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Post by tonycamphd on Oct 3, 2024 8:43:24 GMT -6
Honestly I like API on vocals a little better usually, due to the slightly mid-forward sound vs. a neve.
It really doesn't matter that much as long as you have a preamp of pro quality.The difference in sound between neve clones will be less than the differences between the singer's voice between takes Agree, I'd buy and ultimately sell all things neve pre because as subtle as it is, i'm not into that build up of low mid murk they always seem to impart(good for a thick kick), they just sat in my racks while I used the api and tube pre's, that said, it's been a while and i'm thinking of building one of Peterson Goodwins 1073 pre's and giving it a try, what kind of a man would i be if i didn't? 😵💫 |
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Post by drumster on Oct 3, 2024 12:41:49 GMT -6
I really wanted a Coil Audio CA70 a few months back, but was steered away from it by my rep at Vintage King. He said that the Coil would be too dark and coloured for my U67 Reissue and suggested the Tree Audio Branch instead. Coil gets a lot of love on these forums, so I wonder what type of music people are using them for. Any tracks I've heard with it have a very 70's sound to them, which is not really what I'm doing. I'm much more in the late 80's and early 90's direction. I personally think you buying the best of the best is a good strategy so you put it behind you and focus on making music. It's important to have tools your confident in and are excited to use. Obviously only if you can afford it though. If I were in the market for a SS pre no compromise I'd look at BAE, Sound techniques ZR7064, or RND shelford, Chandler LTD1. For 1073 I really like BAE cause its so well made its like a tank, and I owned one but had to sell it cause I needed money, but remember it sounding great, I think it has more color than AMS and for me thats a good thing if you're spending all that money on an analog pre. Sound techiques ZR is my favorite though, its the original Trident A range channel strips used by the beatles and elton john.
For tube I love my Coil. It can be very hi-fi if you record digital. I'm sure the tree branch is also fantastic and I would also place that preamp in the category of no-compromise, so I don't think you need to worry about a tube preamp.
The Coil is definitely still on my radar. I've heard that it doesn't have to be too dark if you don't want it to be. It's interesting that you should mention the RND Shelford because that is another unit that I think could be a great complement to the Branch channel strip. To my ears, it sounds less fuzzy than the 1073 and a bit more clear. This could potentially work very well with the U67. The only drawback to the Shelford that I can see is the high band EQ selections with only 8KHz and 16KHz. I think the 12Khz shelf on the 1073 makes more sense for recording vocals. |
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Post by drumster on Oct 3, 2024 12:43:15 GMT -6
I wish I could tell you the difference between the hand wired Neve 1073 and the DPX. I will say the DPX is wonderful sounding. I’ve owned and used it for a while now. None of the 500 series Neve preamps I’ve heard really sound the same as the rack mounted ones. The low end seems to be less extended in them at minimum and often the high end is more open. Doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, as you can see plenty of people love them. I have found there are groups that love AMS and groups that love BAE. Both are solid as far as I have heard. For me the BAE is more rolled off on the top and had a big mid push. AMS is more shimmery on the top with a deep low end. I would say you could easily argue they sound like two separate channels of the same console. I just received a Stam 1073 MPA and I’d say it leans more toward the BAE side. I just posted a comparison of my DPX and Stam MPA on another thread. If money isn’t the issue, I’d be looking at a 1084. It has a more useful EQ. As for compressors. I have the audio scape versions of the LA2A (Opto) and STA Level (V Comp). The Opto has a smiley face curve; shimmery high end, boosted low end. The V Comp is thick sounding with a kind of frowny face curve; top end and bottom end are fine, but it has a boosted mid range which thickens the whole signal. They are both nice for different things. I’ve mostly been using my TLA-100 these days whose response is more linear, and sits somewhere in between. Thanks for sharing your experience with the DPX! Since it's a stereo unit, what are you recording with it besides vocals? |
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Post by drumster on Oct 3, 2024 12:47:48 GMT -6
Honestly I like API on vocals a little better usually, due to the slightly mid-forward sound vs. a neve. But then again, I'd use either one and not lose a minute of sleep over the choice. I will say that an 1176A is the best vocal compressor I've used, and I use it by itself typically doing about 10dB GR. I'll say it again, I've spent so much time and energy in the past agonizing over small details and small differences in sound and it really meant nothing in the long run. The difference in sound between neve clones will be less than the differences between the singer's voice between takes. It really doesn't matter that much as long as you have a preamp of pro quality. I really appreciate your post. I feel like I've gone down a rabbit hole of analysis paralysis. I too have been agonizing over every little detail, concerned about buying the wrong thing. Every time I think I've got it figured out, I read something or listen to something that makes me question my decision. I really like the forward sound of the API on guitars, but I have no experience using it on vocals. One particular unit that I thought sounded good in the clips that I heard was the A Designs Pacifica preamp. To me it sounded like a cross between a Neve and an API. |
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Post by nnajar on Oct 3, 2024 13:00:29 GMT -6
Forget the preamp and buy my magic death eye. It’s the vocal compressor to end all vocal compressors. I’m only selling because I had to close my studio, and the place I moved into has a fairchild I can use.
