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Post by schlep on Dec 28, 2023 15:14:20 GMT -6
... or at least I think it's a bit different.
Before we get started, Happy Holidays to all the good people in this community !
Has anyone - for many / most purposes - moved away from transformer based mic preamps to using transformerless with warmer / rounder sounding mics to 'balance things out' a bit ? If so what was your general experience in doing so? How did things change for you; could you get similar results processing in post?
Given the commonly accepted idea that mics matter more than preamps, this, in theory at least makes sense. That said, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat. At the end of the day I belive experience and skill likely trump most of the gear used anyway.
FWIW, on my end, I don't necessarily look for transformer 'edge' or saturation, and don't really care much for having to balance two potentiometers, tonally, to get good results. It's a step I'd rather not have to take and keep to a faster workflow.
Thanks
Craig
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Dec 28, 2023 15:28:57 GMT -6
... or at least I think it's a bit different. Before we get started, Happy Holidays to all the good people in this community ! Has anyone - for many / most purposes - moved away from transformer based mic preamps to using transformerless with warmer / rounder sounding mics to 'balance things out' a bit ? If so what was your general experience in doing so? How did things change for you; could you get similar results processing in post? Given the commonly accepted idea that mics matter more than preamps, this, in theory at least makes sense. That said, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat. At the end of the day I belive experience and skill likely trump most of the gear used anyway. FWIW, on my end, I don't necessarily look for transformer 'edge' or saturation, and don't really care much for having to balance two potentiometers, tonally, to get good results. It's a step I'd rather not have to take and keep to a faster workflow. Thanks Craig Craig I know many who do take a well thought out approach to gear combination based on one theory or another, but I’ll be honest anytime someone brings up a subject like this over beers the dominant opinion of those who’s work I respect is always : I simply listen to the source and figure out based on experience and what’s at hand what combination is going to serve the song and performance best. Most don’t even break it down by class, not even dynamic, vs condenser or ribbon. It’s simply OK I think this combo is going to work on this. Unfortunately the only way to get to this point is play with some gear. |
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Post by EmRR on Dec 28, 2023 22:55:59 GMT -6
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Post by schlep on Dec 31, 2023 14:07:34 GMT -6
... or at least I think it's a bit different. Before we get started, Happy Holidays to all the good people in this community ! Has anyone - for many / most purposes - moved away from transformer based mic preamps to using transformerless with warmer / rounder sounding mics to 'balance things out' a bit ? If so what was your general experience in doing so? How did things change for you; could you get similar results processing in post? Given the commonly accepted idea that mics matter more than preamps, this, in theory at least makes sense. That said, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat. At the end of the day I belive experience and skill likely trump most of the gear used anyway. FWIW, on my end, I don't necessarily look for transformer 'edge' or saturation, and don't really care much for having to balance two potentiometers, tonally, to get good results. It's a step I'd rather not have to take and keep to a faster workflow. Thanks Craig Craig I know many who do take a well thought out approach to gear combination based on one theory or another, but I’ll be honest anytime someone brings up a subject like this over beers the dominant opinion of those who’s work I respect is always : I simply listen to the source and figure out based on experience and what’s at hand what combination is going to serve the song and performance best. Most don’t even break it down by class, not even dynamic, vs condenser or ribbon. It’s simply OK I think this combo is going to work on this. Unfortunately the only way to get to this point is play with some gear. Hi Eric - Thanks for your thoughtful response, it makes total sense for those looking to oprimize recording and production as much as possible. I take a pretty utilitarian, perhaps even an essentialist approch, keeping a minimal amount of gear. I have not explored the non-transformer preamp question so thought it was worth asking to see if anyone else has taken this approach and what they thought, loved, hated, etc. I am my only 'client', but always strive to make things sound good. At the end of the day the most important thing is the musical performance, as a musician I focus mostly on this and try to keep the workflow streamlined while keeping any eye / ear on the production process. Also, thanks for all of your other posts, I appreciate your contributions given your backgroud in both sales and recording. |
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Post by ironinthepath on Dec 31, 2023 20:27:09 GMT -6
From an electronics perspective there are reasons to use transformers even if the “sound” of the transformer isn’t the key goal or even something to minimize. They are often used for electrical isolation (avoiding ground loops when interfacing with other gear, general safety, improved ability to drive long cable lengths without degradation—> it is my understanding that these were the key reasons Rupert Neve was so fond of them, even beyond the sonic enhancements he also achieved using them).
