That is quite a speaker Mike. Many years ago when I was a budding hi fi enthusiast I was invited to a very interesting session. The whole room was shaped in the shape of an exponential horn and you sat inside it. At the mouth of the horn there was a chamber that went down into a  large concrete enclosure that was buried deep in the ground containing an 18" woofer. The guy was into organ music and he achieved a full output at 16 Hz which is a C note 4 octaves down from middle C. That was the lowest thing I have ever heard and yes it sounded incredible. I remember we played a Neil Diamond track on the system and it sounded OK but it did not handle that all that well. I suppose it was a case of the whole system being built for one type of music only but it was very effective at that.

I wonder how that rotary woofer sounds at 40Hz. Does it sound normal? Is it as transient as a well designed speaker. Can it stop as quickly as it can start like a speaker can (well in theory anyway)

Thanks Danny for your ideas too. I think you might be right. I do like the way the C2 sounds but I don't push it very hard at all. Just dancing -2 to -3dB in gain reduction. I am not using it so much for colouration. In fact I like the way it tends to sound very transparent when used lightly. I like the dynamics that come out of it. It just seems to reign things in and keep things sitting nicely in the mix. It does add attitude though and in quite a big way too. I have noticed a little it does colour the sound in the mids very so slightly but as you say nothing a decent EQ could not do. The only other compressor that really interests me is the API 2500. I am confident that I could drive the API too and get what I am after. Your advice always makes me feel better about these things after all the Waves is like $400 or so so its not cheap. (I think Audio Deluxe have got it going right now for $269 which is pretty good considering) Your advice about the PSP Xenon was spot on and I absolutely love it. It is one serious limiter.

I love the Pultec. It is the Nomad Pultec and it seems to just have a lovely sound. I love the way you can switch say the mids off and use it at the extreme ends and use the LP64 to cover the mids. But you can use these two the other way around too. The Pultec can push the mids really well and you can use the LP64 on the low and high end as well. At first I found you move the controls a lot and it did not change things much but now for me it is the opposite. You move something only slightly and it sounds very different. 

I found the two work together really well in fact. I also like just the Pultec on its own too. But the LP64 can do some fancy curves down in the low end where the Pultec would have problems trying to create a steep bass cutoff for example. 

I think that the warmth of many of those older records, among other reasons, is partly due to the fact that they didn't have as much low-low end. That was for a number of reasons, some of them related to the equipment used to make it and some of it purposeful due to being delivered on vinyl. Because of that, they could get away with more of what we now refer to as 'mud'.

The mud frequencies are very powerful, and if they are there in addition to low lows, it gets nasty. If those low lows aren't there, you can use more of those 'mud' frequencies which without the confusion of all that low low end will start to move more towards warm than muddy. Well, maybe still muddy to modern young ears who have never heard anything but super-scoopy, smiley face mixes I guess. But still, they can add a powerful warmth that sounds lower than it really is.

With limits on the super-crunchy presence frequencies (partly naturally provided by tape I guess), you end up with a well balanced mix that can sound warm, not harsh, well balanced, and which can be well reproduced on most any system, and that should be hearable at low volumes and not get boom box sounding when it's cranked up more.

That's my theory anyway, but it's not one that most folks would care about today where being both crushed and as faux loudness button loud as possible is probably more important to more people.

droddey


I think that the warmth of many of those older records, among other reasons, is partly due to the fact that they didn't have as much low-low end. That was for a number of reasons, some of them related to the equipment used to make it and some of it purposeful due to being delivered on vinyl. Because of that, they could get away with more of what we now refer to as 'mud'. 

+ 1... Valid point imho


@ Danny Danzi

I just think Nickelback plain sucks...  Regardless of what's going on in their low end..   But as droddey was talking about warmth of older records, I think it relates to Nickelback in terms of style...   For some odd reason, producers seem to be layering lots of sub underneath rock bass...   It really messes up the whole record...  

Jeff Evans


 The only other compressor that really interests me is the API 2500. I am confident that I could drive the API too and get what I am after. Your advice always makes me feel better about these things after all the Waves is like $400 or so so its not cheap. (I think Audio Deluxe have got it going right now for $269 which is pretty good considering) Your advice about the PSP Xenon was spot on and I absolutely love it. It is one serious limiter.

Jeff,


If you want only the (API) native compressor, you can grab it for $169 over at Audio Deluxe. Unlike some other bundles (SSL), the API components can be bought individually. 

Jeff, that API 2500 by waves is my favorite compressor of all time. Once you use it, you realize it's so veratile, you won't be using it just for mastering, it will be all over your mixes too. Don't even procrastinate, it really is that good!

Thanks James for that advice. I am pretty sure you are right. And the good news is that Audio Deluxe is doing it for $169 as Rain has also correctly pointed out.

Linear PhaseI just think Nickelback plain sucks... Regardless of what's going on in their low end.. But as droddey was talking about warmth of older records, I think it relates to Nickelback in terms of style... For some odd reason, producers seem to be layering lots of sub underneath rock bass... It really messes up the whole record...

 
Well, I can't say that they suck because they have quite a few songs that I like, though I'd not consider myself a fan. :) I'm just not into their production and totally agree with you on the sub stuff they seem to be adding in. It just sounds horrible in my opinion no matter what band does it.
 
-Danny

http://grooveshark.com/s/...epy+Brown/38Hyao?src=5

HP/LP on just about everything, I prefer to use delays over verbs and I LOVE to only pan L/C/R.