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Just wondering if you guys tend to use specific preamps for specific types of music ?

Maybe use Universal Audio 2-610 for Jazz, soft rock, etc
Manley for metal, hardrock, etc etc..

you get the idea... Thanks!

Comments

anonymous Wed, 09/29/2004 - 10:55

yep.....

A lot of pre's have "colors" that work well for a certain genra of music......

For instance...API is "standard" with rock as well as Neve....
SSL and "Clean pre's" like the GML or EW pre's are great for pop,R&B, Gospel....etc..
Avalon is "standard" with Rap....

There are plenty of variations and no pre should be used on a style of music because I said it fit's that style.....but I'll tell you if I was doing a hard rock session I probably wouldn't be using a rack of Millennia STT Origins......

AudioGaff Wed, 09/29/2004 - 11:19

Once you have some long term experience using different mic pre's (and compressors) you will get an instinct or feel for what is best used where. I find that you can classify in 4-basic and general catagories (Hard. Soft, Fast, Slow) and often many will also fit into more than one catagory depending on how they are set-up or used.

anonymous Wed, 09/29/2004 - 12:22

Thats very interesting. I do R&B, Gospel in my basement studio. And for the most part my drummer is using the V-Drums, and I was thinking about trading my api 512's & 550s for some cleaner pres. I wish I could keep them and buy cleaner pres. There's no way for me to audition John Hardys, but do you think this would be better for Gospel/R&B than the APIs? The DIs on the 512s also come in handy. Thanks in advance.

AudioGaff Wed, 09/29/2004 - 12:48

Well, what do think is wrong or that your not getting by using the API? While it may not be the absolute best or ideal use of the API, I'm from the camp that thinks the API can just about be used on anything anywhere. The John Hardy would be a more transparant, softer and less aggresive mic pre. The Di alone on the API is worth having and keepign around. The John Hardy is one that would make a great compliment to the API.

AudioGaff Thu, 09/30/2004 - 16:05

No, never tried the OSA. Doesn't really interest me. I prefer the APi and for other sounds, I use other mic pre's. Other than the API clones that Brent Averill makes, the only other that will fit that I know is old Aphex eq and compressor modules or those that date before API was formed as in APSI modules.

KurtFoster Sun, 10/03/2004 - 12:22

nandoph8 wrote: what's the difference between the API 200 series and the 500 series?

http://apiaudio.com

All the info on API stuff is there ..

I myself do not think that any one mic pre is better for any specific music genre' ... I may go to a specific type of pre for different instruments or for a different color .. but truthfully if a song is arranged correctly and parts are played well all should come out fine.

Even this is really unnecessary though. Many records (The Beatles for example) have been produced using only one type of pre.. It's not as if all the studios in the world had stacks of different pres to use on different types of music ... If you recorded at "Western" in the 60's and 70's, they used 610's .. this was for all the bands that recorded there R&B, Pop, Rock even classical and swing jazz stuff (like Bassie, Ella, Sinatra and Dean Martin).

If I were in your position HMNP, I would be looking first to add some more APIs to the rack so I would have about 12 channels to do drums and bass guitar rhythm tracks with consistency. Once I had those, I would be looking to a couple of Neve types like the Vintechs or the MP2NV as well as some tube things like the Reddd or the 2-610 .. add an Origin from Millennia and you would have a well rounded collection. No one said this sh*t was cheap!

HMNP Mon, 10/04/2004 - 08:27

If I were in your position HMNP, I would be looking first to add some more APIs to the rack so I would have about 12 channels to do drums and bass guitar rhythm tracks with consistency. Once I had those, I would be looking to a couple of Neve types like the Vintechs or the MP2NV as well as some tube things like the Reddd or the 2-610 .. add an Origin from Millennia and you would have a well rounded collection. No one said this sh*t was cheap!

That;s exactly were im headed Kurt. Thanks to this great forum Im on my way into turning my studio into something BIG!! Here's the lsit of stuff Im getting in these next 2 months:

Api 3214 4 channel pre
Vintech 378 4 channel pre
great River mp-1NV
Empirical Distressor Comp
Empirical labs Fatso
UA LA-610
Universal Audio UAD-1 effx card
Earthworks QTC-1 (to be sued as a room moc for drums)
Earthworks SR-77
Apogee AD-16X (later on)

This will all be retrofitted with Mogami cables and Im still in search for some good monitors, I own the Event 20/20 non powered thru a Samson amp (it sucks). But Hey..I didnt know better back then. As soon as I get all this stuff I'll be posting my comments and mp3 samples so we can compare the difference between how I sound now and how it will sound after the upgrade!!!

I cant thank you guys enought !!