Transformers also represent a very powerful tool for the preamp designer in terms of optimizing achievable signal-to-noise ratio (and thus dynamic range): by choosing an appropriate turns-ratio one can optimally match noise impedance between the microphone’s own impedance (nominally around 150ohm) and the voltage and current noise “contributors” of the active devices in the front-end of the preamp (whether tubes, transistors, or ICs using specific transistors). This was a key philosophy in the Deane Jensen / John Hardy designs where transformer “sound” was to be minimized. The Jensen transformers used are/were of extreme bandwidth and linearity so that they’re barely impacting key specs (but ears decide in the end if the goals met).
I think the Buzz Audio designs, including those with transformers, use a similar philosophy with the goal of maximizing signal clarity…I’m a big fan of these too.
Also, the Gordon Model 5 preamp, which is completely transformerless, is a feat of modern engineering with audible results that offer something quite unique in my opinion. I saw online they’ve released a Model 6 too. Have heard great things about Pueblo too.
For me, I enjoy trying different preamp/mic pairs and agree that once a certain level of gear is used we’re looking at that last 5 or 10% of sonic impact. Still worth experimenting with in my opinion.
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Post by the other mark williams on Dec 31, 2023 21:59:56 GMT -6
When I’ve used transformerless preamp designs in digital recording, I’ve found it significantly more challenging to shape the transients in a way that I find pleasing. I spend more time at the mix stage trying to get the attacks under control.
This is much less true for me in a classical music context or for some types of jazz. I’m talking rock/pop/folk/whatever.
The transient control problem for me is especially true when using condenser mics. Less so with ribbons or dynamics. The Hardy designs are about as clean as one can get while still using transformers, and they sound phenomenal.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Dec 31, 2023 22:21:06 GMT -6
From an electronics perspective there are reasons to use transformers even if the “sound” of the transformer isn’t the key goal or even something to minimize. They are often used for electrical isolation (avoiding ground loops when interfacing with other gear, general safety, improved ability to drive long cable lengths without degradation—> it is my understanding that these were the key reasons Rupert Neve was so fond of them, even beyond the sonic enhancements he also achieved using them). Transformers also represent a very powerful tool for the preamp designer in terms of optimizing achievable signal-to-noise ratio (and thus dynamic range): by choosing an appropriate turns-ratio one can optimally match noise impedance between the microphone’s own impedance (nominally around 150ohm) and the voltage and current noise “contributors” of the active devices in the front-end of the preamp (whether tubes, transistors, or ICs using specific transistors). This was a key philosophy in the Deane Jensen / John Hardy designs where transformer “sound” was to be minimized. The Jensen transformers used are/were of extreme bandwidth and linearity so that they’re barely impacting key specs (but ears decide in the end if the goals met). I think the Buzz Audio designs, including those with transformers, use a similar philosophy with the goal of maximizing signal clarity…I’m a big fan of these too. Also, the Gordon Model 5 preamp, which is completely transformerless, is a feat of modern engineering with audible results that offer something quite unique in my opinion. I saw online they’ve released a Model 6 too. Have heard great things about Pueblo too. For me, I enjoy trying different preamp/mic pairs and agree that once a certain level of gear is used we’re looking at that last 5 or 10% of sonic impact. Still worth experimenting with in my opinion. I don’t think it was as much Rupert’s choice as the defacto standard of broadcasters who made up the majority of his clients, we follow the $$. Where Transformerless pre’s get a bad rap is the inexpensive implementation of “ pre on a chip”. The corollary to this is all those British mid priced consoles with the transformer option, a usually overpriced tiny 1:1 chosen as much to fit the module as any other criteria. |
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Post by bgrotto on Dec 31, 2023 23:28:28 GMT -6
This summer, I got a new console, to replace our API. The new desk doesn't have pres, so in selling the API, we were suddenly short 32 channels of preamp. To keep the sessions running smoothly, I bought a Millennia HV3D 8-channel preamp, with the idea that I could use the 'money stuff' (our Neves, various tube amps, and so on) for the main recording duties, and the Millennia would cover things like the hi hat mic. When it first arrived, I happened to have a quick-n-dirty drum session, so I took the opportunity to make sure the Millennia unit was functioning properly and put all eight drum kit mics thru it.
It sounded absolutely exceptional.
Since that session, the Millennia has been normalled to my first eight channels, and have become my default go-to mic amps for everything except distorted guitars, for which I still have a soft spot for vintage Neve.I've recently bought a second HV3D and now the first 16 channels of my desk are normalled to Millennias, effectively making them my 'console preamp'.
