Sytek MPX-4Aii pre - good enough?

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:07 am

True story. renting should do the trick. They are not cheap but if you rent them for the weekend and have ready a lot of stuff you want to record with them it should be worth your while...

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 10:40 am

Quote:

Is there a big difference in sound quality between the Great River and the Sytek / RNP / Sebatron? I've read Kurt's review on the Great River MP-2NV and I've become quite fond of it but I'm not sure whether the sound quality justifies the price...

Yes there is. IMO, the Sytek and the RNP are both pretty much the same type of thing ... done in a different way but both claim to be transparent, Confused

??? They are low voltage chip based products ... about the same thing as a Mackie type.

Sebatron is unique in the marketplace. This guy gets it ... he used transformers on the inzanoutz kick ass power supplies and a pure tube circuit with some nice eq lifts and cuts that are very useful in use. A sound all it's own but better than any other mid priced mic pre, again my opinion ... The Sebs are the only "affordable" pre I have personally come across that I like ... and they share the same feature list (sans impeadence switching) as the more expensive MP2NV.

I think the MP2NV is what you were asking for, according to your discriptions but a Sebatron 4000e is a great way to round out an input starved DAW with some affordable mic preamplification. .

The MP2NV is "worth it", at twice the price. The uses for this pre are endless ... Great on ribbons, great on condensers, dynamics sound incredible through it, it works wonders on digital keyboards and drum machines ... it's a guitar and bass di unsurpassed! You can warm up dry lifeless line signals with it by bringing them into the insert returns ... . It has line level outs for latency free monitor applications and inserts in the amp path ... If you can afford one you won't be sorry you bought it .... used ones hold their value very well ... they sell almost for what new ones go for.

Also worth mentioning is the JLM TMP8. Transformers, op amp style, factory preset (for your DAW inputs) peak limiters, in an 8 channel package. Because it has these peak limiters, you can really punch the pres hard ... and according to how hard it is driven, it has a sound like an API or Focusrite Red (Neve) types ... a little over $2100 for 8 channels.

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:06 pm

Sounds like Nikko has stock in the Company (Sytek that is) or works there.

As I've said in other posts, I owned a Sytek and was unimpressed. I sold it after I bought some "real" mic pre's. It was pretty clean amp, but in no way comes close to my Sebatron, UA or Langevin. I have also used a few different neves, Great River, John Hardy and a few other high-end units and the Sytek does not compare. It does work OK for some stuff and quite well at a few things but my Allen and Heath console works better in most situations the Sytek would be applicable to. And the Langevin is leaps ahead in most of the same situations. The Sytek really lacks in headroom and if used on the Majority of tracks for a project it can create a very "thin" mix. This is a common problem faced by Mackie users. I do have to say that the Syteks are a step above the Mackie pre's. Just not a big enough step to justify the price. If you are recording Metal (which I do a lot) I would strongly advise against the Sytek.

And I just have to comment on this Steve Albini thing. I have read hundreds of articles on recording gear and I can't count the times I've seen this guys name endorsing one low budget piece of gear or another. I would venture to guess that he makes quite a nice little supplementary income from endorsing all this stuff. Just because some big name endorses a product it doesn't mean it's any good. It just means that they get paid to endorse it.

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:20 pm

well if you are recording mostly metal you probably want a preamp with more guts. A grace would not make you happy either. Syteks are very clean and good for "cleaner" genres such as classical, jazz, folk and pop. like everything else out there, everything has its optimum uses. I use sytek mostly on pop, jazz and broadway type tunes and its great for me. If I was to record metal i might even use an art op instead of a sytek- but that's the nature of the beast. when i record folk guitar i use the grace, but for pop/rock vocals I do like the sytek with the burr brown options and a tube mic in the front end. there is nothing wrong with the sytek in my book, in fact I think its great!

This thread now reminds me of an earlier RNP thread pro and con- but hey, if it works for you and its what you got, use it! I still have an art op in my rack but it does not get much use. I have a 8 ch yamaha mla7 and it gets a little ocassional use as an extra drum pre. I have 2 ch of 828 motu mkii and it does get use recording keys sometimes because it has convenient 1/4" inputs in the front panel and its easy to get to. but mostly as a scratch pad, I'll replacee those tracks with a mach Five soft synth later.

That's my opinion- everyone has one. that's what makes the world go around. However, I'm recording some tunes right now in the jazz/lounge style and I am using syteks and grace. I will post them in the near future and you can use your own ears to tell what results I got- until then- see ya!

Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:21 pm

I have a track in Digital performer of a little ditty I wrote that I've been using it to compare mics and preamps for my own use. So far I think I have a U87, nt1, oktava 319, groove tubes am11, RCA D77, sm58, seenheiser e85, (might be others) through several preamps, including rane ms1, grace 101, art tube op, yamaha mla7, motu 828mkii and probably some others. I know I haven't recorded the sytek or the rode K2 in this track yet but I am going to do that and post the mp3's in the vocal booth for comparison. I know is going to be some work involved, as I will have to separate the tracks and make mp3's out of them and there are probably close to 30 of them in combinations of mics and preamps so give me some time. I'll post them in a sticky in the vocal booth and then you guys can judge for yourselves. Also, I am in the LA area, Whittier is the place, so if any of you guys have some different mics or pres (studio projects, blue, Sebatron, great River, etc, you name it) that you have and I don't and would like to see included, e mail me or pm me so we can set up a time when we can record them. This should be fun!

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:12 am

nikko wrote:

Quote:

I don't care about what Albini said in regards to this...

That's fine. It's another opinion. You don't have to care. Nor do you have to care about my opinion or about Xavier's opinion. Nor do you have to care about e-cue's opinion (expressed on another thread). I know who e-cue is, and he probably has more hit records than all of us put together as well. But they are still all just opinions. They have been offered. It is open to everyone reading them to make what they will of them.

I don't think I understand. Are you implying I'm Steve Albini? Sometimes this internet thing is hard for a sleep deprived Apple-8 nazi (spent most of last night beat detectiving a live drum part into oblivion for a somewhat dance styletrack) like me to understand.

In reference to opinions... well... Audio forums are basically giant, international bathroom walls that any jackass can scribble whatever the hell they want on in the form of ones and zeros. A year or so back, I used to learn about different member's tastes in gear. If someone loved the API 560 on kick and the 550b on snare, I'd probably like the STC-8 on my 2 mix if they recommended it to me. If someone told me that ADAT's and RADAR sound better than Pro Tools HD to them, then I'd tend to lower the priority of checking out a Dangerous 2 Mix Summing device if they recommended it. I've been at R.O. a long time, and there was a time when I could predict with a decent success rate what other members throught about certain peices of gear. The terms "She's/He's a Neve guy" and "He's/She's an SSL guy" come to mind.

If anything, that means the opinion of the person that liked gear I disliked is probably more valid that the opinion of the person that shared gear interests with me. It wasn't personal. I still joke around with Slipperman about his Ameklove, as he does my DBX160XT love. I could rant about forums, gearpimps control over them, trolls, etc forever... it's the reason I stopped posting at Gearslutz which is still my favorite forum on the net. But it's not the time or place, and frankly, I don't expect the world to change for me.

maintiger wrote:

True story. renting should do the trick. They are not cheap but if you rent them for the weekend and have ready a lot of stuff you want to record with them it should be worth your while...

Decent idea for most other pre's but it's not possible to find one for rent. I tried in LA and just bought one a long while back, mostly from a suggestion of an R.O. engineer that shared a parallel love for similar gear I was fond of. If you are in LA and want to check mine out, PM me and if things slow up, I'll try my best to let you check my units out, but I'm booked like a mofo.

Cedar Flat Fats wrote:

Quote:

Is there a big difference in sound quality between the Great River and the Sytek / RNP / Sebatron? I've read Kurt's review on the Great River MP-2NV and I've become quite fond of it but I'm not sure whether the sound quality justifies the price...

Yes there is. IMO, the Sytek and the RNP are both pretty much the same type of thing ... done in a different way but both claim to be transparent, Confused

??? They are low voltage chip based products ... about the same thing as a Mackie type.

Kurt, no offense but, ...

I'm at a loss of words for the ignorance in these statements. You could not, at least as a competent engineer, state that the Sytek and RNP are pretty much the same sonically, if you have ever used one. You also fail to mention the BB or J fet mod's which are pretty much a standard on the unit and they DEFINATELY sound different that the stock channels.

About the same as a Mackie? If you truly believe this, I hope the people that read this forum that have actually used the units in question take your statements into account for your furture credibility when talking about gear.

maintiger wrote:

Also, I am in the LA area, Whittier is the place, so if any of you guys have some different mics or pres (studio projects, blue, Sebatron, great River, etc, you name it) that you have and I don't and would like to see included, e mail me or pm me so we can set up a time when we can record them. This should be fun!

