|
Post by unit7 on Dec 8, 2014 16:54:19 GMT -6
I'm extra thick today, would you please elaborate on the difference between Mic and Mic+? Also, any possibility of a fairly good quality instrument-in? Or 2 for keyboards? the DI's on Jeff's VP28's Sorry, I know you're very ill, but anyway just for the record, to my knowledge the only CAPI pre w DI is the VP312DI. Get well man!
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 8, 2014 17:27:23 GMT -6
I'm currently using the DI's on my Heritage DMA73 (Neve flavor) and on my Warm TB12's (API flavour). I seem to get better results with the keyboards/synths through the DI's instead of the line-ins on those units, a bit more colored I guess. les, you'll have PLENTY of color with both mojo blocks post line input on the SB. It's a different approach.
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 8, 2014 17:29:40 GMT -6
Brad likes to use it differently. <<snip>> That's not entirely correct, <<snip>> Honestly...the Silver Bullet is configured on my kitchen counter right next to my Breville toaster and an oscilloscope. <<snip>> Really? How was I supposed to know you're using it with kitchen appliances??? LOL The flu drugs must have you woozy,,,,,, feel better bro.
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 8, 2014 17:32:05 GMT -6
Well, I'm thicker on the outside, but still with a creamy soft center. By the way, this box looks great. I was thinking something similar with my DMA73 and my TB12's, but having this reside full-time on the mix buss would really simplify things. Thanks. :-) I was doing something similar with vp28's and AML 1073's (API & Neve). It worked good, but the workflow didn't encourage gain staging experimentation and honestly, I just used a "set it and forget it" approach. The Silver Bullet is much better for me. It fosters creativity, and having the EQ and metering on board makes things really so much quicker.
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 8, 2014 17:33:14 GMT -6
the DI's on Jeff's VP28's Sorry, I know you're very ill, but anyway just for the record, to my knowledge the only CAPI pre w DI is the VP312DI. Get well man! That is correct, unless brad has frankensteined some vp28's......
|
|
|
Post by geoff738 on Dec 19, 2014 17:38:35 GMT -6
I could have sworn I posted in this thread.
Anywho, could drbill or Brad (hope you're fully recovered) talk about the inserts and how you use them in your respective setups?
Thanks, Geoff
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,919
|
Post by ericn on Dec 19, 2014 18:17:01 GMT -6
Hey Bill I think I get it, and it seams like a bargain for everything it can do! The problem is and this comes from the former gear pimp, simple is an easy sell! What makes it great is everything it can do! Your problem is you overestimated the attention span of your market my freind ! But the fact that it is pretty much a great tracking / mixing tone box with all kinds of routing means it should be one of the first pieces anybody looking to get into quality outboard should be looking at! The more I look at it the more I know if I were still at Full Compass I would be the one Convincing the Lipps we have to get these! Last time I did that was the New UA Stuff!
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 19, 2014 21:53:43 GMT -6
I could have sworn I posted in this thread. Anywho, could drbill or Brad (hope you're fully recovered) talk about the inserts and how you use them in your respective setups? Thanks, Geoff Geoff - I'm guessing you mean the inserts for the Silver Bullet - and not how the Silver Bullet can interface into the inserts of other gear - like a console (see below) or hardware insert on your DAW. Generally, I use the inserts on the Silver Bullet to put a compressor and/or limiter in the signal path. Brad also has a couple other interesting ideas brewing that will use the inserts..... :-) The SB insert is inserted AFTER the Mojo blocks, and BEFORE the EQ. Hope that answers your question. If not, fire away again and I'll answer back. Also, as an aside, I am planning on putting a Silver Bullet on the L/R insert of my console bus as soon as I get the new CRM built and the console out of storage.