They're super quiet, super fast, and super detailed. If a source needs 'color' or 'mojo', I have plenty of outboard for that, or I can selectively CHOOSE a more colored preamp. For the first time probably in my 20 year career, I'm hearing what my microphone collection actually sounds like, and lemme tell ya, there have been some surprises. This approach has rocked my little world, and I'm so happy to have stumbled upon it. I'm loving the results.
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Post by reddirt on Jan 1, 2024 0:57:34 GMT -6
I get what you are saying about hearing the truth of the mic Benny - that happened. to me when using a pre from a Nagra tape machine - that deliniation of different mics essential tones is an addictive thing.
Cheers, Ross
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Post by thehightenor on Jan 1, 2024 3:42:11 GMT -6
My only transformer-less pre-amp is my Millennia STT-1.
It gets used for,
BASS DI (it has a tube for the high impedance loading - best bass DI I’ve ever heard.Period)
Classical guitar.
Percussion (when I want pristine transients)
And that’s it folks - for every other source I personally find the lack of transformation input too “stark” and straight up cold for use in a digital recording environment,
All my other pres are gloriously transformer input.
Oh one exception, my AEA RPQ 500 but that’s dedicated to use with ribbon mics so a slightly different story there.
For vocals, transformer input all day every day.
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Post by Blackdawg on Jan 1, 2024 4:02:35 GMT -6
I pretty much only use transformerless pres. Graces and Merging these days. Plenty of other ways to add color later.
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Post by thehightenor on Jan 1, 2024 4:58:23 GMT -6
I pretty much only use transformerless pres. Graces and Merging these days. Plenty of other ways to add color later. There is true …. but to my ears colour from hitting great transformers at the preamp stage pre A/D and for that matter compression and to a lesser extent EQ is very different in dynamics and tone to adding colouration/compression/EQ in post. I’m a “bake in and believe” kinda guy  |
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Post by srb on Jan 1, 2024 8:42:59 GMT -6
This summer, I got a new console, to replace our API. The new desk doesn't have pres, so in selling the API, we were suddenly short 32 channels of preamp. To keep the sessions running smoothly, I bought a Millennia HV3D 8-channel preamp, with the idea that I could use the 'money stuff' (our Neves, various tube amps, and so on) for the main recording duties, and the Millennia would cover things like the hi hat mic. When it first arrived, I happened to have a quick-n-dirty drum session, so I took the opportunity to make sure the Millennia unit was functioning properly and put all eight drum kit mics thru it. It sounded absolutely exceptional. Since that session, the Millennia has been normalled to my first eight channels, and have become my default go-to mic amps for everything except distorted guitars, for which I still have a soft spot for vintage Neve.I've recently bought a second HV3D and now the first 16 channels of my desk are normalled to Millennias, effectively making them my 'console preamp'. They're super quiet, super fast, and super detailed. If a source needs 'color' or 'mojo', I have plenty of outboard for that, or I can selectively CHOOSE a more colored preamp. For the first time probably in my 20 year career, I'm hearing what my microphone collection actually sounds like, and lemme tell ya, there have been some surprises. This approach has rocked my little world, and I'm so happy to have stumbled upon it. I'm loving the results. Glad this worked out for you, Benny! |
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Post by smashlord on Jan 1, 2024 9:14:15 GMT -6
I still find transformers help me get a more finished sound, faster, for the most part. Snare drums, kick drums, vocals, bass all seem, to my ears, benefit from the compression/saturation. Maybe with dirty guitars there can be too much of a good thing... for example, I do not like the VP28 PT (extra transformer) I have in that application because it homogenizes the attack a little too much.
When I mix tracks clients recorded at home on who know what interface and transformer less mics and I find simply running them through said CAPI or another pre can make a noticeable difference in making them sound "more finished" out of the gate.
As a previous poster mentioned, the Hardy pres are an excellent option on the cleaner side. They are my go to for overheads and cymbals.