I own all sorts of different pres: Neve, Api, A Designs, Sytek, Manley, Neotek, Studio Technogies (with Audio Upgrades mod), Nightpro / Nti, Cranesong, and so on (and usually have access to a great deal more)... Again, PM me if you are in the area (wtf, do you have to pay to PM here or something now?) but that doesn't do the rest of the world justice...So, here's an example that is accessible to the rest of the world: I recorded Justin Timberlake on the track "Where's the Love?" with the Black Eyed Peas with a Blue Blueberry mic and the BB mod'ed channel of the Sytek. If you wouldn't be caught dead buying a record that "pop", check out George Pajon's "Fried Plantains". I used the Syteks on every drum track there- BB Mod's on OH's, and stock channels on snare, beater kick, and toms. The BB mod's (faster slew rate) have a much better detail on the transience of things, especially on things like cymbals where you can hear a distinct attack and tail of the vibrations. I'm a big neotek fan (own 4 racked Elan strips, 2 set of Mic Max's and 2 syteks) so if you hate Neotek, avoid the Sytek. They distort well if you overdrive them just like the Neotek console line. While that's more of an indie-rock feature, if you know proper gain structure, you should have no problems getting good results out of the unit. Besides, on OH's, I usually use ribbons or small diaphram condensors- neither of which have headroom problems with the sytek, not by a long shot.

Kurt, if you think that vocal track sounds like a mackie pre, then you are deaf.

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 9:17 am

go, cat, go

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 1:30 pm

Quote:

Kurt, no offense but, ...

I'm at a loss of words for the ignorance in these statements. You could not, at least as a competent engineer, state that the Sytek and RNP are pretty much the same sonically, if you have ever used one. You also fail to mention the BB or J fet mod's which are pretty much a standard on the unit and they DEFIANTLY sound different than the stock channels.

E-Cue .. no offense taken and happy to see you posting here ... ,

I have heard both the Sytek's and RNP's ... but I admit never side by side. I never heard a Sytek with a Burr Brown chip or the J Fet mod as far as I know (what's the point?) ... but I still ask, if they are soooo freakin' transparent (as they claim to be) why / how can they sound different? Do the mods make them more accurate or less? That's the the part I don't buy ... transparent is transparent ... How do either stand up to a Millennia HV-3 or a Grace 202? If the Sytek is so good shouldn't it sound just like an HV-3 or an Grace 202? Shouldn't all the "colorless" offerings all sound the same if they are all so accurate? Well, they don't. That's why I don't go for the transparent thing ... all pre amps have a sonic signature, a transfer function.

Quote:

Kurt, if you think that vocal track sounds like a mackie pre, then you are deaf.

No, I still hear pretty well for fifty ... I have to admit that i don't care much for Justin or Black Eyed Peas (although Where Is The Love is cool ... I like the message however, not the sonics), ... but I will ask, what other processing (eq's, console channels strips) was used along with the Syteks on that vocal? Even a Macke pre can be made to sound decent when you patch it into the insert return on a Neve or SSL console or run it through a great comp and EQ ... and I would like to point out that you have access to much more great outboard processing gear for tracking and mixing than most who rely on DAW plugs to do their processing. Also, you hit the nail on the head ... I do not care at all for any of the Neoteks ... I just don't think they "sound" good ... When I was purchased my console, I chose an older MCI 636 over a newer Neotek.

I imagine a person could do a production all with stock Sytek's, do another with a Mackie's and another with RNP's, ... in the end shuffle them up and it may be hard to tell which was which ... however if that same production were done with A Designs pres or perhaps MP2NV's, you sure could hear the difference between them!

I concede there are subtle differences between the cheap and mid level pres like the M Audio, ARTs, Mackie, Sytek and RNPs etc ad nausium ... but IMO still not enough to warrant a "which is better" debate or to make it a worthwhile endeavor to search out the best of them. I think they all sound thin and anemic, strident and harsh, leaving much to be desired. Perhaps Syteks are the best of the cheap but I doubt that they are the cheapest of the best.

If people want to spend their time searching out the best of the cheap stuff, so be it. Please don't expect me to endorse such a quest, nodding in approval or to stand by mute ... I don't get paid for any of this so I don't have to play ball with the manufacturers of "rack crap", helping to generating internet interest in what I view as prosumer tools. When these types of products are mentioned at RO, I will be here to share in my point of view. I hope the people that read this forum will take that into account, in regards to my credibility.

