That's awesome Dave, the hard part is over! Making decisions on an upgrade like that couldn't have been easy? And what an ideal time to take advantage of an HD system, Good for you.

Cheers!

Thanks Chris. Your influence on really being honest about a defined and clear sound is partly to blame! LOL!!

I added a nice pair of Audix SCX-25's to the mic collection and Monday will be auditioning a couple of Cathedral Pipes mics. One a U67 clone he built as a test mic and one a Regensburg U47 clone. Either one will be a great addition to the locker.

On a side note...isn't it odd that just when you decide to do something like this and you choose a time that you're not too busy the work piles in the door like crazy!

Singer-songwriter on Monday evening for a few hours. Simple, guitar and vocals but many songs. Crazy!

Right on. :) I was starting to think I was becoming a bore around here.

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.audixusa…"]Audix[/]="http://www.audixusa…"]Audix[/] SCX25A are excellent, nice move. Same ones right?

Davedog, post: 414579, member: 4495 wrote:

On a side note...isn't it odd that just when you decide to do something like this and you choose a time that you're not too busy the work piles in the door like crazy!

Of course. That's the way it always goes. It's some kind of strange and hidden by-law in our charter as engineers that dictates that anytime you change gear, be it consoles, DAW platforms, Computer upgrades, or I/O's, that these changes are directly related to how much work comes calling. Anytime I've been swamped, I can almost always trace it back to corresponding with a major change in my gear or platform. ;)

Yep Chris those are them. They make a matched pair specifically for piano recording.

Added a Retro Doublewide comp to the 500 rack. Should be here in a few days. Also a Radial Komit comp. The Radial stuff is surprisingly good. The EXTC unit is on the list of little usable devices.

Back from the mic shoot-out we did today. Went my studio Guru's room and recorded snippets of voice with five different mics. I took my trusty old Neumann U87 and one of my ADK Area 51 TT's. We listened to these and three Cathedral Pipes mics, The U67 clone, a C12 clone and the U47 clone. All through a mic pre built to his own specs by my Guru but very much an API in a lot of ways. Pristine conversion and speakers in a well treated room as well as a very dead vocal booth. And there was a surprise as well which I'll get to eventually.

The U87 was along as a common denominator as I have owned this one for a long time and Steve has heard MANY of them in his work. What he didn't expect was how good this particular one sounds! And really, nor was I. Its 'one of those'. Apparently all the work (no real mods btw) done to it by Klaus has made it special. Or it always was... just covered by dirt......Anyway, a very pleasant start. We ran the ADK next and it was able to hold its own with all except a bit of sound-field went missing. But overall a very decent and serviceable mic, especially for what I paid for it. But there was the side by side difference in simply component costs, that made the differences stand out.

Next we listened to the U67 mic. This is everything the U87 has and much more. My 87 doesn't have that bright toppy sound which I have heard MOST U87's have. So its a mellower tone. The Cathedral Pipes U67 has ALL things in its bandwidth. There's huge seemingly endless 'air', focused mids and tight firm low-end. It takes EQ very very well...as do ALL the mics tested here.....

Next was the C12 Stephansdom Cathedral Pipes. This is mid-forward and right in-your-face clear. No mud. A huge proximity bump if you wanted it. Steve described it as his low-tenor/ baritone male voice go-to mic. Tom Waits would use this as well as Johnny Cash or Chris Cornell or Eddie Vedder.

Next or lastly...the U47 Notre Dame Cathedral Pipes. Vintage. Slightly dark without sacrificing any frequencies. Rich, full, larger than life soundscape, wide wide wide.....OKAY! I GET IT!. This is why these things cost a bundle. The problem being that the old ones have to have been maintained to sound like this. My limited experience with a U47 anything has been with a U47 fet mic.

If I had an unlimited budget I would have all of them. But to pick just one for my needs it is the U67 tube clone.

Now the "surprise".

Those of you who know me and follow the occasional things I have to say may be aware of my love for Conrad Amplifiers. I've even convinced a couple of folks on here that these are indeed, TONE GOD GENERATORS. So........

Part of the reason for the performance of these guitar amps is the WIRE. You'll have to go the the Conrad site to get more info about just what this wire is, but I will say without reservation that it makes an immediately identifiable difference.

Cathedral Pipes mics are built with this wire.

Steve happened to have a 7 conductor cable he built....with this wire....for the tube mics-to-power supply connection. Not to say the stock wire isn't great....but there is a difference and without seeing what wire he was using..being ensconsed in the vocal booth....I can tell you the blind test proved it to me.....TO ME a REAL OLD SCHOOL ELECTRICIAN for Gawds sake. I know wire and why it does what it does and how it does what it does and until today, the differences in some brands...Canare, Monster, Belden etc etc etc ...has been negligible at best.

