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Post by matt on Sept 5, 2023 11:16:47 GMT -6
My credit card had zero balance on it, and that's not acceptable. What's a zero balance? I don't think I've seen one of those in a few years It's a rare event for me too! It made me uncomfortable.
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Post by matt on Sept 5, 2023 10:51:38 GMT -6
Sometimes you just have to say What The F$ck. I just ordered a matched pair. My credit card had zero balance on it, and that's not acceptable. I have this strange feeling that I'm going to end up with everything they make!
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Post by matt on Aug 22, 2023 21:51:32 GMT -6
I recently purchased a pair of Germanium Comps and I'm loving them on guitar. I'm partial to the "Dirty Comp" circuit. They are very flexible but easy to dial in, with the "Mix" control being a key element of the design. IMO they do a different thing than my pair of Distressors, which have lived on kick and snare for years.
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Post by matt on Aug 7, 2023 20:05:42 GMT -6
Bill, let me know if you're coming to Phoenix. I'm flying to Portland tomorrow. We've got a festival in the UK and a date in Slovenia end of this month too. But I am trying to scale back touring, after 50 years. Will do Don. I broke my foot a couple days ago, and I'm not sure if it will be up to standing thru what will ultimately be an freaking awesome, but possibly painful (to me) concert. Bill, Celebrity Theater in Phoenix for the September 21st show is reserved seating, and parking is close to the main entrance.
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Post by matt on Aug 1, 2023 21:41:30 GMT -6
Ordered. I'm a just-in-time kind of guy.
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Post by matt on Aug 1, 2023 21:21:47 GMT -6
I added a Pacifica a couple of years ago. Along with my Ventura (see earlier posts) these Quad 8-based preamps are first-call on any source. The Pacifica currently lives on snare though. I characterize both units as "broadband" with plenty of response across the entire frequency spectrum. Excellent stuff!
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Post by matt on Jul 16, 2023 17:00:36 GMT -6
I use hardware parallel compression a lot, across every major instrument group- drums (x2), guitars, bass, vox. I even parallel compress summed kick and snare auxes separately. Many well-known mixers do it too, including Chiccarelli, Vance Powell, Scheps, etc, and I'm sure many more. But as with everything, it depends on who you talk to. For myself, I have no plans to change.
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Post by matt on Jun 28, 2023 15:47:30 GMT -6
I've been threatening to try and do some Eagles songs as close as I can get them. I hear some Vince Gill in your voice John. Good stuff, go for it!
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Post by matt on Jun 28, 2023 13:27:20 GMT -6
While I am a relentless gear tester too, I say: go with what makes you want to create, regardless of the name on the front of the box/microphone/amp/headstock etc. That's what I tell myself every day. Now, if only I'd listen . . . The problem is, I do objectively think the Burl sounds better even in a single instance. If I sold it - I know me - every time I recorded something that didn’t live up to the “wait - that doesn’t sound like best-recording/song-ever-recorded”, I’d be convinced it was because my AD wasn’t good enough. The first step is admitting you have a problem. This thread has caused me to bust out my B2 A/D, because I never sell anything. Just in case. So yes, I resemble that problem!
And let's not even discuss the forest of guitars I almost never play. They're a damn good-looking bunch, though.
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Post by matt on Jun 28, 2023 8:59:04 GMT -6
To add to the conversation, my entire hybrid rig is based around three, soon to be four, Tascam ML-32D converters. Yes, Tascam. Every element of every mix makes multiple passes through the Tascams via a small Dante network, with a round-trip latency of 3.05 milliseconds in Pro Tools Ultimate 2023.6. It's absolutely stable and sounds good to my ears. Monitoring is easy and seamless using DADman on my DAD Core256 hub. And no one listening has ever commented on any quality difference between my current work and that of several years ago when I was on Burl/Apogee Symphony. In fact, I am a better mixer now and that makes ALL the difference. My friends have noticed too: "hey man, your recent mixes are radio quality" is a recent comment. It is gratifying to hear those words- the fine art of mixing is a lot harder than I thought it would be 10 years ago when I started!
While I am a relentless gear tester too, I say: go with what makes you want to create, regardless of the name on the front of the box/microphone/amp/headstock etc. That's what I tell myself every day. Now, if only I'd listen . . .
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Post by matt on Jun 20, 2023 13:04:44 GMT -6
If the entire computing industry shifts to SoC, it will certainly impact any product reliant on internal PCIE expansion. The end of the road may be in sight for this technology. Edited my previous post to remove a comment about the discontinuation of Avid's HDX card. I was incorrect. Here is a short article on what they have discontinued:
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Post by matt on Jun 13, 2023 8:59:15 GMT -6
It's interesting that each Mac Pro release generates another round of Apple-bashing. Remember when the Trashcan was announced? It was beat down from every angle- form factor (odd, ugly: it looks like a Trashcan! Hence the nickname), lack of expandability (no PCIE slots!), limited RAM capacity (128MB) and poor SSD storage upgradeability (proprietary connector, no NVMe without the latest firmware). But it found it's way into hundreds of studios, including mine. The 2019 Intel was bashed on price and appearance, yet it successfully replaced the Trashcan, and is out there delivering content on a daily basis. I suspect that the same thing will happen with this version too, maybe for those who did not buy a 2019 and still need slots. Is it a niche product? Absolutely. It always has been. Has the market for it shrunk? Yes indeed. For those of us who don't need PCIE slots, the M2 Ultra Studio is the machine of choice, no question. I'm guessing that Apple heard from the film/video industry of a need for an update to the 2019 Mac Pro's GPU capability, and they've responded. The available maximum video spec is massive (76-core GPU), promising huge performance, and may drive sales. But the 192MB RAM limit is a bottleneck; this may not be enough for some power users who dislike swapping. Time -and sales- will tell.