Can anyone who has bought a Sytek really say "That's it! I will never lust for another mic pre in my whole life!" ? Or do they still wish they could get a UA 2-610, a Manley or a Sebatron ??? Is there still a burning desire to have some great Neve knock offs like the MP2NV? Will they continue to write in asking, "How do I get that sound?"

In my dream rack a couple of MP2NV's and a couple VMP40000e's and a JLM TMP8 for good measure (now that's a great utility pre amp), along with my Millennia Origin (I could use a second STT-1 for stereo) would make happy forever ... because I don't think it gets any better than that. That is a true value, bang for the buck, ..spend your money ONCE, type of investment .. and I don't think if I had a rack like that I would be searching out "a great little utility preamp" like an RNP or a Sytek ...

Because I hire out my studio, I want to be sure I am offering potential clients the best gear available ...not some cheap "this months buzz" blinking lights type of rack crap thing. Perhaps this is why some people get their pants in a wad when their latest purchase gets a negative response from me and others? They see it as endangering their livelihood and as a slam of their taste in gear. Others take issue because they are entrenched into a "Good Ol' Boys" network, that exploits newbie ignorance, selling their associates "rack crap" offerings.

I know that I too (like you, E-Cue), make judgments according to what people say they like and what they purchase for themselves. I would never book a studio that was full of cheap gear, not only because the gear sucks but obviously the person making the purchasing decisions doesn't know which side is up ..

In the case where someone has a DAW with an audio card that only has line inputs, an affordable pre like a Mackie or a Sytek could be pressed into service. If all one were doing were song demos and recordings for family and friends, this kind of pre is fine ... But if you want to be a professional, getting pro results, then pro front end is in order. There is simply no way around this.

In the past fifteen years the audio world has seen major changes. The cost of DAWs have brought recording into the home arena and placed some very powerful tools into the hands of many. This is both good and bad. There are many people recording now that perhaps really shouldn't be, subjecting all who surround them with bad songs and performances but on the other hand there is that occasional talent that may have never had a chance otherwise, that now does. As far as mics compressors and pres go, we still need the great ones to get the good sounds into the box ... I hope that at least, never changes ... after all shouldn't there be something that seperates the adults from the kids?

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:01 pm

In the interest of fairness, I thought you all would like to see this ...

Sytek MPX-4Aii 4 Channel Professional Mic Preamp

Your Price: $889.00/ea.
List Price: $1,678.00

The Sytek MPX-4Aii Four-Channel Microphone Preamplifier, finest in the world of professional audio. This is a custom model with the new Burr Brown IC in channels 3 and 4.

Description

With modern techniques, the MPX-4Aii's transformerless input design rivals and even surpasses the best transformer-input designs that were the standard in the industry earlier. This is especially true in low-level input applications to achieve extremely low noise floor, minimum distortion, wide bandwidth and linear phase response. This approach can be obtained a warm sound, crystal clear and fast response, getting a step closer to the human ear characteristics.

Each MPX-4Aii unit uses a Class A, auto-bias bridge configuration, hybrid input stage preamplifier based on hand-selected transistors for the lowest of noise, and the lowest possible base-spreading resistance and collaterally matched for perfect balance, and biased at the precise levels that make them maximally insensitive to thermal drift. As a result, no offset crowding occurs, and the dynamic range remains wide open. Because of the wide gain-bandwidth parameters of these specially-selected transistors, and the super-low impedance characteristics, and the vanishing circuit reactance, the impulse response is optimum, and phase-delay distortion undetectable. Gain adjustments are made with balanced differential-mode cancellation, preserving the excellent DC offset characteristics, without altering the loop feedback characteristics from their optimal configuration.

Controls

A premium quality gain control is followed by three rugged but nimble pushbutton controls for each of the MUTE, PHASE, and 48V (Phantom Power) functions.
The MUTE control allows the individual preamplifier section to be silently switched out of service.
The PHASE control allows the inversion of signal polarity.
The 48V control switches on phantom power, necessary when using condenser microphones.
Additionally, each preamplifier section has a Peak indicator, set at -8dB before clipping the signal output.

Burr-Brown op amps

The MPX-4Aii is available with Burr-Brown operational amplifiers in any or all channels. The Burr-Brown op amp is a high-quality amplifier that results in a warmer, tube-like response in contrast to the clean, ultra-fast response of our standard amp. We commonly ship a configuration with Burr-Brown op amps in channels 3 and 4.

