Helpful ReplyPreamp compressor EQ hardware

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gswitz
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2017/12/10 02:57:34 (permalink)

Preamp compressor EQ hardware

Neve?

I'm thinking 1u.

Thoughts?

StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
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cuitlahac
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/10 04:10:35 (permalink)
Sounds like you might like to have a Shelford Channel?  I'd love to have one of those but $3500 is pretty steep.

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gswitz
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/10 13:58:18 (permalink)
Yes, I've been looking at it.

I've had lessons in the past about expensive things not being something I need. For example, I got a great mxl ribbon mic and decided maybe a Royer would be awesome. The Royer sounds almost indistinguishable from the mxl. It might be more durable or easier to change the ribbon on the road, but for my purposes I can't tell the difference.

Other things, like my rme, are clear wins.

StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
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DeeringAmps
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/10 14:04:19 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby gswitz 2017/12/11 22:43:41
The UA 6176 & LA 610 come to mind.
Both are pre>comp, the pres have "basic" eq.
The UA pres definitely have a sonic "signature".
Both are excellent as a bass DI.
You can use the comp or pre independently with the 6176.
In the LA610 they are hard wired.
T

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gswitz
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/10 14:30:33 (permalink)
Do you own one? Do you love it?

StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
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DeeringAmps
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 14:12:58 (permalink)
I have both, actually 3; 1 6176 & 2 La-610.
I find both very useful.

Tom Deering
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AT
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 14:57:21 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby gswitz 2017/12/11 22:42:52
I'm not familiar w/ any single-rack space channel strip that is great - all those components need space.  But the double-rack sized Neve Portico II is a great investment if you have the cash.  I haven't used the Shelford, but I imagine it sounds great, too.  But the Portico has a lot of built-in features that make it a dream - and it sounds great.  LP filter, EQ w/ built-in de-esser, feed back or forward comp and blend so you can do internal, analog parallel compression, variable Silk so you can add some in some saturation harmonics (Mr. Neve found that too much clean didn't work for many music engineers so came up "Silk"), etc.
 
The Aurora line (Geoff Tanner) is more old school Neve and a bit cheaper, if $2500 is ever cheap!
 
It is rumored that WARM audio is coming out w/ a pre/EQ based upon a famous vintage model soon.  That should be about a $1000, if their price creep continues.  For $2500 you could get that and their La2a and 1176 and you're ready to replicate the sound of the late 60s thru the 70s, although it would be many rack spaces.
 
You are right that sometimes it is hard to hear $2000 difference.  I still listen to older recordings and say to myself, "jeez, that sounds good and I didn't have to spend this extra $5K and more (I'm not a guitarist so I can put my money into recording hardware not Gibson guitars ;-)) to get it.  However, my go-to electric guitar sound is through the Portico and a sub-$100 MXL ribbon and it sounds nigh on perfect.  I can't imagine it sounding any better.  Something to think about w/ your similar mic, if not a 144.
 
2 things - the good (ie. expensive) stuff is hard to make sound bad - overdriven distortion when you least need it and such.  The Portico runs on 54 volt rails, or something ridiculous like that.  The other thing is if your sound coming out sounds bad - you know it is you not the equipment.  If you can't get exactly what you want you just have to flog yourself to work harder, or change the source.  
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Jim Roseberry
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 15:13:42 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby gswitz 2017/12/11 22:42:48
AT
I'm not familiar w/ any single-rack space channel strip that is great - all those components need space.  But the double-rack sized Neve Portico II is a great investment if you have the cash.  I haven't used the Shelford, but I imagine it sounds great, too.  But the Portico has a lot of built-in features that make it a dream - and it sounds great.  LP filter, EQ w/ built-in de-esser, feed back or forward comp and blend so you can do internal, analog parallel compression, variable Silk so you can add some in some saturation harmonics (Mr. Neve found that too much clean didn't work for many music engineers so came up "Silk"), etc.



I have the Portico-II and it is one of the best musical purchases I've made.
Literally everything sounds amazing running thru it.
Though it has wonderful EQ and Dynamics sections, the preamp sounds/works so well, I often don't end up using them.  It's never been so easy to get a great DI bass sound.
Mics that sound strident with lesser preamps... sound great with the Neve.
It's like get an upgrade on your entire mic locker...
If you're looking for a world-class channel-strip, it doesn't get much (if any) better than the Portico-II.