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Post by ironinthepath on Jan 1, 2024 9:15:00 GMT -6
Transformers Where Transformerless pre’s get a bad rap is the inexpensive implementation of “ pre on a chip”. The corollary to this is all those British mid priced consoles with the transformer option, a usually overpriced tiny 1:1 chosen as much to fit the module as any other criteria. About 16 minute mark Rupert discusses his view on transformers with a decent amount of depth, might fall in line with your point: “Transformers have these amazing advantages…” :-) I am definitely of the opinion that there are high quality (and low quality) designs using transformers and without. For me, I tend to use my high quality transformerless pres less often compared to my high quality transformer coupled pres. Then again, my user name is “ironinthepath” for a reason |
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Post by bgrotto on Jan 1, 2024 9:36:02 GMT -6
I get what you are saying about hearing the truth of the mic Benny - that happened. to me when using a pre from a Nagra tape machine - that deliniation of different mics essential tones is an addictive thing. Cheers, Ross It also makes the use of “color” preamps a pointed decision, rather than a rote given, which lends to higher-contrast recordings. As someone who believes that contrast in recordings is, well, everything, this is a particularly attractive piece of the puzzle. Speaking to the concern about sterility and/or transients in a digital medium, I’ve found the concern there is totally overblown. If something is peaky, I will swap mics to something slower sounding. Failing that, I can add a bit of compression — usually characterful — or I can swap in a different pre. But most of the time, the transient clarity and extra detail afforded by these pres is welcome. |
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Post by bgrotto on Jan 1, 2024 9:38:59 GMT -6
I should add that I have a spoil of outboard gear to lend tone and color on the way in, not to mention a great sounding console….i wouldn’t necessarily recommend my approach here to a home studio person, or a facility with limited access to quality outboard.
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Post by frans on Jan 1, 2024 10:56:12 GMT -6
Back when i was even more stupid than today somebody who knew stuff tried to explain me a few basic things. One rule was that it's safer to use a preamp with transformers when you put a microphone up close to where nobody would put their ears in the real world (two inches from a snare) and preamps without transformers for complex signals where your mic is in a safe distance (orchestra, room mic, etc). Of course this rule can be broken for a number of reasons and all preamps being not equal they got their strenghts and weaknesses. But most times that works okay for me - preamps with a kind of barrier against signal components that are either outside of anything a loudspeaker can reproduce or musically not usefull in context or too big transients in proportion to signal so mixing will take more effort (and more talent than i got). So as much as i appreciate the effort of a preamp builder to be a theoretical wire with gain, infinite bandwidth and slew rate to beautifully capture what genius talent performs before the mic .... i am very grateful for preamps with a lesser slew rate (germanium old stuff or some tube preamps, just to name two) or good natured, single ended blunt instruments which don't even blink when your talent in front of the mic (or my dumbness dialling in the wrong gain in a busy session with 10 people in the band all at once) puts out line voltage and gently shruggs it off into some K2 overtones. So i am happy to have both kinds and some in between (thank you, John Hardy, sir!!!)(ADTs Gerd Jüngling, just to turn people on how good their stuff is). The guy from Spectra used to have a page or so explaining how they designed their preamps so that these crazy bursts of signal that can accompany useful signals are kept from getting into the signal chain.
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Post by the other mark williams on Jan 1, 2024 11:01:12 GMT -6
This summer, I got a new console, to replace our API. The new desk doesn't have pres, so in selling the API, we were suddenly short 32 channels of preamp. To keep the sessions running smoothly, I bought a Millennia HV3D 8-channel preamp, with the idea that I could use the 'money stuff' (our Neves, various tube amps, and so on) for the main recording duties, and the Millennia would cover things like the hi hat mic. When it first arrived, I happened to have a quick-n-dirty drum session, so I took the opportunity to make sure the Millennia unit was functioning properly and put all eight drum kit mics thru it. It sounded absolutely exceptional. Since that session, the Millennia has been normalled to my first eight channels, and have become my default go-to mic amps for everything except distorted guitars, for which I still have a soft spot for vintage Neve.I've recently bought a second HV3D and now the first 16 channels of my desk are normalled to Millennias, effectively making them my 'console preamp'. They're super quiet, super fast, and super detailed. If a source needs 'color' or 'mojo', I have plenty of outboard for that, or I can selectively CHOOSE a more colored preamp. For the first time probably in my 20 year career, I'm hearing what my microphone collection actually sounds like, and lemme tell ya, there have been some surprises. This approach has rocked my little world, and I'm so happy to have stumbled upon it. I'm loving the results. This is a great counterpoint to what I said, Benny, along with your post saying you switch mics or add in other outboard if the transient is too fast. Really good points. I haven't operated out of a larger facility in a number of years now, so I don't have access to as large of a mic locker or racks of outboard as I did 20yrs ago. Maybe if I did, I would've arrived at a similar point as yourself. I will say something fairly heretical here that I believe I've said before at some point. Back in the 90s when using 2" tape (Studer A80), I sometimes found that the tape dulled the attack more than I wanted, and I remember several projects where we (the artist and myself) ultimately went with ADAT XTs over the Studer. I know that sounds insane, but I especially wasn't fond at the time of acoustic guitars and lead vocals on tape, and I was tracking a lot of that in the 90s. I'd hit playback, and it just sounded too different from what my ear heard in the room. Now, my tastes have changed quite a bit over the years, but there's still an object lesson in there somewhere... |