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 19, 2014 21:57:07 GMT -6
Hey Bill I think I get it, and it seams like a bargain for everything it can do! The problem is and this comes from the former gear pimp, simple is an easy sell! What makes it great is everything it can do! Your problem is you overestimated the attention span of your market my freind ! But the fact that it is pretty much a great tracking / mixing tone box with all kinds of routing means it should be one of the first pieces anybody looking to get into quality outboard should be looking at! The more I look at it the more I know if I were still at Full Compass I would be the one Convincing the Lipps we have to get these! Last time I did that was the New UA Stuff! Hey Eric - thanks for the compliment. Yeah, I see your point. Luckily, the box can be very simple to use if you're not grappling with the routing options, and when the user gets more involved, they can take it a step (or two or three) further and implement all the routing options. But for the attention deficited, yeah, it's simple. Plug it after your Daw or before your DAW, leave it in "mix" mode, twist the knobs till you dig it and enjoy!! Ultimately, we will have application video's and flow charts that will make all my ramblings much more visual and easy to understand and implement. :-) Cheers, bp
|
|
|
Post by geoff738 on Dec 20, 2014 12:19:58 GMT -6
I could have sworn I posted in this thread. Anywho, could drbill or Brad (hope you're fully recovered) talk about the inserts and how you use them in your respective setups? Thanks, Geoff Geoff - I'm guessing you mean the inserts for the Silver Bullet - and not how the Silver Bullet can interface into the inserts of other gear - like a console (see below) or hardware insert on your DAW. Generally, I use the inserts on the Silver Bullet to put a compressor and/or limiter in the signal path. Brad also has a couple other interesting ideas brewing that will use the inserts..... :-) The SB insert is inserted AFTER the Mojo blocks, and BEFORE the EQ. Hope that answers your question. If not, fire away again and I'll answer back. Also, as an aside, I am planning on putting a Silver Bullet on the L/R insert of my console bus as soon as I get the new CRM built and the console out of storage. Yeah, I was asking about the SB's inserts. How many inserts are there? I'm hoping more than one and specifically one for the 2 buss and one for tracking mode. If there's just one it means repatching which means it's not as simple as just hitting a button to switch back and forth. But without seeing the back of the unit, I'm just guessing. Providing a flowchart of the routing options is a great idea! Cheers, Geoff
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Dec 20, 2014 12:48:06 GMT -6
Geoff - There are just ONE set of inserts. I hear ya on the tracking vs mix thing, but at this stage, I don't think there is enough physical room on the back for another pair of inserts. Brad is thinking about some creative use of jumpers on the PCB that may allow for some flexibility here. Maybe he can speak to this.
|
|
|
Post by BradM on Dec 20, 2014 14:00:37 GMT -6
There is one set of inserts and my current thinking is that the inset will be bypassed when in tracking mode so you can leave whatever is inserted plugged in for use in Mix Mode. There will also be an internal jumper that will defeat this behavior so that insert follows whatever mode you are on...in case you want to use the same inserted gear for both tracking and mixing. Now that I think about it I should add another internal jumper that allows the insert to follow Tracking Mode and be bypassed during Mix Mode. Then all three scenarios would be covered and the user could configure it how he/she liked. Hmmm... As for how I'm going to use to inserts in my own setup... Since I'll likely be hanging the Silver Bullet on the master inserts of my console I might just leave the inserts untouched. I'm not a big fan of 2-bus compressors on my mixes. I always seem to botch the mix when I patch one in. I like dynamics too much. However, when I use the box in a tracking / mic preamp role I'll be putting my favorite tracking compressor on the insert...either a Daking FET II, or my Drip LA2A clone. I think the Anamod ATS-1 will definitely go after the unit. I have a session coming up in a few weeks so I'll get to see what I like best then. Bill--you are going to have to remind me what these creative uses for the inserts are. . Haha. I'm totally spacing. Eric--I'm not sure I follow your comment about overestimating the attention span of the market. I assume that people don't read manuals and so I try to design things such that you can plug the unit in, futz with it for less than 10 minutes and have it figured out. There may be complicated stuff going on inside of the unit, but the user experience is no more complicated than operating a guitar amp which has gain and tone controls. And when I say guitar amp I mean vintage Marshall and not a Diezel. Brad
|
|
|
Post by geoff738 on Dec 20, 2014 15:07:35 GMT -6
There is one set of inserts and my current thinking is that the inset will be bypassed when in tracking mode so you can leave whatever is inserted plugged in for use in Mix Mode. There will also be an internal jumper that will defeat this behavior so that insert follows whatever mode you are on...in case you want to use the same inserted gear for both tracking and mixing. Now that I think about it I should add another internal jumper that allows the insert to follow Tracking Mode and be bypassed during Mix Mode. Then all three scenarios would be covered and the user could configure it how he/she liked. Hmmm... Brad That would probably cover all the bases. I really like the Daking as well. Hard to make it sound bad. Wish I had two. Thanks again drbill and Brad for helping us get a handle on the SB. Cheers, Geoff
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,919
|
Post by ericn on Dec 20, 2014 17:31:29 GMT -6
There is one set of inserts and my current thinking is that the inset will be bypassed when in tracking mode so you can leave whatever is inserted plugged in for use in Mix Mode. There will also be an internal jumper that will defeat this behavior so that insert follows whatever mode you are on...in case you want to use the same inserted gear for both tracking and mixing. Now that I think about it I should add another internal jumper that allows the insert to follow Tracking Mode and be bypassed during Mix Mode. Then all three scenarios would be covered and the user could configure it how he/she liked. Hmmm... Brad That would probably cover all the bases. I really like the Daking as well. Hard to make it sound bad. Wish I had two. Thanks again drbill and Brad for helping us get a handle on the SB. Cheers, Geoff Hey Geoff Knowing Bill he would tell you after you buy a Silver Bullet your next investment should be a quality Patchbay so you can expand the potential exponentially !
