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Post by lildonut92 on Jan 17, 2024 20:10:45 GMT -6
Hi all,
First poster here. I used to be an aspiring engineer. I gave up that aspiration several years ago. I was focused on trying to build a career/future. However, I’ve gotten back into playing acoustic and trying to write songs. Now, I want to start recording them.
Here’s where I need your help. I have no clue where to start. I had the privilege of getting to observe some sessions in higher end studios and one thing I really liked was the sound of mics hitting tubes and transformer. I don’t have much interest in the digital emulating analog thing.
It’s just gonna be me and an acoustic guitar. I know an sm7b is probably gonna be my vocal mic of choice as I’m familiar with it and I’ll be in an untreated space with some makeshift booth setup. Probably an 414 type, sdc, or ribbon for acoustic guitar.
Im kind of lost in the interface/preamps department. Like I said hitting transformers/tubes on the way in is what I’m most interested in. Most audio interfaces at the consumer level don’t have preamps you can bypass with outboard gear.
Tl;dr. But thank you for your consideration.
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Post by smashlord on Jan 17, 2024 20:28:12 GMT -6
Welcome!
I guess the first question is, how much are you comfortable spending? If you are looking for an all in one package of preamp and converter, there is the API A2D, which has two 312s (transformers, op amps) and 2 channels of conversion. Neve also makes the 1073 DPD.
If you are looking to hit some transformers, maybe consider a mic that has a transformer? Newer C414s are transformerless. A good alternative, though single patterned, would be the Soyuz 023. Great on acoustic and nice on vocals. Beyer M160s are a ribbon that are also fantastic on acoustic.
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Post by lildonut92 on Jan 17, 2024 20:56:51 GMT -6
Welcome! I guess the first question is, how much are you comfortable spending? If you are looking for an all in one package of preamp and converter, there is the API A2D, which has two 312s (transformers, op amps) and 2 channels of conversion. Neve also makes the 1073 DPD. If you are looking to hit some transformers, maybe consider a mic that has a transformer? Newer C414s are transformerless. A good alternative, though single patterned, would be the Soyuz 023. Great on acoustic and nice on vocals. Beyer M160s are a ribbon that are also fantastic on acoustic. These are some helpful tips. An m160 is on my shortlist for a ribbon. Same with a vr2. With the 1073dpd I will still need a d/a converter with spdif or line level inserts correct? |
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Post by chessparov on Jan 17, 2024 21:01:47 GMT -6
Casting my vote for Beyer M88* (vocal) and 201 (guitar). Not a Pro here, but have heard a number of very nice captures with them. In your type of description.  Guessing main focus is Songwriting and Song Demos. (You could record anything really "important", at a good/Pro Studio still) Chris *Picks up "less room" than SM7. EV RE20 is another option, I'd pick... Before the SM7. But a (minority)% can sound great on them!  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2024 21:38:53 GMT -6
Hi all, First poster here. I used to be an aspiring engineer. I gave up that aspiration several years ago. I was focused on trying to build a career/future. However, I’ve gotten back into playing acoustic and trying to write songs. Now, I want to start recording them. Here’s where I need your help. I have no clue where to start. I had the privilege of getting to observe some sessions in higher end studios and one thing I really liked was the sound of mics hitting tubes and transformer. I don’t have much interest in the digital emulating analog thing. It’s just gonna be me and an acoustic guitar. I know an sm7b is probably gonna be my vocal mic of choice as I’m familiar with it and I’ll be in an untreated space with some makeshift booth setup. Probably an 414 type, sdc, or ribbon for acoustic guitar. Im kind of lost in the interface/preamps department. Like I said hitting transformers/tubes on the way in is what I’m most interested in. Most audio interfaces at the consumer level don’t have preamps you can bypass with outboard gear. Tl;dr. But thank you for your consideration. After going through a mountain of stuff for your situation I'd gooo..