It is clear that Apple believes the system-on-a-chip (SoC) approach is the present and future of computing system architecture. It offers efficiencies and capability that the old IBM component paradigm (CPU/RAM/Videocard) does not. Apple is pushing the envelope, and if I was a betting man I'd put my money on Apple continuing to deliver significant technical advances over the next five to ten years and beyond. If the entire computing industry shifts to SoC, it will certainly impact any product reliant on internal PCIE expansion. The end of the road may be in sight for this technology.
Then there is the issue of thermal performance. This problem has eventually cropped up for me on every Intel Mac product I own. My Trashcan started "thermalling" (as in abruptly shutting down) about 6 months ago. Blowing it out with air did nothing to improve things. Running a minimal active software profile- nothing. My conclusion was that the current crop of software uses so much computing power that Intel CPUs eventually suffer from overheating on Mac systems. The same thing occurred with my prior machine, a 2012 maxed-out M7 Mini. Heck, these days it overheats running multiple Firefox tabs! But that is a thing of the past for me now. The bottom line is that Apple silicon runs cool, and is quiet since SoC allows for ultra-low noise fans to be used. For me, this is a big deal. I do not have a machine room and have always lived with fan noise nearby. Not anymore.
If any of you RGO-ers buy one of the new machines, I'd be interested in hearing your experience with it. Meanwhile, I'm loving my M1 Ultra Studio. It's a semi-beast!
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Post by matt on Jun 11, 2023 9:29:29 GMT -6
PCI slots, upgradability. The only things they could do to make it more desirable is 1. Rack Mount able There is a rack version available- for a little extra $$$, of course.
Loving my M1 Ultra/128GB Studio, it's a little beast. Runs cool too, at half the temperature of my old Trashcan (80C vs 40C). I never hear the fan, ever. An M2 Ultra Mac Pro would totally rock for A/V production. If my Studio was a little older, I'd take a serious look at the new Pro. Maxed out, of course. Because why not!
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Post by matt on May 30, 2023 17:24:56 GMT -6
Damn. I just found out about this compressor I've reviewed a bunch of Vari Mu comps on the channel(and have used a bunch more before doing the YouTube thing) and the RS660(in limiter mode) brought an excitement to the vocal that was unlike anything else I'd heard. It really was something special! If someone is just getting in to outboard and is buying their first vari mu comp, I usually recommend the 176 just because it is so versatile. It is the fastest of the bunch and can lock any vocal you throw at it into place. Having said that, tone wise I don't feel it gets into that special territory that I find with the RS124, RS660 and Sta Level. So, if you have something with speed already like an 1176 or Distressor then I'd go with the RS660. If you'd like to stick to 2 channels , I thought the Retro Revolver was really great and very versatile! I hope that helps and doesn't further complicates things 😁 Josh, how do you see the Sta-Level vs the 660? I've owned a Sta for a long time but can't help lusting after a 660 (or two). I've used the Sta on vocals and bass over the years, but I'm considering other options.
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Post by matt on May 2, 2023 16:59:18 GMT -6
I'd like to have both of mine modded so that Bus B outputs are available on the Alt XLR outputs instead of the DB25 Mix B sends. Seems like a strange decision by SSL to not port Mix B outputs like Mix A.
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Post by matt on Apr 27, 2023 21:47:05 GMT -6
DAD Core 256 arrived after a multi-month wait.
Hey Matt redundant switches and other mundane IT stuff is worth it’s weight in Vintage u47’s! Indeed! I have a backup switch ready to go if -and when- it's needed.
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Post by matt on Apr 27, 2023 17:25:15 GMT -6
DAD Core 256 arrived after a multi-month wait. The studio is now fully Dante, and with 256 i/o at 48K, between DADman and Dante Controller I have god-like control over signal routing in and out of PT Ultimate. Connectivity is rock solid with minimal latency through the interface- 300 usec give or take according to Dante Controller. And that's only because one of my D/A converters has a minimum latency setting of 1 msec. If I could set all my A/D/As to 250 usec, network latency would be 50 usec, give or take! Amazing tech, this audio over IP stuff. It's a beautiful thing.