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Post by Vincent R. on Oct 3, 2024 13:10:48 GMT -6
I wish I could tell you the difference between the hand wired Neve 1073 and the DPX. I will say the DPX is wonderful sounding. I’ve owned and used it for a while now. None of the 500 series Neve preamps I’ve heard really sound the same as the rack mounted ones. The low end seems to be less extended in them at minimum and often the high end is more open. Doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, as you can see plenty of people love them. I have found there are groups that love AMS and groups that love BAE. Both are solid as far as I have heard. For me the BAE is more rolled off on the top and had a big mid push. AMS is more shimmery on the top with a deep low end. I would say you could easily argue they sound like two separate channels of the same console. I just received a Stam 1073 MPA and I’d say it leans more toward the BAE side. I just posted a comparison of my DPX and Stam MPA on another thread. If money isn’t the issue, I’d be looking at a 1084. It has a more useful EQ. As for compressors. I have the audio scape versions of the LA2A (Opto) and STA Level (V Comp). The Opto has a smiley face curve; shimmery high end, boosted low end. The V Comp is thick sounding with a kind of frowny face curve; top end and bottom end are fine, but it has a boosted mid range which thickens the whole signal. They are both nice for different things. I’ve mostly been using my TLA-100 these days whose response is more linear, and sits somewhere in between. Thanks for sharing your experience with the DPX! Since it's a stereo unit, what are you recording with it besides vocals? Well, Emily and I have recorded vocals simultaneously a few times, but even so there are (2) of us. So I have a channel for each of us. I recently recorded some stereo jingle bells for one of the songs on my Christmas Album. If I bring an instrumentalist in I will often put up multiple mics on an instrument I'm not familiar with, just to see what works best; like putting up my FleA 49 and MK U67 on a saxophone player I had come in. That kind of thing. I've even had a string quartet at my old place, and we stacked them to make them sound like a string section. Each instrument had a spot mic and we had a pair of rooms mics. Most of my preamps are dual channel. I have the 1073DPX, a dual channel Stam 1073 MPA, dual channel Dan Alexander 1272, dual channel Demeter VTMP-2B, and then I have a pair of link audio SSL channel strips which I mostly use during mixing to add EQ and maybe some clean compression. |
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Post by basspro on Oct 3, 2024 14:31:08 GMT -6
I have a pair of BAE 1073s and a pair of Avedis MA5s. I've tracked vocals on either that I thought sounded great with a variety of mics. I will say that I lean more towards the 1073s since getting them because they have the HPF, which I like having before a compressor. The BAEs also seem to be a bit thicker in the lows/low mids, but conversely, some people would just describe the MA5 as tighter sounding. I initially went for the MA5s because I knew Ryan Freeland used them for the Lead Vox and Acoustic on Ray Lamontagne's "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise", which got nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album that year. That's about as good of an endorsement as you can get. I'm mainly bringing this up because of the psychology around the thought of "maybe if I get this one thing, it will make everything better" when you know there are higher end options out there. To me, if it's good enough to have gotten used on a lead vocal on a hit record, it's good enough for me.
Ultimately, if you weren't happy with the MA5, I don't know how much better you'll feel about a 1073 style preamp. At the very least, I would suggest checking one out before buying if you can because maybe you just don't love the sound of a solid state pre on vocals. But also, maybe with the addition of a filter and EQ, you'll get what you're wanting?