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Post by bgrotto on Jan 1, 2024 11:32:22 GMT -6
This summer, I got a new console, to replace our API. The new desk doesn't have pres, so in selling the API, we were suddenly short 32 channels of preamp. To keep the sessions running smoothly, I bought a Millennia HV3D 8-channel preamp, with the idea that I could use the 'money stuff' (our Neves, various tube amps, and so on) for the main recording duties, and the Millennia would cover things like the hi hat mic. When it first arrived, I happened to have a quick-n-dirty drum session, so I took the opportunity to make sure the Millennia unit was functioning properly and put all eight drum kit mics thru it. It sounded absolutely exceptional. Since that session, the Millennia has been normalled to my first eight channels, and have become my default go-to mic amps for everything except distorted guitars, for which I still have a soft spot for vintage Neve.I've recently bought a second HV3D and now the first 16 channels of my desk are normalled to Millennias, effectively making them my 'console preamp'. They're super quiet, super fast, and super detailed. If a source needs 'color' or 'mojo', I have plenty of outboard for that, or I can selectively CHOOSE a more colored preamp. For the first time probably in my 20 year career, I'm hearing what my microphone collection actually sounds like, and lemme tell ya, there have been some surprises. This approach has rocked my little world, and I'm so happy to have stumbled upon it. I'm loving the results. This is a great counterpoint to what I said, Benny, along with your post saying you switch mics or add in other outboard if the transient is too fast. Really good points. I haven't operated out of a larger facility in a number of years now, so I don't have access to as large of a mic locker or racks of outboard as I did 20yrs ago. Maybe if I did, I would've arrived at a similar point as yourself. I will say something fairly heretical here that I believe I've said before at some point. Back in the 90s when using 2" tape (Studer A80), I sometimes found that the tape dulled the attack more than I wanted, and I remember several projects where we (the artist and myself) ultimately went with ADAT XTs over the Studer. I know that sounds insane, but I especially wasn't fond at the time of acoustic guitars and lead vocals on tape, and I was tracking a lot of that in the 90s. I'd hit playback, and it just sounded too different from what my ear heard in the room. Now, my tastes have changed quite a bit over the years, but there's still an object lesson in there somewhere... I hear ya on the tape thing. I've had similar experiences, myself, though I'm a bit too young for ADAT, we'd occasionally choose Pro Tools over the Studer 827 for the same reasons. Like I said a couple posts back, I wouldn't blanket-recommend this approach to everyone. I'm fortunate to work where I do, and to have the flexibility I have. But it has been a real eye-opener, and to be frank I was completely blind-sided by it. Everyone I learned from, every studio I worked at, every interview I read, it was all Neve this, transformers, tubes, mojo, etc. I realized in using the Millennias that first time that I always just believed what I was told and never actually listened to an 'un-mojo'd' signal for myself. It's been really fun to experiment with this new color (er, lack thereof), particularly because now when I *choose* to apply color to a source, it really shines a spotlight on it in such a compelling way. If I track the toms thru some vintage Neves on an otherwise 'clean' drum capture, you better believe those toms sound FAT. When the lead vocal goes through a V72, it sits so beautifully against its backdrop. Fun stuff. |
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Post by audiospecific on Jan 1, 2024 11:56:50 GMT -6
... or at least I think it's a bit different. Before we get started, Happy Holidays to all the good people in this community ! Has anyone - for many / most purposes - moved away from transformer based mic preamps to using transformerless with warmer / rounder sounding mics to 'balance things out' a bit ? If so what was your general experience in doing so? How did things change for you; could you get similar results processing in post? Given the commonly accepted idea that mics matter more than preamps, this, in theory at least makes sense. That said, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat. At the end of the day I belive experience and skill likely trump most of the gear used anyway. FWIW, on my end, I don't necessarily look for transformer 'edge' or saturation, and don't really care much for having to balance two potentiometers, tonally, to get good results. It's a step I'd rather not have to take and keep to a faster workflow. Thanks Craig
If the transformer is engineered correctly in the circuit, then you will never know it is there. What manufacturers haven't caught up to is design the output circuit so it doesn't conflict with an interface's stock xlr input. What they should be doing is dumping the 600 ohm balanced convention all together and go with 2.5K because of modern compatibility.
