WaterGuy
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Desert Island Hardware
Hi Folks,
I'm using AudioFire 8 with Sonar X1 Producer. I also have FMR's RNLA. My question is this: if you could recommend one piece of outboard hardware to improve the quality of my recordings (I record primarily audio tracks - keys, vocals, acoustic guitar and guitar amps - with AT 4041s and SM57s.) or my mix/mastering capability, what would you recommend? Price range is under $1000.
Thanks for any advice.
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Psychobillybob
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/12 22:51:22
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You know all this desert island talk makes me wonder if you were truly stranded, who would you record? Where would you plug your gear into, and how would you get paid, in coconuts?
Shouldn't you be asking for rescue instead of recording gear?
That being said, the simple truth remains that there is no one piece of gear that makes a good survival tool, so I reduce it to the premise that tracking into the system is more important than tracking out, so a decent api or neve stylee preamp might be the place to start...you could get a Mohog Mofet 76 which is a really good compressor that has a neve style transformer option that allows it to function a bit like a pre, all the while primarily being a comp...beyond that I would recommend a good ham radio.
I'm using SOnar Platinium on a 6 core Lynx Audio machine and a ton of vintage pre-amps/eq's/comps I build for fun and sometimes money, REDD.47/API/Neve I also use the UAD stuff, and also use a Macbook Logic 9 through Apogee...
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AT
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 00:56:11
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A thousand is a bit low for a desert island bit. There will always be a weak link. For acoustics, it starts with the mic. If you are happy with the mics I'd look for a preamp, something to complement the audiofire. That means transformer and some color and lots of loverly gain. ISA One is $500. There are others for more, or the Gap Pre or less and more color.
The RNLA is a good stereo comp, esp. for the price. If you have any money left over after the preamp, a single channel of even more color comp would be nice. Electro harmonix made a killer optical stereo comp that you might find used for $6-700. A studio owner friend picked one up for that tho they might have gone up. Still, I agree with him that software is getting so good you really needs something that goes "wow" to buy hardware - that does something software still can't. A single channel EQ is another candidate. The Speck is about $700 - combined with the Gap (and RNLA) you would have a nice single channel input, although the comp would probably be more useful. I can't think of a $1000 stereo compressor that would make a huge difference, but if you sold the RNLA and could find a used RND portico stereo comp you'd be set for mastering, stereo input, etc. No excuses, no regrets.
@
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https://soundcloud.com/a-pleasure-dome
http://www.bnoir-film.com/ there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
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Guitarpima
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 01:22:29
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You could get a uad 2 duo. It's sort of outboard even though it's onboard. You would still have to get tthe best recordings you can but the mixing would improve.
Notation, the original DAW. Everything else is just rote. We are who we are and no more than another. Humans, you people are crazy. Win 7 x64 X2 Intel DX58SO, Intel i7 920 2.66ghz 12gb DDR3 ASUS ATI EAH5750 650w PSU 4x WD HDs 320gb DVD, DVD RW Eleven Rack, KRK Rokit 8s and 10s sub
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A1MixMan
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 01:40:35
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Get the best microphone preamp you can afford.
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carlosagm79
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 03:46:27
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WaterGuy
Hi Folks,
I'm using AudioFire 8 with Sonar X1 Producer. I also have FMR's RNLA. My question is this: if you could recommend one piece of outboard hardware to improve the quality of my recordings (I record primarily audio tracks - keys, vocals, acoustic guitar and guitar amps - with AT 4041s and SM57s.) or my mix/mastering capability, what would you recommend? Price range is under $1000.
Thanks for any advice.
I would recommend you a desert island College in music production
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subtlearts
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 03:48:26
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WaterGuy
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 11:47:01
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Thanks for all the suggestions. I especially liked the music production class recommedation, although may be hard to find here in Sacramento, CA. Since my recording space is already treated, it seems mic pre is the best bet. Lots of options out there, and no way to really test them out. I'm intrigued by the ISA One and FMR's RNP (since I record acoustic guitar with XY mic configuration, a stereo pre is attractive). I should have poined out I have a Studio Projects VTB1 and to be honest I don't hear a great deal of difference between that and the Audiofire preamps. So based on this limited experience I'm a little skeptical that the RNP would provide a huge improvement.
Last question then: Given that I'm trying to get best quality tracking, do you think the RNP would be a significant improvement over the Studio Projects and/or Audiofire? Would the ISA One be even better (I could sacrifice the stereo input for now)? Others to consider? Thanks again.
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bitman
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 15:09:53
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bapu
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 16:16:11
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subtlearts
room treatment...
ARC is cheaper.
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subtlearts
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 16:29:21
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For a reason, I suspect... (I have it and use it, and I think it's pretty good for what it is, but still)
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AT
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 17:08:27
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As I said above, transformers. The RNP stuff is great bang for buck but is similiar to the transformerless designs in interfaces. Since you were wanting something different, the Gap or ISA One are.
Something else to consider are your montiors. A thousand dollars will buy some good ones.
@
https://soundcloud.com/a-pleasure-dome
http://www.bnoir-film.com/ there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. 24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
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mamm7215
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 17:19:09
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Your mix/mastering is pretty much covered with Sonar. Software-wise maybe Ozone4. Hardware-wise your mics are ok so it's either a really good mid/high end pre or a good 2 channel hardware strip. I have the Toft ATC-2 and it's got decent pres, good compression and excellent Eq. I've also got 2 SCA N72 pres. Sonar will record exactly what you throw at it so you want your signal going in to be as good as possible.
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bapu
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 17:41:45
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WaterGuy
Hi Folks,
I'm using AudioFire 8 with Sonar X1 Producer. I also have FMR's RNLA. My question is this: if you could recommend one piece of outboard hardware to improve the quality of my recordings (I record primarily audio tracks - keys, vocals, acoustic guitar and guitar amps - with AT 4041s and SM57s.) or my mix/mastering capability, what would you recommend? Price range is under $1000.
Thanks for any advice.
Yup, a good mic pre/compressor: LA-610 mkII if you record one track at a time and want that vintage sound (a bit towards $1500 though) Alternative: UA TwinFinity if you record one track at a time and want that vintage sound and/or modern sound too, maybe add a good but inexpensive compressor?? Plug wise (mastering): Ozone is probably the best bang for the buck. All in all looking closer to $2K (La-610 + Ozone) but you will be slammin' with these.
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bapu
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Re:Desert Island Hardware
2011/03/13 17:51:53
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subtlearts
For a reason, I suspect... (I have it and use it, and I think it's pretty good for what it is, but still)
My mixes have improved vastly since I installed it and use it.
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