage) classic mic that they have seen "in the movies" or MTV. That's all it takes, and if you can bring some anecdotal story about the mic, who used it, what classic records were cut with them - you can be sure they will step up and perform a notch better. Unfortunately, it works in reverse too. LOL Sometimes when I KNOW that a UM70 is going to kill it on a voice, I'll put a U87 up alongside it cause the Gefell is so geeky looking, and I'll tell them to sing into the 87 cause that's what we're using. I gotta remember to plug in a mic cord though....  |
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Post by chessparov on Aug 8, 2019 0:18:43 GMT -6
Most "inspirational" is a 44 for me.
In LDC's, soft spot for Sony C37a.
U47, after that.
Chris
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Post by M57 on Aug 8, 2019 4:06:20 GMT -6
The AEA site mentions their "matching" pre-amp for the 44 passives, noting the need for +60db of gain What do folks usually use?
They also mention that the CE is identical internally and that the differences are cosmetic. For someone who wouldn't really know what the original looks like, does the CE look any cheaper?
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Post by EmRR on Aug 8, 2019 6:59:23 GMT -6
The AEA site mentions their "matching" pre-amp for the 44 passives, noting the need for +60db of gain What do folks usually use? They also mention that the CE is identical internally and that the differences are cosmetic. For someone who wouldn't really know what the original looks like, does the CE look any cheaper? I use...wait for it.....old RCA preamps, frequently a 50dB type, sometimes 40dB. |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 8, 2019 7:36:26 GMT -6
I would love a great tracking console. 24 channel API would be perfect. Neve, Wunder (probably the sexiest on the market, looks wise), old Trident 80B, RND.
Modular, with great preamps, eq, and a bunch of auxes. Something reliable with character.
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Post by M57 on Aug 8, 2019 7:43:24 GMT -6
The AEA site mentions their "matching" pre-amp for the 44 passives, noting the need for +60db of gain What do folks usually use? They also mention that the CE is identical internally and that the differences are cosmetic. For someone who wouldn't really know what the original looks like, does the CE look any cheaper? I use...wait for it.....old RCA preamps, frequently a 50dB type, sometimes 40dB. Hah! I asked what people "usually" use. Might my Great River NP-500NV do the trick? Or on the API side, the Warm TB12? I'm seriously considering something like the 44CE for its sibilance handling capabilities among other things. |
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Post by swurveman on Aug 8, 2019 8:35:04 GMT -6
I don't want any more gear. I've written 10 new songs and plan on writing 10 more. Then, since top notch studio time has never been cheaper, I'm going into a studio with studio musicians to record. I know it's a long shot for any musician, but I'd rather be completely happy with my album, than half ass it in my space. Since I'm a rock writer, no drum VST is going to match the vibe of a great studio drummer in a great room. In addition, getting a very good mixer has never been cheaper as well. So, we'll see about that. As well as mastering.
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Post by EmRR on Aug 8, 2019 9:00:10 GMT -6
I use...wait for it.....old RCA preamps, frequently a 50dB type, sometimes 40dB. Hah! I asked what people "usually" use. Might my Great River NP-500NV do the trick? Or on the API side, the Warm TB12? I'm seriously considering something like the 44CE for its sibilance handling capabilities among other things. Yeah, that's what I usually use! : ) But you could use Collins, Gates (Coil), Altec, etc also. As a general thought I prefer high ratio transformer input for the 'free' transformer gain, and the inductive interaction between mic and preamp when it comes to ribbons. All the pre-1965 stuff has 25ish dB gain in the transformer itself. I haven't used the AEA transformerless stuff to know what it does, but the selling point is really high input impedance to load the mic as little as possible. When I use a ribbon with typical transformerless preamps the noise is higher, and the response balance seems less desirable than a transformer coupled input. In old tube gear, input Z is much higher in the mids and lower highs than it would be in most new things, and it gives more of the classic ribbon sound. |
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Post by Blackdawg on Aug 8, 2019 9:35:40 GMT -6
Ooo that made me realize the thing I bet everyone wants really.
A good space.
Nice live room, maybe an iso booth or two. And a nice control room.
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Post by Johnkenn on Aug 8, 2019 17:33:23 GMT -6
Been a musician for over 30 years. In the past month I've played in Seattle, Pennsylvania, uh....some other places I don't remember...and drove home this morning from a weekend recording session in Nashville. Life is good. I don't get overly excited about live sound anymore. Our sound man tells me about all the cool new Digi-this and DPA-that. Just give me my in-ear pack and make sure the mix is inspiring and clear. That's all I want. I still love good instruments. It's hard to impress me after all the trade shows. Everyone makes them beautiful...a few of them actually sound and play acceptably. My Bob Thompson dread is the only one I really need, and it's a tool. HOWEVER... I AM EAT UP with needing an honest-to-God U47 in absolute original condition. No Frankensteins. No clones. The real thing with all original components and accessories. I yearn...like a baby for its mammy. A U47 and my two KM84s. There's nothing that I couldn't do with those three mics. My wife is telling me to "just buy one...take out a loan or whatever." The key to a happy musical life is a happy non-musical wife! I don't believe this is off topic...might move to main board...that ok? |
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Post by Johnkenn on Aug 8, 2019 17:35:31 GMT -6
I've REALLY slowed down on gearlust too. I think I finally got all the fundamentals I need and I realize other things aren't really better, they're just...different. But just got back from a write and the guy had one of the new 67s...It stirred me a little...I almost felt an emotion.
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