- Schoeps MK4 (two if you want stereo) for Guitar
- Beyerdynamics M88 or U87 for Vox
- Audioscape or Stam 2A comp (for tracking mojo but get the IAA first, it might be everything you need without this)
- MOTU Ultralite MK5 - Tokyo Dawn plugs - Whatever verb or delay plug is getting the most love from experienced engineers.
If, for whatever reason you couldn't make a world class record with that then nothing IME would ever help. There's no real reason to ever upgrade and I like many on this forum have been through soo much equipment it's mind boggling so even if we all have our prefences I'm not sure many would argue? One of the major equipment based breakthrough's I had was this: Shelford > LA2A (original) > Telefunken 251 which is not urr cheap but wow. I didn't hardly have to lift a finger for it to sound like a high fidelity record.. Sure, tracking is an artform itself but things became almost simple.
The real trick is being able to find a setup that isn't absolute insanity in terms of cost, that took some doing. I bought an ISK 2B which sounds great on a lot of things but really shined through the Shelford which doesn't ultimately make it a cheap mic whatsoever, with the IAA I prefer the U67 and Schoeps mic's, I'm actually using the latter for vox because why not?
Ultimately I've found over the last couple of decades it's about getting the chain right not the individual pieces, with a smorgasbord of random stuff you can range from hardly any impact at all which, in that case, you could just use an interface amp plus nothing else. All the way to over the top, ever tried a not so clean tube mic into a 6176 with a cranked 2A? It's not a good mixture IMO. If nothing else I like my setup currently, might still buy a Shelford again at some point but it's a fancy.. If you want a more expensive chain that works well I can certainly recommend that too (like most of us can here) but I was taking one's bank account into the equation.
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Post by lildonut92 on Jan 17, 2024 21:55:09 GMT -6
Hi all, First poster here. I used to be an aspiring engineer. I gave up that aspiration several years ago. I was focused on trying to build a career/future. However, I’ve gotten back into playing acoustic and trying to write songs. Now, I want to start recording them. Here’s where I need your help. I have no clue where to start. I had the privilege of getting to observe some sessions in higher end studios and one thing I really liked was the sound of mics hitting tubes and transformer. I don’t have much interest in the digital emulating analog thing. It’s just gonna be me and an acoustic guitar. I know an sm7b is probably gonna be my vocal mic of choice as I’m familiar with it and I’ll be in an untreated space with some makeshift booth setup. Probably an 414 type, sdc, or ribbon for acoustic guitar. Im kind of lost in the interface/preamps department. Like I said hitting transformers/tubes on the way in is what I’m most interested in. Most audio interfaces at the consumer level don’t have preamps you can bypass with outboard gear. Tl;dr. But thank you for your consideration. After going through a mountain of stuff for your situation I'd gooo..
- Schoeps MK4 (two if you want stereo) for Guitar
- Beyerdynamics M88 or U87 for Vox
- Audioscape or Stam 2A comp (for tracking mojo but get the IAA first, it might be everything you need without this)
- MOTU Ultralite MK5 - Tokyo Dawn plugs - Whatever verb or delay plug is getting the most love from experienced engineers.
If, for whatever reason you couldn't make a world class record with that then nothing IME would ever help. There's no real reason to ever upgrade and I like many on this forum have been through soo much equipment it's mind boggling so even if we all have our prefences I'm not sure many would argue? One of the major equipment based breakthrough's I had was this: Shelford > LA2A (original) > Telefunken 251 which is not urr cheap but wow. I didn't hardly have to lift a finger for it to sound like a high fidelity record.. Sure, tracking is an artform itself but things became almost simple.
The real trick is being able to find a setup that isn't absolute insanity in terms of cost, that took some doing. I bought an ISK 2B which sounds great on a lot of things but really shined through the Shelford which doesn't ultimately make it a cheap mic whatsoever, with the IAA I prefer the U67 and Schoeps mic's, I'm actually using the latter for vox because why not?