Best Regards,

Jim Roseberry
jim@studiocat.com
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batsbrew
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 16:06:10 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby gswitz 2017/12/11 22:42:43
look at building a 500 series rig..
so many killer choices.
 
you could have a preamp, EQ, compressor, all in one box
 
build as you go
 
start with this:
https://vintageking.com/a...-503hr-500-series-rack
 
then add  this:
https://vintageking.com/rupert-neve-designs-portico-511-mic-pre
 
then this:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/JDKV12
 
then this:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Electra500
 

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Cactus Music
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 16:28:53 (permalink)
This is where I'm spending my next bit of spare cash. I have a Joe Meek 3Q and it's OK,, but I know there's much better and I like Bat's idea a lot. I have an extra $250 I saved by not buying a new DAW yet. No, I'm spending my money on hardware... DAW's it would seem are all the same and I have at least 4 or those. 
I like to have the best sound at the source, going in, not turd polishing it later ITB. 

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batsbrew
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 20:17:08 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby gswitz 2017/12/11 22:25:21
Cactus Music
No, I'm spending my money on hardware... DAW's it would seem are all the same and I have at least 4 or those. 
I like to have the best sound at the source, going in, not turd polishing it later ITB. 




 
 
buying hardware is the ONLY way to polish turds BEFORE they go into the daw...
everyone SHOULD be spending their dough on hardware, and NOT software!
 

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gswitz
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/11 22:42:30 (permalink)
I really like all the comments.
 
I've definitely considered the 500 series things because you can swap them out etc. It's a nice way to build at lower incremental cost.
 
My concerns with the 500 series are power supply and the trouble of routing stuff around.
 
Right now, I have EQs in my RME. I can run a mic into the RME, EQ it, send it out to my DBX 162 SL, then back into the RME. So, in this case I have access to EQ before or after the compressor. It's a lot like what you'd get with the Neve Shelford channel. I can even blend the tracks together after the EQ. It doesn't give me the Silk setting, but there are plenty of saturation tools in Sonar.
 
I kinda have 2 routes for Shelford like hardware EQ and Compression mixtures with my RME and DBX mixed up.
 
But, ok, and here's the point where you say 'OMG He's Lazy!'. 
 
I don't want to have to get down on my knees and futz with the cables all the time. I can have the Shelford Channel plugged into the RME all the time. I just plug in the mic and go.
 
To really play with the sounds of my DBX and my RME, I have to click things in the computer then dial things in on the DBX then twist things on the computer again. It's really not a problem per se. I then get 2 or 3 tracks recorded into the DAW... 1 is the original mic track, 1 is the return from the DBX, and the third is the loopbacked mix of the DBX and the original mic track.
 
Now, I'm in mixing heaven.
 
So, if I want more than 2x this setup, why not get another 2 channel compressor and now I've got 4x the setup.
 
I don't really have a good answer. There's no good reason for me to want a Shelford Channel or a Portico II.
 
I think over time I've realized I don't really need every possibility in the box. I can just print something that sounds good straight away and use it. There's only but so much time I'm going to spend polishing things. Having a tool that makes it easy to get a pretty sound seems like a nice time-saver.
 
I remember the liquid channel pre-s on a Focusrite I bought once (didn't keep it b/c it was buggy with my laptop's firewire and while it worked at first, as soon as I flashed the firmware it never worked again). That thing sounded so deliciously creamy. I still remember how it made my heart leap when I first used it. Then, I was crushed when it stopped working.
 
My RME and Audient Pres are nice and clean, but I'm not sure that clean is what I like. Whatever that focusrite did, I'd like to have some of that. :-)
 
So... there you go. I'm saving my pennies.
 
post edited by gswitz - 2017/12/12 01:43:16

StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
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Leadfoot
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/12 00:25:43 (permalink)
Another popular channel strip are the two half rack units from Summit Audio. The 2BA-221 preamp and the TLA-50 compressor. Beautiful sounding combo, and only about $1850, including the rack kit. If you'd never tried them, they're worth a listen.
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gswitz
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/12 00:36:17 (permalink)
https://youtu.be/VYNE9ppu9bY
 
In this video I played around with routing within RME TotalMix showing that you could do most of the channel strip stuff without even leaving the RME. No need to buy stuff.
 
Why do I still want to buy stuff?
 

StudioCat > I use Windows 10 and Sonar Platinum. I have a touch screen.
I make some videos. This one shows how to do a physical loopback on the RME UCX to get many more equalizer nodes.
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DeeringAmps
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Re: Preamp compressor EQ hardware 2017/12/12 13:45:11 (permalink)
Bat's right on the 500.
The API Lunchbox is a six space 500 rack that has its own power supply in the box.
I have it routed to my patchbay, thus allowing any combination of i/o from the "500",
the 6176 and LA-610 and all the extra i/o on the UFX.
The 500 allows almost unlimited choices for adding "turd polishers" () to your rig.
 
T

Tom Deering
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