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Post by Ward on Oct 3, 2024 15:07:26 GMT -6
Since I have most of the pieces you have and a lot of others, please let me pontificate a little. 1 simple rule most of us follow: Tube mic + ss pre Ss mic + tube pre Next step: the Choob. I also have a wonderful example of a Neumann U67ri… and no tube mic is more affected by a tube change than a U67. Favorites include 1960 Telefunken EF806s (small s) And a 1967 Amperex EF86 diamond grill Preamp: fast! A 67 wants some back pressure for transient handling Favorites? matt@IAA QP5, Grace M101 and Chambord 990. Why not any of my Neve 1290 (preamp is 1290, EQ is 1073) variants clones or copies! They get mushy. |
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Post by thehightenor on Oct 3, 2024 15:26:02 GMT -6
Since I have most of the pieces you have and a lot of others, please let me pontificate a little. 1 simple rule most of us follow: Tube mic + ss pre Ss mic + tube pre I usually use, tube with tube with tube Solid with solid state with solid state For example, CM7 (47) > Coil CA-70 > Retro STA or Thermionic Phoenix U87/ SM7/ M88 > BAE 1073D > BLA Bluey. The solid state chain sounds "hairier" than the tube path! In a great way I should add - I absolutely love the Bluey, it's a fantastic tracking and mixing FET - for those odd times I want some R&R in a vocal. So sometimes it's fun to break the rules a bit  |
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Post by drumster on Oct 3, 2024 15:36:14 GMT -6
Thanks for sharing your experience with the DPX! Since it's a stereo unit, what are you recording with it besides vocals? Well, Emily and I have recorded vocals simultaneously a few times, but even so there are (2) of us. So I have a channel for each of us. I recently recorded some stereo jingle bells for one of the songs on my Christmas Album. If I bring an instrumentalist in I will often put up multiple mics on an instrument I'm not familiar with, just to see what works best; like putting up my FleA 49 and MK U67 on a saxophone player I had come in. That kind of thing. I've even had a string quartet at my old place, and we stacked them to make them sound like a string section. Each instrument had a spot mic and we had a pair of rooms mics. Most of my preamps are dual channel. I have the 1073DPX, a dual channel Stam 1073 MPA, dual channel Dan Alexander 1272, dual channel Demeter VTMP-2B, and then I have a pair of link audio SSL channel strips which I mostly use during mixing to add EQ and maybe some clean compression. I find it interesting that you took the approach of getting a stereo channel of every preamp that you have. Is that generally considered a best practice? I only did that with my Crane Song Syren preamps. The only thing I’ve ever needed in stereo has been synths and I don’t do that all the time. Part of my debate is whether I should get the SPX or the DPX. Since I’m mostly doing vocals, I could probably get away with the SPX, but having a stereo channel might be very useful down the road. What would you recommend? |
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Post by drumster on Oct 3, 2024 16:11:32 GMT -6
I have a pair of BAE 1073s and a pair of Avedis MA5s. I've tracked vocals on either that I thought sounded great with a variety of mics. I will say that I lean more towards the 1073s since getting them because they have the HPF, which I like having before a compressor. The BAEs also seem to be a bit thicker in the lows/low mids, but conversely, some people would just describe the MA5 as tighter sounding. I initially went for the MA5s because I knew Ryan Freeland used them for the Lead Vox and Acoustic on Ray Lamontagne's "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise", which got nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album that year. That's about as good of an endorsement as you can get. I'm mainly bringing this up because of the psychology around the thought of "maybe if I get this one thing, it will make everything better" when you know there are higher end options out there. To me, if it's good enough to have gotten used on a lead vocal on a hit record, it's good enough for me. Ultimately, if you weren't happy with the MA5, I don't know how much better you'll feel about a 1073 style preamp. At the very least, I would suggest checking one out before buying if you can because maybe you just don't love the sound of a solid state pre on vocals. But also, maybe with the addition of a filter and EQ, you'll get what you're wanting? That’s a big endorsement for the MA5! I wasn’t aware of that. Your comment about getting one thing to hopefully make everything better really resonates with me. Trying the gear out in my studio is probably the best approach. If the AMS Neve 1073 sounds better than my 500 series preamps, including the MA5, then I’ll be happy to buy it. |
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Post by drumster on Oct 3, 2024 16:24:37 GMT -6
