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Post by keymod on Sept 28, 2020 4:59:06 GMT -6
What are people using? Cloud lifter? Soyuz? Cathedral Pipes? Any others? I am leaning towards the Mogaines that Jeff Steiger has on the CAPI site.
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Post by Vincent R. on Sept 28, 2020 5:24:33 GMT -6
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Post by nick8801 on Sept 28, 2020 6:49:25 GMT -6
I have the Triton fethead. Most of the time I don’t need it, but it’s cool to have around.
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Post by EmRR on Sept 28, 2020 7:36:58 GMT -6
A good preamp with a line amp or compressor makeup gain after it. Front end devices are bullshit mostly. You will always have more noise from a front end device. Something like the Mogaine which has ‘free’ transformer gain are the only possible exception from a technical/fact/laws-of-nature standpoint.
They have their place (at the mic to drive long cable runs to the preamp) but are almost universally misapplied as additional gain. It’s a fantasy people want to buy so it’s a placebo plenty are willing to sell.
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Post by soundintheround on Sept 28, 2020 7:48:55 GMT -6
I’ve been wanting to try a mogaine (best name ever lol), but haven’t had a chance yet.
Any design based on an old tube pre with high gain, (meant for those type of mics) usually does the trick for me.
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Post by EmRR on Sept 28, 2020 7:51:41 GMT -6
Any design based on an old tube pre with high gain, (meant for those type of mics) usually does the trick for me. Yes, so many old pieces have 25+ dB gain from the input transformer itself, which is what we call ‘free’ noiseless gain. Almost always wins.
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Post by Omicron9 on Sept 28, 2020 8:00:00 GMT -6
For a while, I was using the Cloudlifter. It did what it claimed and worked as advertised. Also very well-built. I have the 2-channel version and would sell it as I'm no longer using it; I had my mic pres customized with added gain.
-09
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Post by stormymondays on Sept 28, 2020 8:51:10 GMT -6
Mogaines rock my world. They make my ribbons sound better, and the SM7B too. I’ve tested gain matching with and without, it’s not just the volume increase.
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Post by keymod on Sept 28, 2020 10:13:28 GMT -6
Mogaines rock my world. They make my ribbons sound better, and the SM7B too. I’ve tested gain matching with and without, it’s not just the volume increase. Yeah, the advert says there is some added sound benefits because of the transformer.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2020 10:16:52 GMT -6
I picked up a Klark Teknik booster a few months ago to get a little more gain out of my SM7 for a particularly quiet singer and it is thoroughly underwhelming. It makes a difference, but it's so negligible that I'd rather just do what EMRR is talking about and gain up with a compressor or the like (in the case of a vocal, it's going to be there anyway), and not have the extra variable. I'm really glad I didn't spend $100+ on a more popular model.
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Post by drbill on Sept 28, 2020 10:31:37 GMT -6
FetHead here. IF I need it. Usually don't.
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Post by Tbone81 on Sept 28, 2020 11:20:58 GMT -6
Using the Cathedral Pips booster (I forget the name), it works fine. But I learned its no different than just running my pre into another line amp (like a vp28) and boosting the gain there, or using a clean compressor like my Aphex 651 for the makeup gain.
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Post by superwack on Sept 28, 2020 11:22:20 GMT -6
A good preamp with a line amp or compressor makeup gain after it. Front end devices are bullshit mostly. You will always have more noise from a front end device. Something like the Mogaine which has ‘free’ transformer gain are the only possible exception from a technical/fact/laws-of-nature standpoint. They have their place (at the mic to drive long cable runs to the preamp) but are almost universally misapplied as additional gain. It’s a fantasy people want to buy so it’s a placebo plenty are willing to sell. Using these at the mic to drive long cables makes sense but - honest question - aren't these pre-preamps exactly the same circuits mic manufacturers build in to their ACTIVE ribbons? AEA, Royer, Cloud, Samar, Mesanovic, AT, Ocean Way etc. all offer them (some both internally and as external 'dongles'... the cloudlifter came after it was used in the Cloud mics if i recall correctly) and I'd imagine those circuits are placed right at the mic input the same way people use FETHeads, CloudLifters, etc. So are ACTIVE ribbons misapplying this tech in the same way/for marketing to people with low gain interfaces? I don't own any active ribbons but have a pair of the Cathedral Pipes Durhams and am curious to know. Thanks
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Post by EmRR on Sept 28, 2020 19:14:34 GMT -6
The thing one can’t compare directly is passive versus active ribbon. Each will be optimized for a different condition. It’s a good point. There are people who fall clearly in one camp or the other, and that’s certainly determined by the preamp types used. An active ribbon locks out the possibility of interaction with the preamp, which tosses a bunch of possible crayons out of the box. The thing you might want out of a vintage tube pre ribbon combo isn’t gonna happen if it’s driven by an active buffer like it’s a condenser mic. (See Gotham/Neumann mod).
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grantb
Junior Member
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Post by grantb on Sept 28, 2020 19:23:51 GMT -6
Another vote for Mogaine here. Less noise with ez1073 than cranking the gain.
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,934
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Post by ericn on Sept 28, 2020 19:37:32 GMT -6
A lot of this comes down to what flavor of gain color you want.
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 28, 2020 19:53:42 GMT -6
Mogaines rock my world. They make my ribbons sound better, and the SM7B too. I’ve tested gain matching with and without, it’s not just the volume increase. Most ribbons need a different input impedance than condensers.
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 28, 2020 20:32:39 GMT -6
I picked up a Klark Teknik booster a few months ago to get a little more gain out of my SM7 for a particularly quiet singer and it is thoroughly underwhelming. It makes a difference, but it's so negligible that I'd rather just do what EMRR is talking about and gain up with a compressor or the like (in the case of a vocal, it's going to be there anyway), and not have the extra variable. I'm really glad I didn't spend $100+ on a more popular model. What you get for buying Behringer.
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Post by Ward on Sept 29, 2020 6:48:32 GMT -6
I picked up a Klark Teknik booster a few months ago to get a little more gain out of my SM7 for a particularly quiet singer and it is thoroughly underwhelming. It makes a difference, but it's so negligible that I'd rather just do what EMRR is talking about and gain up with a compressor or the like (in the case of a vocal, it's going to be there anyway), and not have the extra variable. I'm really glad I didn't spend $100+ on a more popular model. What you get for buying Behringer. No swearing on the board! You used the 'B Word'!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2020 9:34:42 GMT -6
I picked up a Klark Teknik booster a few months ago to get a little more gain out of my SM7 for a particularly quiet singer and it is thoroughly underwhelming. It makes a difference, but it's so negligible that I'd rather just do what EMRR is talking about and gain up with a compressor or the like (in the case of a vocal, it's going to be there anyway), and not have the extra variable. I'm really glad I didn't spend $100+ on a more popular model. What you get for buying Behringer. Thanks pop.
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Post by sirthought on Sept 29, 2020 9:40:28 GMT -6
I have the Cathedral Pipes and the double Cloud Lifter. Don't need them always, but they work well.
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Post by EmRR on Sept 29, 2020 9:42:59 GMT -6
I’d rather use digital gain in post....and it’s free!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2020 9:48:21 GMT -6
I’d rather use digital gain in post....and it’s free! Or just turn everything else down a little.
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 29, 2020 12:44:30 GMT -6
What you get for buying Behringer. Thanks pop. You're welcome!
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 29, 2020 12:47:00 GMT -6
I’d rather use digital gain in post....and it’s free! The only thing is that it doesn't transformer load the mic.
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