Ultimately I've found over the last couple of decades it's about getting the chain right not the individual pieces, with a smorgasbord of random stuff you can range from hardly any impact at all which, in that case, you could just use an interface amp plus nothing else. All the way to over the top, ever tried a not so clean tube mic into a 6176 with a cranked 2A? It's not a good mixture IMO. If nothing else I like my setup currently, might still buy a Shelford again at some point but it's a fancy.. If you want a more expensive chain that works well I can certainly recommend that too (like most of us can here) but I was taking one's bank account into the equation.
Now you’re speaking my language. Ultimately, I guess I was looking for an interface that would allow me to bypass its internal preamps. And the Motu ultra lite seems like a good option for that! Beyerdynamic m88’s get a lot of love these days but I’m one of those people who feels tied to the sm7. I will try one some day when I can. Everything your saying is exactly why I wanna get it right this time! So I don’t waste stupid money buying and seeking gear every other week. I wanna invest in decent stuff instead of trying to just get the budget version of “xyz” piece of gear. But I also have to think about budget to an extent. There’s a lotta wisdom in that post. “It’s about getting the chain right”. I like that. |
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Post by wiz on Jan 17, 2024 22:42:16 GMT -6
Hi all, First poster here. I used to be an aspiring engineer. I gave up that aspiration several years ago. I was focused on trying to build a career/future. However, I’ve gotten back into playing acoustic and trying to write songs. Now, I want to start recording them. Here’s where I need your help. I have no clue where to start. I had the privilege of getting to observe some sessions in higher end studios and one thing I really liked was the sound of mics hitting tubes and transformer. I don’t have much interest in the digital emulating analog thing. It’s just gonna be me and an acoustic guitar. I know an sm7b is probably gonna be my vocal mic of choice as I’m familiar with it and I’ll be in an untreated space with some makeshift booth setup. Probably an 414 type, sdc, or ribbon for acoustic guitar. Im kind of lost in the interface/preamps department. Like I said hitting transformers/tubes on the way in is what I’m most interested in. Most audio interfaces at the consumer level don’t have preamps you can bypass with outboard gear. Tl;dr. But thank you for your consideration. Hi Welcome... You probably won't like my answer....but it comes from experience and thousands of dollars spent on shit I didn't need. I would sort out the room and your monitoring first. Doesn't have to be expensive but you do need to sort it out. You could have a V72preamp an LA2A and a 176.. with a U47 for vocals and a KM84 for guitar... and in a bad room with shit monitoring get dusted by a cheap interface and way cheaper mics. Also, you don't know really, if you will keep doing this long term. Just recording vocals and acoustic at the same time...I would get two figure 8 Mics...and position them so the nulls are at the opposite of the source you are recording... eg vocal rejects guitar... even getting an interface with preamps first (like a Apollo Twin X, and some powered Adams A7 monitors, room correction software and acoustic treatment would be a good start, and you can get going and sort out acoustics, and then flip that stuff I you desire down the track) Here is two examples... Me at Sun Studios in Memphis... And me back in Australia recording a client...both videos feature ribbon mics (fig 8) cheers Wiz |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2024 23:04:26 GMT -6
Now you’re speaking my language. Ultimately, I guess I was looking for an interface that would allow me to bypass its internal preamps. And the Motu ultra lite seems like a good option for that! Beyerdynamic m88’s get a lot of love these days but I’m one of those people who feels tied to the sm7. I will try one some day when I can. Everything your saying is exactly why I wanna get it right this time! So I don’t waste stupid money buying and seeking gear every other week. I wanna invest in decent stuff instead of trying to just get the budget version of “xyz” piece of gear. But I also have to think about budget to an extent. There’s a lotta wisdom in that post. “It’s about getting the chain right”. I like that. Cheers, I mean due to doing metal for years the SM7B was pretty much the primary mic used. Pretty good hammer too ..