Since I have most of the pieces you have and a lot of others, please let me pontificate a little. 1 simple rule most of us follow: Tube mic + ss pre Ss mic + tube pre Next step: the Choob. I also have a wonderful example of a Neumann U67ri… and no tube mic is more affected by a tube change than a U67. Favorites include 1960 Telefunken EF806s (small s) And a 1967 Amperex EF86 diamond grill Preamp: fast! A 67 wants some back pressure for transient handling Favorites? matt@IAA QP5, Grace M101 and Chambord 990. Why not any of my Neve 1290 (preamp is 1290, EQ is 1073) variants clones or copies! They get mushy. Hi Ward, Thanks for sharing your experience. Before I joined this forum a few months ago, I would often enjoy reading your posts. I think you might be the leading expert on all things Audioscape! What you’re speaking about makes a lot of sense. I believe that it was a post by Bob Ohlsson on another popular gear forum that steered me in the direction of choosing a tube preamp to pair with the U67. That's what led me to the Tree Audio Branch. I’ve thought about changing the tube out on my U67, but I’ve had a hard time finding the tubes you’re referring to. I think I saw a Telefunken EF896s on eBay a few months ago, but it was very expensive. Where would you recommend buying tubes from? It’s interesting that you mention the Grace 101 preamp because that was one that I considered a few months ago. I steered away from it, however, because because I heard that it was boring sounding. Given the fact that you’ve found your 1290’s to be too mushy with the U67, do you think that the RND Shelford Channel would be a better pairing? The reason I ask is because in some of the demos I’ve heard online the Shelford isn’t as wooly sounding as the AMS Neve 1073. The Shelford also seems like it has the flexibility to be cleaner. I would be very interested to hear your thoughts on this. |
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Post by Dan on Oct 3, 2024 16:37:05 GMT -6
Since I have most of the pieces you have and a lot of others, please let me pontificate a little. 1 simple rule most of us follow: Tube mic + ss pre Ss mic + tube pre I usually use, tube with tube with tube Solid with solid state with solid state For example, CM7 (47) > Coil CA-70 > Retro STA or Thermionic Phoenix U87/ SM7/ M88 > BAE 1073D > BLA Bluey. The solid state chain sounds "hairier" than the tube path! I never did like rules ditch the bluey. |
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Post by thehightenor on Oct 3, 2024 19:08:01 GMT -6
I have a pair of BAE 1073s and a pair of Avedis MA5s. I've tracked vocals on either that I thought sounded great with a variety of mics. I will say that I lean more towards the 1073s since getting them because they have the HPF, which I like having before a compressor. The BAEs also seem to be a bit thicker in the lows/low mids, but conversely, some people would just describe the MA5 as tighter sounding. I initially went for the MA5s because I knew Ryan Freeland used them for the Lead Vox and Acoustic on Ray Lamontagne's "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise", which got nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album that year. That's about as good of an endorsement as you can get. I'm mainly bringing this up because of the psychology around the thought of "maybe if I get this one thing, it will make everything better" when you know there are higher end options out there. To me, if it's good enough to have gotten used on a lead vocal on a hit record, it's good enough for me. Ultimately, if you weren't happy with the MA5, I don't know how much better you'll feel about a 1073 style preamp. At the very least, I would suggest checking one out before buying if you can because maybe you just don't love the sound of a solid state pre on vocals. But also, maybe with the addition of a filter and EQ, you'll get what you're wanting? That’s a big endorsement for the MA5! I wasn’t aware of that. Your comment about getting one thing to hopefully make everything better really resonates with me. Trying the gear out in my studio is probably the best approach. If the AMS Neve 1073 sounds better than my 500 series preamps, including the MA5, then I’ll be happy to buy it. I’ve heard so many good things about the MA5 …. I’ve never had the pleasure of trying one. |
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Post by yotonic on Oct 3, 2024 20:16:53 GMT -6
The BAE had too much of a register shift for me as a singer. I have a pair of vintage 1073 which I love on vocals, and the AMS DPD which is pretty close but I use it on piano. Had the AMS 1073 and for whatever reason I like the rackmount DPD better. Did the Aurora and pretty much everything else. I like the Neve products personally. But everything mentioned in this thread is a solid choice so try stuff until you find something that fits you. I love vintage Quad Eight on vocals too.