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Feb 14, 2015 12:05:06 GMT -6
Ha! You're probably right Eric. heh heh Just wanted to give an update to this thread. We're making good progress towards finishing and releasing. There's more info on the Louder than Liftoff website about the Silver Bullet and it's upcoming pre-sale. It's not in production yet, but we are getting closer and closer by the week.... More info here : store.louderthanliftoff.com/ I'm sure Brad will give the faithful first dibs at a great introductory deal.... On the actual "useage" front : I've been using this box for over a year now and every mix I've done. I recently placed a large group of songs with one of N'ville's largest record companies. Per my normal method, I did final mixes myself - only to find out they wanted the PT sessions so they could have their own mix engineer finish them. That was cool with me, but in the process of preparing the sessions for them, I was doing a lot of listening to what THEY would hear vs. what I was hearing. And taking the SB off the mix buss was just so disappointing. Staggering really for me.... The soul just seemed to drop off. They may mix on a console, but even then, I don't know of any console that can deliver the depth and bottom of a Neve along with the punchiness of an API. I'm trying to get brad to get more prototypes so that I can send one along with my mixes for their engineer.... The other thing that blew me away recently was putting an MK-47 out front of a drum kit. That in and of itself is not unusual for me, but this was my son's kit (not the greatest) in our new house (not the greatest acoustics - as it's the living room and nothing's been acoustically done to it.) One mic, into the Silver Bullet - API mode into Neve mode - cascaded. The API or Neve side alone gave me what I had come to expect. Punchy on the API side, Deep and big on the Neve side. But the ability to cascade and drive each appropriately allowed me to get a gloriously crunchy tone (in a good way) I've never - and I do mean NEVER - been able to get before. It was just an awesome experience and it felt like someone let me in on a little secret. Good stuff. Were making progress quickly and should be up and running soon. Cheers, bp
|
|
|
Post by Johnkenn on Feb 14, 2015 12:17:20 GMT -6
I've got to sit down and really read about this Bill...might be just what I'm looking for for what I do...
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Feb 14, 2015 12:57:46 GMT -6
I've got to sit down and really read about this Bill...might be just what I'm looking for for what I do... John - I know for me, it's integral to my work flow now and I can't mix or track without it. Most of the info is on the LTL website, and if you so desire (heh) there's a lengthy thread with hundreds of questions, thoughts and answers on the "other" site. But I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have here. bp
|
|
|
Post by Johnkenn on Feb 14, 2015 13:14:51 GMT -6
Thanks! I'll do some reading and then if I have questions, I'll tag you here.
|
|
|
Post by tonycamphd on Feb 14, 2015 13:31:55 GMT -6
Played with this at AES, it's super powerful standalone tool, it strikes me as a steroided up, 4 sport, baskin robbins version of a VP28, and i LOVE! the Vp28. I KNOW Brad is not comfortable with making it anything less than perfect, probably why i think of him as an audio... "B(r)adass".. (where is the facepalm when you need it?)