You can do wonders with it, probably the best examples I've heard in a higher fidelity sense is Katatonia (the night subscriber as an example track) and Scar Symmetry (holographic universe onwards). It just takes a lot of engineering skill and it has a habbit of stripping a lot of nuance out of a voice (plus it has that annoying pokey upper mids thing with some singers), recording vocals to sound good in a track is so different to singing in band or live situations. I'm happy with a 58 live, no issues but I wouldn't necessarily use one to record vocals with.
The defining factor for rock and metal is the lack of "spill", an 7B often doesn't take up much space which really helps and vocals aren't really the key element anyway. However in a mix without density where vocals are exposed then it can backfire a bit. Ever considered a U47 clone? There's some good one's from Advanced Audio for example, I've found that most who get along with an SM7B respond pretty well to a U47 style mic. However in a lese dense mix they still shine, was it Hetfield who used both as well? I dunno, might be guessing there.
Anyway, keep talking through it I'm sure we'll get you there eventually ..
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2024 23:08:23 GMT -6
Hi Welcome... You probably won't like my answer....but it comes from experience and thousands of dollars spent on shit I didn't need. I would sort out the room and your monitoring first. Doesn't have to be expensive but you do need to sort it out. Isn't that breaking the first rule of fight club? |
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Post by drumsound on Jan 17, 2024 23:25:58 GMT -6
Budget of course comes into play. But in your situation, I'd look at the Serano mics, you could get their U87 clone and a pair of their KM84 clones. Stereo acoustic and the 87 in figure 8 for vocals. Or, as wiz suggests 2 figure 8s works great. Two 87s would work great for that as well. I'll also mimic those saying M88. M88s are my favorite mics ever. They have a tighter pattern than the SM7 and a better sound, but as you mention the SM7 is well known. Most interfaces can take line of mic inputs. I've had good luck with the Steinberg 4 input models for chamber music. I'm really happy with my Useful Arts tube preamp. I have the stereo SFP60, but the single channel SFP30 might be good for your vocal with something different for the guitar. Or even an SFP60 and an SFP30... Aurora GTQ2 is a really great stereo mic pre/EQ in the 1073 style. |
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Post by drumsound on Jan 17, 2024 23:26:45 GMT -6
Hi all, First poster here. I used to be an aspiring engineer. I gave up that aspiration several years ago. I was focused on trying to build a career/future. However, I’ve gotten back into playing acoustic and trying to write songs. Now, I want to start recording them. Here’s where I need your help. I have no clue where to start. I had the privilege of getting to observe some sessions in higher end studios and one thing I really liked was the sound of mics hitting tubes and transformer. I don’t have much interest in the digital emulating analog thing. It’s just gonna be me and an acoustic guitar. I know an sm7b is probably gonna be my vocal mic of choice as I’m familiar with it and I’ll be in an untreated space with some makeshift booth setup. Probably an 414 type, sdc, or ribbon for acoustic guitar. Im kind of lost in the interface/preamps department. Like I said hitting transformers/tubes on the way in is what I’m most interested in. Most audio interfaces at the consumer level don’t have preamps you can bypass with outboard gear. Tl;dr. But thank you for your consideration. Hi Welcome... You probably won't like my answer....but it comes from experience and thousands of dollars spent on shit I didn't need. I would sort out the room and your monitoring first. Doesn't have to be expensive but you do need to sort it out. You could have a V72preamp an LA2A and a 176.. with a U47 for vocals and a KM84 for guitar... and in a bad room with shit monitoring get dusted by a cheap interface and way cheaper mics. Also, you don't know really, if you will keep doing this long term. Just recording vocals and acoustic at the same time...I would get two figure 8 Mics...and position them so the nulls are at the opposite of the source you are recording... eg vocal rejects guitar... even getting an interface with preamps first (like a Apollo Twin X, and some powered Adams A7 monitors, room correction software and acoustic treatment would be a good start, and you can get going and sort out acoustics, and then flip that stuff I you desire down the track) Here is two examples... Me at Sun Studios in Memphis... And me back in Australia recording a client...both videos feature ribbon mics (fig 8) cheers Wiz Was Matt Ross-Spang still at Sunn when you did this? |
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Post by Blackdawg on Jan 18, 2024 0:04:50 GMT -6
Most interfaces have mic pres but those are also the inputs to the converters. That's what the "line Level" input stage is of the device. Some still go through the micpre and some don't. Either way, they are usually transformerless and pretty transparent(or very if you spend enough) so you really are just getting the sound of whatever you feed it. So if you get a tube mic pre or something with transformers like a 1073, you can just come out of that into said interface in Line In and you're good to go.