But manufacturers make phantom power circuit incorrectly to begin with on recording interfaces. They should switch out the whole phantom power and coupling circuit so its either Ac coupling with phantom power and dc coupling without.
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Post by schlep on Jan 1, 2024 13:01:17 GMT -6
Hi all -
Thanks to everyone for their input, this is a good conversation. As expected, there are many ways to skin the proverbial cat, no right or wrong. We all get to our endpoint in different ways.
Craig
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Post by Pueblo Audio on Jan 1, 2024 21:21:05 GMT -6
simply listen to the source and figure out based on experience and what’s at hand what combination is going to serve the song and performance best.... the only way to get to this point is play with some gear. ...super quiet, super fast, and super detailed... For the first time probably in my 20 year career, I'm hearing what my microphone collection actually sounds like ...manufacturers make phantom power circuit incorrectly to begin with on recording interfaces. They should switch out the whole phantom power and coupling circuit so its either Ac coupling with phantom power and dc coupling without. I believe Pueblo Audio's new product solves all the above and more. LAGUNA-4 provides both Transformer and Transformerless outputs which can be used simultaneously. This makes it very easy and practical to experiment and discover best approaches. You can even print both outputs and choose later once the mix gets fleshed out. You just can't go wrong. Fidelity and resolution are outstanding for both outputs without sounding clinical. Combined with the stiff, double regulated 50v phantom power, your mics will always shine true. And, as audiospecific recommends, when phantom power is off the inputs become DC coupled; optimum for ribbon mics and other passive sources. It doesn't hurt that there are also HiZ Input (88kΩ) and HPF features to boot.  |
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Post by bgrotto on Jan 1, 2024 21:55:49 GMT -6
simply listen to the source and figure out based on experience and what’s at hand what combination is going to serve the song and performance best.... the only way to get to this point is play with some gear. ...super quiet, super fast, and super detailed... For the first time probably in my 20 year career, I'm hearing what my microphone collection actually sounds like ...manufacturers make phantom power circuit incorrectly to begin with on recording interfaces. They should switch out the whole phantom power and coupling circuit so its either Ac coupling with phantom power and dc coupling without. I believe Pueblo Audio's new product solves all the above and more. LAGUNA-4 provides both Transformer and Transformerless outputs which can be used simultaneously. This makes it very easy and practical to experiment and discover best approaches. You can even print both outputs and choose later once the mix gets fleshed out. You just can't go wrong. Fidelity and resolution are outstanding for both outputs without sounding clinical. Combined with the stiff, double regulated 50v phantom power, your mics will always shine true. And, as audiospecific recommends, when phantom power is off the inputs become DC coupled; optimum for ribbon mics and other passive sources. It doesn't hurt that there are also HiZ Input (88kΩ) and HPF features to boot. View AttachmentSounds badass! …wanna send me one?😬 |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2024 21:57:55 GMT -6
When I’ve used transformerless preamp designs in digital recording, I’ve found it significantly more challenging to shape the transients in a way that I find pleasing. I spend more time at the mix stage trying to get the attacks under control. This is much less true for me in a classical music context or for some types of jazz. I’m talking rock/pop/folk/whatever. The transient control problem for me is especially true when using condenser mics. Less so with ribbons or dynamics. The Hardy designs are about as clean as one can get while still using transformers, and they sound phenomenal. Lack of transient control in the recording and production stages are one of the reasons I switched to dual detector compressors. There's not a lot of peak control anymore. I have one guy I occasionally work with who has consistent peak control. I watched the Massenburg GML 8900 videos, switched to Kotelnikov, and then switched in other compressors to a lot of individual tracks because Kotelnikov is so program dependent, it almost has too much respect for what it is fed to be on individual tracks, including the old school Oxford Dynamics much of the time and the MDWDRC2 and am going to pick up the Weiss DS-1 eventually and maybe Unisum if I can ever figure that out. I'm finding it really hard to leave the box right now because it's just too easy and most analog gear is not based off of those late 80s to mid 90s processors that modern digital chose to copy the functions of.
I usually prefer clean pres so I can color it later to fit the desired production. I think the Daking are the easiest I've had the pleasure to mix given their transformers but cleanish and slightly colored tone.
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