No longer.

We hooked that single cable up to my decent but slightly lacking in performance ADK Tube mic and suddenly, it was up there with the others. Not quite the same but enough of a jump that the price tag on them got a lot smaller and the value a lot larger.

And don't get me started about when he switched the power cord on the playback amp to a special one.

I never believed until now.

Anyway. I added a U67 Cathedral Pipes clone to the locker and three 7 pin cables. One for the U67 and two for my trusty ADK TT's.

And on it goes. Next we'll discover the joys of building my own LA2A from a kit. (I heard one today.....)

Nice post Dave and refreshing.

I "heard" wire some years back and although most people laugh and scoff at this, I've been smiling in silence. I have silver cable and I can tell you, I did tests and the young ears in my CR, all heard noticeable difference between Mogami and Accusound SILVER.
So, I have silver cable between all my gear and converters.
You are at a new level my friend.

Thanks for sharing all this.

A very interesting post. I never doubted that wire could make a difference. I don't have the technical reasons, so y'all put your flame throwers down now. LOL.

I would assume that because different metals have different conductivity/resistance, that it would affect the voltage flow, and the result would be a more constant and steady signal..

I know that one of the reasons that the vintage AKG 414 EB model sounds so good and is so sought after, is because it had a brass CK-12 diaphragm ring - instead of a nylon ring like the newer 414 models have.

So yes, It only makes sense that the use of better conductive materials will make a difference in sound quality.

But...there are some snake oil and balloon juice theories and products out there. You still can't get me to accept that a special African Mahogany knob on my Tele is going to make it sound better. ;)

LOL! Funny post Donny! There is , in fact, a lot of snake-oil being sold under the guise of "this will make you sound better and look taller...." Much like the age-old "Sounds just like the classic (insert German manufacturer here)..." there's no getting around the shilling based on any recordists fears that there's something better just around the corner that I absolutely NEED ARGGGHHH!!!!

For me, its learning a new skill set. Really getting into the depth of digital recording and learning it from an expert.

That's one of the things being on these pages all these years has taught me. Someone, somewhere, knows their shit inside and out, and they're willing to teach it if someone is willing to learn.

You're never too old to get something new percolating in the brain. Its healthy. I've spun a few feet of tape in my life but that never made me an expert on tape spinning. But every time I engaged in that, I hoped to be better at it.

Yes, the wire thing has everything to do with conductivity but theres more science to this than simply impedance. I can't even speak to the depths of what happens with this technology thats currently (see what I did there!?) becoming a reality. I 'understand' it simply because of my career in wiring things up....houses, offices, hospitals, machinery, lighting, etc etc etc...the list is long and involved a huge swing through a lot of different needs and techniques. On these things I am an expert. But the advent of high-end technology and the use of computer operated everything... has brought the technology of the physics and make up of the transmission of signal through a media such as wire to extremes. Control wiring and the products associated with that have become quite the scientific frontiers.

The hard part for fringe benefits of this spiraling technology, such as applications to our points of view, is to weed out just exactly what is real and what is sham. I don't want to pay $100 for a mic cable unless it has obvious audible differences to the better.

What I heard yesterday does.

BTW. Teles only sound "right" with knurled knobs......At least mine does.

Nice one again Dave.
There comes a point of realization, mass don't hear transient detail because their ears are full of wax, its because their entire process is smeared at some level making it impossible to have discussion on this level. Wire, and other detail then becomes snake oil. Then, you get Remy in on a tangent and ya might as well stop talking my friend. I'm warning you pal... :whistle:

Why does all this fuss and overkill matter?
Generally speaking. The transients is where the magic lives and where stereo either stays open or starts closing in to where you hear phase shift.
Welcome to plug-ins , transient quantization. Wait until you start hearing that closer up lol. Thats when it really gets funny. You are done man! hehe.
:LOL:

Yep. My mentor talks in transient details. and he makes great sounding Pop records. AND he can edit a drum track in about 15 minutes.

The hash and smear have always been available to my ears. I have heard this forever but have learned to live with it. And have made some very decent recordings in spite of limitations of mine and other systems. I think a LOT of people work this way. After a while, your brain filters all this out and until you hear things in a pristine and clear environment its not going to be an issue.

I have a goal here. I will have some compromise at some point in this process as I have a limited budget and I don't own this house. So this limits me to portable sound control and room configuration. But that will change as work comes in. And it will. Honing my skills at the computer part of this process brings me closer to the normal modern expectations of recording techniques and I do know how to control the source with selection and placement of mics and selection of devices to input. That never changes.

There's a reason that even with the plethora of gear choices that the tried and true designs are still being used.

I could always get the 75 to 90 percent done with anything I had.....NOW I'm looking for that fabled 10%.