The MT48 would be top tier for that, plus the micpres are very very good if you ever decided to actually go straight in as clean as possible. Which at this point, is where I would start anyways since it sounds like you don't have a ton of hands on experiance yourself yet? I'd advise you get an interface. Some decent affordable mics. Then start tracking. You have a LOT to get to know and honestly you can make some really good recordings without buying $1000's worth of outboard gear.
Once you're comfortable with your setup, including the room your using which sounds like you'll need to spend a lot of money on, then start branching out into fun gear toys. But don't just start buying stuff because some dudes online told you to. You don't actually know what you like yet and until you have some basic understanding and workflow figured out to learn how to hear the differences of things as you introduce them. You're just burning money in pursuit of an intangible thing you can't comprehend yet.
Or fuck it. Spend 10k on some stuff and have fun!
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Post by wiz on Jan 18, 2024 1:19:39 GMT -6
Hi Welcome... You probably won't like my answer....but it comes from experience and thousands of dollars spent on shit I didn't need. I would sort out the room and your monitoring first. Doesn't have to be expensive but you do need to sort it out. You could have a V72preamp an LA2A and a 176.. with a U47 for vocals and a KM84 for guitar... and in a bad room with shit monitoring get dusted by a cheap interface and way cheaper mics. Also, you don't know really, if you will keep doing this long term. Just recording vocals and acoustic at the same time...I would get two figure 8 Mics...and position them so the nulls are at the opposite of the source you are recording... eg vocal rejects guitar... even getting an interface with preamps first (like a Apollo Twin X, and some powered Adams A7 monitors, room correction software and acoustic treatment would be a good start, and you can get going and sort out acoustics, and then flip that stuff I you desire down the track) Here is two examples... Me at Sun Studios in Memphis... And me back in Australia recording a client...both videos feature ribbon mics (fig 8) cheers Wiz Was Matt Ross-Spang still at Sunn when you did this? Casey was the engineer… can’t remember his last name. He had just taken over I think . Cheers Wiz |
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Jan 18, 2024 2:06:21 GMT -6
Now you’re speaking my language. Ultimately, I guess I was looking for an interface that would allow me to bypass its internal preamps. And the Motu ultra lite seems like a good option for that! Beyerdynamic m88’s get a lot of love these days but I’m one of those people who feels tied to the sm7. I will try one some day when I can. Everything your saying is exactly why I wanna get it right this time! So I don’t waste stupid money buying and seeking gear every other week. I wanna invest in decent stuff instead of trying to just get the budget version of “xyz” piece of gear. But I also have to think about budget to an extent. There’s a lotta wisdom in that post. “It’s about getting the chain right”. I like that. Cheers, I mean due to doing metal for years the SM7B was pretty much the primary mic used. Pretty good hammer too ..
You can do wonders with it, probably the best examples I've heard in a higher fidelity sense is Katatonia (the night subscriber as an example track) and Scar Symmetry (holographic universe onwards). It just takes a lot of engineering skill and it has a habbit of stripping a lot of nuance out of a voice (plus it has that annoying pokey upper mids thing with some singers), recording vocals to sound good in a track is so different to singing in band or live situations. I'm happy with a 58 live, no issues but I wouldn't necessarily use one to record vocals with.