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Feb 14, 2015 13:57:50 GMT -6
Played with this at AES, it's super powerful standalone tool, it strikes me as a steroided up, 4 sport, baskin robbins version of a VP28, and i LOVE! the Vp28. I KNOW Brad is not comfortable with making it anything less than perfect, probably why i think of him as an audio... "B(r)adass".. (where is the facepalm when you need it?) heh heh PLUS 1073 in line as well. Don't forget that. Oh and that HRez metering and completely Bradass EQ. Oh, and thanks for the B(r)adass moniker. That's what I will be calling him from here on out....
|
|
|
Post by BradM on Feb 14, 2015 20:26:00 GMT -6
Who knows what the future holds. All sorts of things could be possible if the box takes off and I can pay the accountant. And the tax man. A part of my brain is dying to start designing all sorts of fun new products. But I've got to stay focused until this thing becomes real and people can actually buy and use it. There's light at the end of the tunnel...finally. Steady now. Besides Bill, Sam Pura has a unit in his studio currently. After that I plan to send one to Benny Grotto. We are working on building a final pre-production unit to verify all the design enhancements (a lot of folks are going to be really happy) and manufacturing processes are ready for prime time. I have a vendor doing the faceplate for this unit as I type this. Today I added some ventilation holes in the chassis and cover to improve the airflow through the unit. That will keep things running cool and ultimately improve reliability. Next up is to rob a bank and start purchasing a bunch of long lead items like transformers, power supplies, and the discrete op amps. By the way, I'm pretty sure I'm going to offer the RED FIVE-20 op amps for sale as a standalone product. So if you have an API style preamp, I can confidently say this is going to be the most bang for the buck DOA ever sold to end users. I think people are really going to like the price I have in mind. As we say at Rogue Planet Command...impossibly affordable. Stay tuned. Brad p.s. I swear when I quit my day job I'll be able to make things happen at a much faster clip. As Scotty said: "I'm givin' her all she's got captain!"
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Feb 14, 2015 22:11:53 GMT -6
Dr. Bill / Brad not wanting to put the cart before the horse but any hope their might be a multi-channel pre-only version? Why not just buy multiple Silver Bullets and leave them in Mic or Mic+ mode? Killer Metering. API and NEVE topology at the same time. And the sweetest EQ west of the Nile. Seriously though, aside from the convenience of having them all in one box, I don't think Brad could make them much cheaper than what we're planning. Remember, 2 API's and 2 Neve's (stereo right?) in one box. Plus a bunch of other stuff. Even if you bought 4 mic pre's in stand alone 500 series (as cheap as it gets), you're still looking at $600, 600, 600, 600 + lunchbox @ $400. That's more than the Silver Bullet will retail for, and you get the meter, the EQ and filters, and the cool work flow configurations thrown in at significantly less that buying 2 each or API and Neve pre's. SIGNIFICANTLY less. So.... Do as I'm going to do. Buy MULTIPLE Silver Bullets. I know that eventually, I will have at least 4. One for the console, one for the front end, one for my mix bus, and one for whatever I need to throw at it. In all seriousness though, having mono pre's as opposed to stereo would be more efficient, but still, I think the bargain is in full swing with this baby.....
|
|
|
Post by lolo on Mar 4, 2015 6:59:04 GMT -6
The more I read into this the more interesting it sounds.
|
|
|
Post by lolo on Mar 4, 2015 7:02:09 GMT -6
Really keen to know.....How does the mic pre's sound in comparison to counterparts??
|
|
|
Post by drbill on Mar 4, 2015 11:13:41 GMT -6
Very favorable IMO. I have tested them against vp28's and AML EZ1073's with no EQ engaged. The SB sounded like I expected a good API / NEVE pre to sound like. It's not identical, and it's not meant to be. It is not designed as a "clone", but as it's own thing with an API / Neve heritage-flavor, and it is very good IMO. I liked it better in some instances - mostly due to the very flexible gain staging and in others, they are at least on par with the best clones. Now, if you're into a heavier sound, the API>Neve cascaded together at the same time thing is off the hook. Honestly, the pre's were never really my reason for making this box, but I must say that they are definitely getting used here....
And you guys should know - theres a pricing update. It's going to list under $2k US. For what you get : 2 API's, 2 Neve's, 2 Bax style EQ's 2 Hi Rez meters and a lot more..... It's a Woooohooo! moment I think.
|
|