"I have a goal here. I will have some compromise at some point in this process as I have a limited budget and I don't own this house. So this limits me to portable sound control and room configuration. But that will change as work comes in."

Dave, have you thought about mobile traps? I'm only suggesting this because you don't own the house you are in, and because of this I would think you wouldn't want to put big money into permanent solutions. This has nothing to do with gear because that follows you wherever you end up going...but you may want to investigate acoustic treatment that is a more mobile and less permanent.

IMHO of course.

Yeah... whatever happened to those ASC " Tube Traps "? What? Have they fallen out of Vogue? They were all the rage for setting up a portable control room a few years ago. They are actually lightweight and mounted on Manhasset style music stands. I actually considered making my own. Though I never did.

I really think Chris is leading the way in both quality and what the recording studio is morphing into. Who doesn't marvel at something that has a sound that will blow your socks off? I mean, these days, I come from a different direction but in time, I'll likely end up with something that is but a fraction of the quality that Chris and Dave are using. But it will be better than my old fashion workhorse rock 'n roll JBL & KRK's?

Dave, you're retiring? Retiring from what? Oh... you mean a fake retirement? And me, 59 soon and I'm just getting started. I'm relocating, moving to, Austin, Texas. And where I think people will still want to track on old Neve and API stuff? There is all these rock 'n roll documentaries coming out now with tales of exactly that. And for the next 10 years or so, I'm going to ride the ride, walk the walk and talk the talk. Get my groove up and my sound, down. Yay doggy. And another one half-dozen other plans.

I'm going to the great beyond!
Mx. Remy Ann David

Do I have a missing post here?

Here's the gist of my missing reply....

My local Pro Audio Store With All My Money (superdigital.com) has had a bunch of Tube Traps for sale for a long time. Maybe they aren't in style anymore...don't know... They work great but not in my room due to size and shape. I'm going with movie theatre curtains and gobos.

Remy, I retired from being an Electrician for many many years. My knees are gone and I can't climb ladders any more so I retired as a Union Electrician.

Hopefully running my studio and playing live as well as my retirement will keep me out of debtors prison!

Tracking this weekend went great! Its nice to work with professionals. They (most of the time) get whats going on. all the gear worked seemlessly as it should. I'm loving the Manley pre. With the new U67 clone its really good. Vocal tracks and acoustic guitar through it with a smidge of DBX 160SL on the comp. Smooth. I ran the bass guitar through the ADK AP2 pre as usual only this time I set it up as a Neve-like pre with an op-amp thats voiced like a Neve and a Cinemag transformer. New 1176 clone in the 500 rack, stock Jazz bass and BOOM...there it is. I've been using the Jensen transformer with an API 2520 op-amp and a touch of either DBX over-easy comp or a Symetrix comp on bass but this combo sounded great. There won't need to be anything at mix other than level control.Once again the Toft delivered punchy, quiet, and full sounding drums.

It sounds like you are off to the races, Dave. ;)

Sometimes - not often enough anymore for me - we get reminded as to why we started down this road to begin with. You get a session like the one you had this past weekend, and you remember just how cool it can be when all the pistons are firing; good musicians, good gear, creative people...

I liked reading your post. ;)

FWIW

d/

Cool things, let's hear it. Sylvia Massey is using the burl mothership conversion system which was on her site a little while ago.

Conversion is such an area of debate. So are components, I think people are mostly in agreement that the best recordings are made from the best material

kmetal, post: 414873, member: 37533 wrote: Cool things, let's hear it. Sylvia Massey is using the burl mothership conversion system which was on her site a little while ago.

Conversion is such an area of debate. So are components, I think people are mostly in agreement that the best recordings are made from the best material

After a certain level, as long as there isn't another version to compare to, most of everything passes. As long as we aren't comparing, the song is all that's important. And that goes for the room acoustics and even MP3.

Mass don't care enough to hear the difference and most want the cheaper option to win.

Now if we could just stop all the brain washing , I think I've heard the same 40 songs being played for the last 3 months.
Are products popular because they are that good or because they are in the spin? :whistle:

Do we even know we are part of the spin? We used to have a brain, now we are a product for the manufacturer, not the other way around.

You know that's very interesting Chris, your thought, that we are now a product for the manufacturer. This role always was, but as the playing field narrows, I'd think it'd be easier to get "that commercial sound". It's not tho.

I just always silently, compare how the audio and video worlds are doing there thing, and video just doesn't seem to have the same hang ups in quality. Obviously two vastly different fields, that relate to each other. But I've never, ever heard someone say to me that the video world is I hurting cuz go pro cams are affordable, or final cut is the problem for bad movies.