The defining factor for rock and metal is the lack of "spill", an 7B often doesn't take up much space which really helps and vocals aren't really the key element anyway. However in a mix without density where vocals are exposed then it can backfire a bit. Ever considered a U47 clone? There's some good one's from Advanced Audio for example, I've found that most who get along with an SM7B respond pretty well to a U47 style mic. However in a lese dense mix they still shine, was it Hetfield who used both as well? I dunno, might be guessing there.
Anyway, keep talking through it I'm sure we'll get you there eventually ..
I was gonna suggest a U47 style as well. It's an easy transition from an SM7b. Mine is the United Studios FET47. $700 and it sounds great on vocals if you like the SM7b type sound. In my opinion it's very easy to get it to sound very good, very forgiving mic. And I'm going to do something I never do which is suggest something I've never heard. But you might want to consider the Steinberg UR-RT2 interface. It has Rupert Neve designed transformers as part of the design and it also has two line inputs to go along with the transformer coupled pre-amps. It's $379 and some on this site have said it sounds pretty good though I don't personally know. I mean... you can check some pretty major boxes for $1k with those two items. One last tip. No idea why but Amazon has been selling the AKG 701 for $190 for a few months now. These are classic headphones for mixing and I like them for tracking too as long as you don't have them too loud. I've used mine for years (paid $350 for them) and actually bought a second pair to have in my second room for consistency cuz at $190 it's a real bargain. Everyone is correct that monitors and room treatment are really important. But they're more important for mixing than they are for tracking. You can get by with makeshift treatment for tracking guitar / vocals if you really use your ears and are careful about mic placement. Then do rough mixes on the 701's, check them on every system you own, and come back and finish the mixes on 701's. Acoustic and vocal should not be too difficult to mix on headphones that you are familiar with. That whole package gets you down the line for $1.2k and all of those pieces will hold their value. No junk in that bunch. |
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Post by theshea on Jan 18, 2024 2:10:54 GMT -6
Neve 88M maybe? i know its expensive but its a great little pro package. all in one box. neve preamps, usb, marinair transformers, inserts for outboard. portable.
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Jan 18, 2024 2:24:39 GMT -6
Neve 88M maybe? i know its expensive but its a great little pro package. all in one box. neve preamps, usb, marinair transformers, inserts for outboard. portable. I almost recommended that too but it's kind of expensive for two channels. Still it checks the "not junk and you'll never throw it away" box. Plus it double as a nice set of pre-amps for the inevitable time when the electronics die or go obsolete. |
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Post by niklas1073 on Jan 18, 2024 2:34:38 GMT -6
Buy for life whatever you buy. A killer stereo pair of pre’s that represent the sound and esthetics you wanna go for. A great ldc for vocals and a nice pair of sdc’s for your acoustic… or a stereo pair of the first mentioned ldc so you can track your acoustic with those. The stereo will give you nice variety from mono tracking a guitar. You will blow probably 3-5K on this setup, but buy a setup for life. A motu, id4, arturia or any decent interface will make it to begin with if stereo is the max simultaneous channels your are going for.
Later you will add some comps and such to your chain, and then do the same… buy them for life and it will save you a ton of money and the head ache of mediocre sound.
ps. The first good mics i bought was a pair of at4080 ribbons, cost a fortune for my wallet back then, but I still use them on daily basis to this day.
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Post by thehightenor on Jan 18, 2024 2:50:18 GMT -6
Hi all, First poster here. I used to be an aspiring engineer. I gave up that aspiration several years ago. I was focused on trying to build a career/future. However, I’ve gotten back into playing acoustic and trying to write songs. Now, I want to start recording them. Here’s where I need your help. I have no clue where to start. I had the privilege of getting to observe some sessions in higher end studios and one thing I really liked was the sound of mics hitting tubes and transformer. I don’t have much interest in the digital emulating analog thing. It’s just gonna be me and an acoustic guitar. I know an sm7b is probably gonna be my vocal mic of choice as I’m familiar with it and I’ll be in an untreated space with some makeshift booth setup. Probably an 414 type, sdc, or ribbon for acoustic guitar. Im kind of lost in the interface/preamps department. Like I said hitting transformers/tubes on the way in is what I’m most interested in. Most audio interfaces at the consumer level don’t have preamps you can bypass with outboard gear. Tl;dr. But thank you for your consideration. After going through a mountain of stuff for your situation I'd gooo..