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Post by matt on Feb 7, 2023 20:57:46 GMT -6
Interesting thread. I've recorded with a no-hole kick (26x14, Ludwig green sparkle naturally) for about a year and have found that the inside mic (Beta 52a), mounted on a Shu, imparts an unpleasant tone similar to striking a basketball. The tone was even worse with a 91a in there. Fixing it with radical EQ is unsatisfactory- I'd rather get a good tone straight away. Plus it is a pain to adjust since you have to remove the reso head to get at the thing to move it around and the Shu is not easily adjustable- it is designed to sit in the center of the drum. I've added a dick mic (AT 4050) and it helps but still . . .
I wonder if the closed drum is part of the problem. So I'm trying a Powerstroke 3 reso head with a 5" hole. Mics will be: inside (offset about 50% toward the shell using a bar on the Shu)- Beta 52a, hole- D112 Mk2, front/outside- UT47, dick- 4050. This setup should get it done. In the end, I can always revert back if I am unhappy with the result, which is unlikely. Not a fan of using samples either, and I'd like to stop doing it. It's one thing to enhance, but it's another to have to cover up a poor recording. Which I've had to do lately.
Do you have any damping inside the kick? Pillow or anything? That’ll help with the basketball sound. No damping inside the shell yet. But that will be next on the menu after testing without it. Plus I'm adding a wider/thicker felt strip to the batter head. It's fun to experiment!
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Post by matt on Feb 7, 2023 17:51:43 GMT -6
Interesting thread. I've recorded with a no-hole kick (26x14, Ludwig green sparkle naturally) for about a year and have found that the inside mic (Beta 52a), mounted on a Shu, imparts an unpleasant tone similar to striking a basketball. The tone was even worse with a 91a in there. Fixing it with radical EQ is unsatisfactory- I'd rather get a good tone straight away. Plus it is a pain to adjust since you have to remove the reso head to get at the thing to move it around and the Shu is not easily adjustable- it is designed to sit in the center of the drum. I've added a dick mic (AT 4050) and it helps but still . . .
I wonder if the closed drum is part of the problem. So I'm trying a Powerstroke 3 reso head with a 5" hole. Mics will be: inside (offset about 50% toward the shell using a bar on the Shu)- Beta 52a, hole- D112 Mk2, front/outside- UT47, dick- 4050. This setup should get it done. In the end, I can always revert back if I am unhappy with the result, which is unlikely. Not a fan of using samples either, and I'd like to stop doing it. It's one thing to enhance, but it's another to have to cover up a poor recording. Which I've had to do lately.
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Post by matt on Jan 23, 2023 9:12:16 GMT -6
I'm currently using StandardClip into Elevate, going for 12 LUFS. I don't like to see more than one or two db of intermittent limiting in Elevate with just a little peak shaving on (usually) snare transients in StandardClip. I've also used Limitless with good results. For occasional track and subgroup limiting, I often reach for the ancient but trustworthy L2. Just don't push it too hard (>3 db) or audio manglement ensues!
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Post by matt on Jan 10, 2023 12:15:34 GMT -6
I suppose I fall into the "spend whatever you can" category. I've owned a pair of PMC twotwo 8s for seven years (!) and am eyeing their new 6-2 three-ways. And then there's the XBD option if you add a couple of 8-2 subs. Now that setup would rock . . .
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Post by matt on Jan 10, 2023 10:55:19 GMT -6
I've only found one that works for me consistently, and unfortunately for me, right now, it's got to go into the shop for a retube and recalibration. If you've got other options, let me know please. Its the only thing I've got that elegantly catches those leading edge transients that eat up headroom and cause instantaneously, and random glitch bits of distortion. Manley VariMu. A pair of RS124 is the pinnacle on piano for me. I wonder how a Retro Revolver would do just to cut down on cost & rack space a bit? Josh, all my best on your recovery, back problems are gnarly, as is the corrective surgery. Here's to a quick and complete rebound to good health (imagine a Stella Artois being hoisted in salute)!
I own a Revolver and it sits on a parallel bus, hybrid style, processing guitars (mostly). It smooths out transients and is not too aggressive unless pushed hard- as it should be. The resulting compression reminds me of the STA-Level but more transparent. I've found that the STA really imprints its tone on a signal unless you are careful to not drive the input too hard, whereas the Revolver is more forgiving. It's a beautiful thing!
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Post by matt on Jan 10, 2023 10:25:25 GMT -6
I've owned a Dangerous ST for years and it's great, 100% reliable. However the desk controller is not the smallest one around. If I had to replace it I'd go with a Grace M905. In black, of course.
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Post by matt on Dec 5, 2022 17:17:57 GMT -6
API 5500 for mixdown, giving me all-API on the 2-bus insert: 2500+ into the EQ, then back into PT for a little Elevate limiting. It's a beautiful thing.
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Post by matt on Aug 10, 2022 12:47:39 GMT -6
I recently purchased a set of Focal Clear MG Pros. I find them to have significant tilt with incredible low end and recessed mids/highs. The Sonarworks profile corrects this and they sound very good to me with nice balance and excellent clarity. They are great for checking balance and for teasing out odd noises, should they be present. Interestingly, Sonarworks labels the MG Pro as "for listening" rather than mixing, which I find vaguely humorous since that's what Focal designs them for (they claim that the correction level is higher than they like). But I can mix on them, no problem, as long as Sonarworks is active.
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