Specifications

Preamplifier topology Transformerless Hybrid Design
Input Level nominal -60 to -10 dBm
Gain +65 dB range (ref. input)
Maximum output 24dBm loaded 600 ohms
E.I.Noise -134dBu (S.I.=50ohms) -129dBm(S.I.=150ohms)
THD+Noise 0.0015 % at 60dB gain (@ 1kHz)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio > 100 dBm
Bandwidth 10Hz-85 kHz +/- 0.25 dB
CMRR >100db at 100Hz
Phase Lin 10 Hz - 20 kHz +/- 0.1 deg
Phantom P.S. +48V at 10ma (we can customize this for you)
I/O connections Auto-sense balanced/unbalanced XLR

The MPX-4A uses matched transistors on the front end with 5532 IC's handeling gain changing and balancing tasks. For a time, the Burr-Brown option was replaced with the National Semiconductor LF357. The Burr-Brown option is available again as of July 2003.

Herein lies the rub as far as I am concerned. Dicreet transistors and topology on the front end is good but a compromise is made in the output stages with the use of IC's ... IC's can be inconsistant in performance. Anytime I see the word hybrid used, my ears pop up..

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 3:37 pm

nikko,
Why don't you fight your own battles? It's interesting how you were all apologetic for misunderstanding my comments ..

Quote:

"I'm not as familiar with Kurt as you are. I'm willing to admit that his post could have been read as kidding. That's not how I took it. But if that's what he meant, then I apologize for my reaction."

until E Cue showed up .... then you start to mouth off again. You have to go and drag E cue into this to stand up for you ... and now you attempt to put words in my mouth and to insinuate I said things I never said trying to start sh*t between us? .

Unlike many, I am relatively unimpressed with celebrity. I have met enough famous people that I have come to see them all as "just people" albeit accomplished. I am impressed with their achievements but not their opinions. E Cue falls into this category for me. Just because he happens to like something doesn't mean I do ...

I never said E Cue was not a pro ... the guy has made more real records than most, I assume and is still working in an industry that is shrinking by the day. This speaks volumes for his abilities and his people skills ... and he can write a damn fine review too! But I do not agree with his affection for the Neotek designs ... that's ok ... I don't revert to personal insults saying he can't hear or has bad taste or even accuse him of perhaps having an endorsement deal with certain companies.. ... I write it up to our liking different things.

I have conceded that Sytek pres can sound different than Mackies ... but I still think they are more "Mackie like" than "Neve like" ... and that's the point I have been getting at. The transformerless solid state pres are cheaper to make... Most solid state designs claim to be of the "transparent" type, because these types are less expensive and easier to execute. Yet there is all this debate as to which is better. If they are all colorless and transparent, then what is the hub-bub about? They should all sound alike, like nothing , straight wire with gain. But they don't ... and the better ones like Grace, Earthworks and Millennia's are heads and shoulders above the cheap "budget conscience" types.

Some of my favorite recordings I have ever made were done with Mackie and Yamaha MLA7 pres... and I still think in the greater picture that these pres leave a lot to be desired... but mixed on a good console they turned out pretty good. I think that has more to do with what was being recorded rather than what it was recorded with.

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 3:43 pm

This is getting a little ridiculous. Of course Kurt did not call e-cue a non proffesional. I am sure syteks are proffesional enough to be used by pros all over the world many times over.
Heck, Roger Nichols endorses rane ms1 pres, says they are as good as neves and says he recorded a steely dan album (or was it a live show) with them. I've heard ms1's and in my book they suck- so what! If roger wants to use them whos gonna argue?
For chrisakes, if you got the chops you can record a song with the cheapest behringer or art pre and make it sound great!
I know for a fact that there are many platinum albums out there recorded on mackies. So what! Whatcha gonna do about it? Tell them to give their grammies back? Its about the song first and foremost, people.

I think we should refrain from personal stuff or name calling from now on in this thread so we can continue our discussions. Its great for so many people with real world experience to give their opinions. That's the value of this forum. But when it gets to the personal level it sucks. Lets keep it pro, please. Very Happy

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:12 pm

nikko wrote:

e-cue wrote:

Are you implying I'm Steve Albini?