- Schoeps MK4 (two if you want stereo) for Guitar
- Beyerdynamics M88 or U87 for Vox
- Audioscape or Stam 2A comp (for tracking mojo but get the IAA first, it might be everything you need without this)
- MOTU Ultralite MK5 - Tokyo Dawn plugs - Whatever verb or delay plug is getting the most love from experienced engineers.
If, for whatever reason you couldn't make a world class record with that then nothing IME would ever help. There's no real reason to ever upgrade and I like many on this forum have been through soo much equipment it's mind boggling so even if we all have our prefences I'm not sure many would argue? One of the major equipment based breakthrough's I had was this: Shelford > LA2A (original) > Telefunken 251 which is not urr cheap but wow. I didn't hardly have to lift a finger for it to sound like a high fidelity record.. Sure, tracking is an artform itself but things became almost simple.
The real trick is being able to find a setup that isn't absolute insanity in terms of cost, that took some doing. I bought an ISK 2B which sounds great on a lot of things but really shined through the Shelford which doesn't ultimately make it a cheap mic whatsoever, with the IAA I prefer the U67 and Schoeps mic's, I'm actually using the latter for vox because why not?
Ultimately I've found over the last couple of decades it's about getting the chain right not the individual pieces, with a smorgasbord of random stuff you can range from hardly any impact at all which, in that case, you could just use an interface amp plus nothing else. All the way to over the top, ever tried a not so clean tube mic into a 6176 with a cranked 2A? It's not a good mixture IMO. If nothing else I like my setup currently, might still buy a Shelford again at some point but it's a fancy.. If you want a more expensive chain that works well I can certainly recommend that too (like most of us can here) but I was taking one's bank account into the equation.
You know SK, I’d love to get a Schoeps mk4. Not a cheap mic. I thought mmmh I’d like a Schoeps, Royer 121 (alternative to my R92) and a Beez Neez 67. That’s basically £4,000! I just can’t spend anymore money at the moment - I have to draw a line in the sand. I was eyeing up a second hand Tom Anderson drop top and that was £3,000 …. just no! Have you got your spending under control these days? tht |
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Post by skav on Jan 18, 2024 4:58:20 GMT -6
For interface with a couple of transformer preamps, see of the Neve 88M ticks your boxes.
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Post by lildonut92 on Jan 18, 2024 7:44:47 GMT -6
Some really solid suggestions in here. For those saying “treat the room”, trust me, I understand. The room treatment is gonna come too. I would at least to start getting rough sketches of songs down first.
I have never heard a real u47 in person but I have heard the better clones of it. I really like them. Probably a little outta my price range. If I could blow my whole budget on flea47 I would! Maybe in the future though.
Secondly after listening to some y’all’s stuff and various YouTube videos. I kinda like ldc’s or ribbons on acoustic more than sdc’s or dynamic mics. They just sound more warm and full for an intimate sparse mix of a song.
Does anyone know if the Neve 88m has line ins for a compressor? I like to track while monitoring compression.
So my my shopping list includes:
Sm7
M160/Warm wa-14 in figure 8
Neve88m/motu ultralite mk5
Stam 2a for vocal mojo on the way in.
I have the other stuff sorted for now.