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Post by drumster on Oct 4, 2024 4:51:45 GMT -6
The BAE had too much of a register shift for me as a singer. I have a pair of vintage 1073 which I love on vocals, and the AMS DPD which is pretty close but I use it on piano. Had the AMS 1073 and for whatever reason I like the rackmount DPD better. Did the Aurora and pretty much everything else. I like the Neve products personally. But everything mentioned in this thread is a solid choice so try stuff until you find something that fits you. I love vintage Quad Eight on vocals too. The opinions seem to be split on BAE. I have no way of trying any of their products out before buying, so it's unlikely that I'll go in that direction. Listening to clips online will only take you so far. You have to have the gear in your studio to see how it's really going to work out. How much of a difference is there between the AMS DPD and your vintage 1073's, and how would you describe that difference? When you said that you had the AMS 1073, which unit are you referring to? Was it the classic, hand wired 1073 reissue module? |
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Post by yotonic on Oct 4, 2024 5:43:05 GMT -6
I really like the AMS DPD. For a singer, there is no register shift and the detail is excellent. My vintage units have the vintage transformers which just give you a slightly better reach on the bottom end and just a little bit more transformer, richness and mojo, but it is splitting hairs. I’ve had the AMS 1084 And 1073 Original units I don’t know what they call them now with all the variations they have. I just wasn’t impressed ilthey sounded flat, and I’m sure it’s related to the transformers because I had a guy try to sell me a vintage 1073 and he had replaced the vintage transformers with AMS transformers and the difference was very noticeable. If you are Singer, I would recommend the AMS DPD. Its Also great on all sorts of instruments.
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Post by drumster on Oct 4, 2024 5:50:46 GMT -6
I really like the AMS DPD. For a singer, there is no register shift and the detail is excellent. My vintage units have the vintage transformers which just give you a slightly better reach on the bottom end and just a little bit more transformer, richness and mojo, but it is splitting hairs. I’ve had the AMS 1084 And 1073 Original units I don’t know what they call them now with all the variations they have. I just wasn’t impressed ilthey sounded flat, and I’m sure it’s related to the transformers because I had a guy try to sell me a vintage 1073 and he had replaced the vintage transformers with AMS transformers and the difference was very noticeable. If you are Singer, I would recommend the AMS DPD. Its Also great on all sorts of instruments. Thanks for your response yotonic! That's exactly the kind of feedback that I was hoping for. At this point, I'm probably between the AMS 1073 SPX/DPX rack unit, the AMS 1073 hand wired classic modules, the Rupert Neve Shelford Channel, and the Rupert Neve 5052 modules. I have no way of trying out an AMS 1073 DPD before buying, but I'm assuming that the sound should be pretty close to the DPX, which I can try out. Isn't the 1073 DPD just the preamp section of the 1073 DPX with added digital outputs? |
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Post by yotonic on Oct 4, 2024 5:59:20 GMT -6
I’m not sure how the DPD compares to all tueir new variations but I have been under the hood and it’s impressively built and it has been around for years. Ive owned a couple and a DPD, they all sounded the same, and never any problems.