No, I was just pointing out that there are several pro's doing top-notch work who like the Sytek and feel that it is significantly better than stuff like Mackie. I knew Albini did and I knew you did. I'm familiar wiith your work, but I didn't give your real name because I assumed that you might not appreciate that.

My point in "name dropping" was not that Albini and e-cue like the Sytek, and therefore kostein should buy a Sytek. It was that certain top-shelf pro's have different opinions than Kurt (i.e. it's not just a bunch of rank amatures who need to be "quieted down"). Because of that, Kurt's opinion shouldn't be taken as gospel - i.e. kostein is going to have to figure out for himself if he falls into the Kurt/tripnek camp or the Albini/e-cue camp.

Gotcha. It's sort of odd Albini and I both dig the Neotek stuff because our styles of engineering are completely different. I think most of the people around the forums know what Kurt Foster is about. You can take that as a good or bad statement.

Cedar Flat Fats wrote:

E-Cue .. no offense taken and happy to see you posting here ... ,

I have heard both the Sytek's and RNP's ... but I admit never side by side.

I guess I misunderstood you earlier in this thread when you asked to barrow a unit. I'm not an RNP fan either. I bought one, tried it for about a month, thought it smeared the sound, so I gave it to my second for her birthday.

Quote:

I never heard a Sytek with a Burr Brown chip or the J Fet mod as far as I know (what's the point?) ... but I still ask, if they are soooo freakin' transparent (as they claim to be) why / how can they sound different? Do the mods make them more accurate or less? That's the the part I don't buy ... transparent is transparent ... How do either stand up to a Millennia HV-3 or a Grace 202? If the Sytek is so good shouldn't it sound just like an HV-3 or an Grace 202? Shouldn't all the "colorless" offerings all sound the same if they are all so accurate? Well, they don't. That's why I don't go for the transparent thing ... all pre amps have a sonic signature, a transfer function.

Hmmm, you used the unit, but don't even know if you used the BB channels or not? That sounds very suspect Kurt. As a matter a fact, it deems your opinion of the sytek pretty much worthless at this point. Try a unit out for a week, assuming you book each day, and you'll change your tune. The 'point' of the BBmod as I understand it was to give the unit a faster slew rate which would make things like cymbals have more transience detail. Sometimes I need to deess with the BB mod'ed channels, but still get decent air on the top end. For whatever reason they did it, I prefer the BB mod'ed channels on most of the stuff I use them on. To answer your second question, their are plenty of more transparent pre's out there than the Sytek; the GML, the Earthworks, etc., but even they sound a little different from unit to unit. The thing is, it's not a transparent unit if your gain structure isn't set accordingly. I've got a matched pair of Earthworks mic's that sound like cling wrap through the BB channels as long as I don't crank the volume on them. With the stock channels, I've been known to crank the input so it drives and trim the output (I've been using an Atty for that lately). At any rate, I didn't get hung up on the "transparent" marketing. BTW, I don't see anything in those specs I have a problem with.

Quote:

No, I still hear pretty well for fifty ... I have to admit that i don't care much for Justin or Black Eyed Peas (although Where Is The Love is cool ... I like the message however, not the sonics),

I respect that. Don't vote for me at this year's Tec awards.

Quote:

... but I will ask, what other processing (eq's, console channels strips) was used along with the Syteks on that vocal?

When I cut the parts, I didn't use any compression. I could send you a version of the rough if you'd like. I didn't mix the track so I can't really answer your question. The George Pajon Jr. record, however, wasn't done with a budget that would allow a 2 month lockout at Glenwood Place studios. I was just trying to site real world examples for people not familiar with the pre.

Apparently you have to pay money to use the private messaging function here. Ridiculous. I have a tendency to take audio very serious sometimes. When I joined this site (I think I was like member 75?) I met a bunch of cool people. They've all jumped ship and this kinda stuff is the reason why.

This will be my last post here. If someone wants to try to catch up with me, look for me on the gearslutz chatroom.

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:50 pm

Cedar Flat Fats wrote:

In the case where someone has a DAW with an audio card that only has line inputs, an affordable pre like a Mackie or a Sytek could be pressed into service. If all one were doing were song demos and recordings for family and friends, this kind of pre is fine ... But if you want to be a professional, getting pro results, then pro front end is in order. There is simply no way around this.

The pre is gonna be used with an RME Multiface going straight to my DAW. Will the Multiface limit the sound quality of high end pres like the Great River?

Btw this has turned into a very interesting thread Thumbs Up