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Post by lildonut92 on Jan 18, 2024 7:48:27 GMT -6
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Jan 18, 2024 8:41:09 GMT -6
I uncanceled him. All set. |
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Post by gravesnumber9 on Jan 18, 2024 8:53:55 GMT -6
Some really solid suggestions in here. For those saying “treat the room”, trust me, I understand. The room treatment is gonna come too. I would at least to start getting rough sketches of songs down first. I have never heard a real u47 in person but I have heard the better clones of it. I really like them. Probably a little outta my price range. If I could blow my whole budget on flea47 I would! Maybe in the future though. Secondly after listening to some y’all’s stuff and various YouTube videos. I kinda like ldc’s or ribbons on acoustic more than sdc’s or dynamic mics. They just sound more warm and full for an intimate sparse mix of a song. Does anyone know if the Neve 88m has line ins for a compressor? I like to track while monitoring compression. So my my shopping list includes: Sm7 M160/Warm wa-14 in figure 8 Neve88m/motu ultralite mk5 Stam 2a for vocal mojo on the way in. I have the other stuff sorted for now. You and I are going for a similar sound. My quick takes on these things... SM7b - Ignore the haters, if you know the mic and like the mic get the mic. Every studio has one, might as well start there. I personally like it and people forget that it's useful on more than just vocals. It needs pretty fearless HPF if you ask me but I think that's largely cuz most people eat this mic when they sing into it. m160 - Buy it. Everyone knows I love this mic. Neve88m vs MOTU - I have the Ultralight AVB in my drum room and if you were going to go the Ultralight route I would recommend that. I think it's a bit newer but mainly it has the AVB expansion which is very valuable down the road if you want to add more outboard. Personally I really like the Neve but I've nver heard it and I don't know if that's just me being brand biased. There's something to be said for having an interface you never question though. Stam2a - Honestly this is the thing you want most based on what you've said you're looking for. Only caveat is I would recommend the AudioScape Opto. It sounds incredible and I think they're a little more reliable on deliver dates if for no other reason that they're based state side. Nothing against Stam, their stuff is great. Either way, a great LA2A clone is gonna give you the sound you're hearing I bet. |
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Post by ragan on Jan 18, 2024 9:24:22 GMT -6
Some really solid suggestions in here. For those saying “treat the room”, trust me, I understand. The room treatment is gonna come too. I would at least to start getting rough sketches of songs down first. I have never heard a real u47 in person but I have heard the better clones of it. I really like them. Probably a little outta my price range. If I could blow my whole budget on flea47 I would! Maybe in the future though. Secondly after listening to some y’all’s stuff and various YouTube videos. I kinda like ldc’s or ribbons on acoustic more than sdc’s or dynamic mics. They just sound more warm and full for an intimate sparse mix of a song. Does anyone know if the Neve 88m has line ins for a compressor? I like to track while monitoring compression. So my my shopping list includes: Sm7 M160/Warm wa-14 in figure 8 Neve88m/motu ultralite mk5 Stam 2a for vocal mojo on the way in. I have the other stuff sorted for now. When you say you like to “monitor compression” do you mean you do t want it printed? |
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Post by lildonut92 on Jan 18, 2024 9:57:21 GMT -6
Some really solid suggestions in here. For those saying “treat the room”, trust me, I understand. The room treatment is gonna come too. I would at least to start getting rough sketches of songs down first. I have never heard a real u47 in person but I have heard the better clones of it. I really like them. Probably a little outta my price range. If I could blow my whole budget on flea47 I would! Maybe in the future though. Secondly after listening to some y’all’s stuff and various YouTube videos. I kinda like ldc’s or ribbons on acoustic more than sdc’s or dynamic mics. They just sound more warm and full for an intimate sparse mix of a song. Does anyone know if the Neve 88m has line ins for a compressor? I like to track while monitoring compression. So my my shopping list includes: Sm7 M160/Warm wa-14 in figure 8 Neve88m/motu ultralite mk5 Stam 2a for vocal mojo on the way in. I have the other stuff sorted for now. When you say you like to “monitor compression” do you mean you do t want it printed? I don’t mind it being printed as long as it’s subtle compression. |
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