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Post by drumster on Oct 4, 2024 6:07:38 GMT -6
I’m not sure how the DPD compares to all tueir new variations but I have been under the hood and it’s impressively built and it has been around for years. Ive owned a couple and a DPD, they all sounded the same, and never any problems. Good to know! Have you every tried or heard an SPX or DPX with the EQ onboard? |
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Post by Vincent R. on Oct 4, 2024 6:23:41 GMT -6
Well, Emily and I have recorded vocals simultaneously a few times, but even so there are (2) of us. So I have a channel for each of us. I recently recorded some stereo jingle bells for one of the songs on my Christmas Album. If I bring an instrumentalist in I will often put up multiple mics on an instrument I'm not familiar with, just to see what works best; like putting up my FleA 49 and MK U67 on a saxophone player I had come in. That kind of thing. I've even had a string quartet at my old place, and we stacked them to make them sound like a string section. Each instrument had a spot mic and we had a pair of rooms mics. Most of my preamps are dual channel. I have the 1073DPX, a dual channel Stam 1073 MPA, dual channel Dan Alexander 1272, dual channel Demeter VTMP-2B, and then I have a pair of link audio SSL channel strips which I mostly use during mixing to add EQ and maybe some clean compression. I find it interesting that you took the approach of getting a stereo channel of every preamp that you have. Is that generally considered a best practice? I only did that with my Crane Song Syren preamps. The only thing I’ve ever needed in stereo has been synths and I don’t do that all the time. Part of my debate is whether I should get the SPX or the DPX. Since I’m mostly doing vocals, I could probably get away with the SPX, but having a stereo channel might be very useful down the road. What would you recommend? I am perfectly happy to admit that I have more in my studio than I probably need for the usual vocals that I do. I'd rather have a few things just in case than be trying to figure things out if I needed them. There are lots of instruments that benefit from stereo recordings, so I find it useful to have the stereo pair. |
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Post by yotonic on Oct 4, 2024 6:42:35 GMT -6
I’m not sure how the DPD compares to all tueir new variations but I have been under the hood and it’s impressively built and it has been around for years. Ive owned a couple and a DPD, they all sounded the same, and never any problems. Good to know! Have you every tried or heard an SPX or DPX with the EQ onboard? No I have not. But I’m sure someone on here has. I think if you are going to buy an AMS preamp from a retailer they should be fine with you sending one or the other back. |
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Post by thehightenor on Oct 4, 2024 7:16:31 GMT -6
The BAE had too much of a register shift for me as a singer. I have a pair of vintage 1073 which I love on vocals, and the AMS DPD which is pretty close but I use it on piano. Had the AMS 1073 and for whatever reason I like the rackmount DPD better. Did the Aurora and pretty much everything else. I like the Neve products personally. But everything mentioned in this thread is a solid choice so try stuff until you find something that fits you. I love vintage Quad Eight on vocals too. The opinions seem to be split on BAE. I have no way of trying any of their products out before buying, so it's unlikely that I'll go in that direction. Listening to clips online will only take you so far. You have to have the gear in your studio to see how it's really going to work out. How much of a difference is there between the AMS DPD and your vintage 1073's, and how would you describe that difference? When you said that you had the AMS 1073, which unit are you referring to? Was it the classic, hand wired 1073 reissue module? The BAE is very, very good - it does have that iconic Neve sound to it. Pair it with a great sounding FET or opto ( I use the BLA Bluey which is FANTASTIC or an Audioscape Opto Comp which is also great!) and it makes for a very good tracking chain. I've got the 1073D which is the Pre and EQ and it's a work of art inside .... all hand wired and the very best quality components - if you want the Neve sound it truly has it imho. The Shelford channel is also really fabulous - but a pair of those isn't cheap! |
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Post by drumster on Oct 5, 2024 5:06:45 GMT -6
The opinions seem to be split on BAE. I have no way of trying any of their products out before buying, so it's unlikely that I'll go in that direction. Listening to clips online will only take you so far. You have to have the gear in your studio to see how it's really going to work out. How much of a difference is there between the AMS DPD and your vintage 1073's, and how would you describe that difference? When you said that you had the AMS 1073, which unit are you referring to? Was it the classic, hand wired 1073 reissue module? The BAE is very, very good - it does have that iconic Neve sound to it. Pair it with a great sounding FET or opto ( I use the BLA Bluey which is FANTASTIC or an Audioscape Opto Comp which is also great!) and it makes for a very good tracking chain. I've got the 1073D which is the Pre and EQ and it's a work of art inside .... all hand wired and the very best quality components - if you want the Neve sound it truly has it imho. The Shelford channel is also really fabulous - but a pair of those isn't cheap! I looked at the Audioscape Opto Comp a couple of months ago, but ended up ordering the UA LA-2A Reissue. I haven’t got it yet, but I hope to have it in the next week. |
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Post by drumster on Oct 5, 2024 5:16:51 GMT -6
I managed to get ahold of a Shelford Channel yesterday and spent a short amount of time last night tracking some vocals through it. So far, I like it. It’s a very crisp sound with some colouration. It sounds a bit more focussed than the Branch, but also less euphoric. I tried dialing in the red and blue silk, and so far I prefer the red on vocals. With that said, I also liked the sound of the preamp without any silk engaged.
The EQ section is pretty good, but I’m not totally sold on the 8K shelf for vocals. The compressor was a bit underwhelming. Things sounded much better when I ran it through my Germanium compressor.
My next step will be to pick up an AMS 1073 DPX and compare it side by side with the Shelford. Hopefully, I can get that next week.
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