I think this role has always been victim to the manufactureer but now there are more "levels". Like back in the day manufacturers focus was consoles, so they needed decent chains the whole way thru. But it's becoming so itemized that it's ridiculous. And I'm gonna be very honest, it's showing what the musicians quality level is at. Since we can use the same plugins as everyone else can, I think it's exposing how many different takes there are on "good sound".

The really hard part about this whole thing is who do u ask? Nobody seems to have a handle, from people who are paid like bob Katz, to people scraping by, but it's like the big dogs don't even know how to improve things overall.

So maybe we are or aren't at a pinnacle. If the idea is to project sound from wood boxes paper and some copper, maybe it's time to really think innovation.

I think that maybe, just maybe, the gear merchants are capitalizing on peoples confusion, or naivete, about what works and sounds 'right'. There are lots and lots of designs these days to capture sound through. Lots of ways to print it. Lots and lots of choices.

What choices make things more 'musical' ? A great arrangement of a well tracked and superbly performed well written song is the true path to musical nirvana.

Any cassette deck with a basic mic will get this done. Maybe not radio ready, but you'll certainly get the idea. If the song stands on its own.....

Here's a question. Why does every studio of substance in the world have three of the same basic staples at their disposal? I'm talking hardware here. Two are very specific and one is generic. Besides the mics, besides the DAW, besides the tape machine.....three things in common to make hit records, or not hit records.....three things at capture.....

And theres a hundred 'versions' or 'clones' available.

Quality preamp. 1176. LA2A.

Everything else is either an offshoot of these designs, a reverb, or a way to route things.

I don't know if the classical capture guys use these as much, but for any sort of popular music of any genre these are the tools getting it done. Of course you can use other things. Of course it'll sound great! but one the whole, in every room, there is at least one of each to make records with.

I'll be building mine.

Well, I can only answer based on my own experience of course...

The upper caliber rooms I have mixed in throughout the years did in fact have several of each model, as you mentioned.

In many cases, the reason for this is that there are times when you'd want to insert a particular processor on a drum bus, or on guitars or something, yet still want to be able to use the same kind of processor on the master 2-bus to effect the mix on the whole.

So, maybe you use an LA2 on a drum bus, another on a vocals submix, while using an 1176 on guitars or vocals, yet, still want to use these same models on the master bus as well.... in which case you would need several of each model.

I'm not sure that it's as popular to do so these days where more and more studios are DAW based and have hundreds of plugs at their disposal - but my bet is that if you go to a pro studio like Criteria, you'll probably still find a rack of all those classic pieces you mentioned - LA2A's, LA3's, 1176's, 160's, 166's, Pultec's, TLA's, etc., because they are great pieces to have - and all of them are partially responsible for great mixes, both in the past and in the present.

Having these kinds of processors is more than just a nostalgic thing - they are all great at what they do, and the more choices the engineer has in which to sculpt or paint tones, the more interesting, dynamic and vibrant the final product can be.

IMHO of course.

Real Hardware - LA2A and 1176 are 100% essentials. Not sure about clones but UA is the she'at. LA2A's love-em.
These two pieces make me smile. They will be the last things I'm holding onto as I pass my business to my kids .
They are levelers and vibe makers. I use mine everyday. 1 of each is when the light bulb went off for me.

I'm a fan of this Retro Doublewide comp I got the other day. After much delays it arrived and it went into use tonight on a bass track....which is kinda why I got it. The other new comp in the 500 rack I've been using for bass is an 1176 clone. The Retro is a tube unit. Different animals but same quality results. The point of this 500 rack was to build a compressor camp for stringed instruments.

My next fandom resides in the 500 series Little Labs VOG. I have the software version also. This is somewhat better. Used after the Retro. Oh, preamp DI is the ADK AP2 with the Custom Shop Vintage N (Neve) Op-Amp and a Cinemag trans....Think of the VOG as something that really aligns the low-frequency information in an instrument or if you had a pair, a bus of something....

Hardware that works.

Not gonna hijack yer' thread at all...

But I'll give you words of encouragement to go ahead and jump off the bridge!!
(I hate being the only one!)

Bridge jumping involves knowing things like how deep is the water....OR NOT!!

WTH...Its what I've saved for all these years. I have no allusions about making even a small dent in the business. If I can do enough hours to pay some bills it'll be enough. No overhead is a good way to go.

The next really BIG step is only just around the corner....or just over the edge of the bridge railing so-to-speak.

The first section of the conversion arrived today. Avid 16X16 analog. Newest generation. Maybe there is better conversion....Maybe not. Its a world of difference from where I am now. The DB25 TT patchbay for this should be right behind it for delivery. I'm not going any further than PT HD 10. I don't need the things that HDX would provide and I don't need the bill for it at this time. Good used HD2 cards are readily available and the truth is, most of the big rooms in this area are not doing the upgrade at all. Most are staying with their "Legacy" systems until the support now longer is available which for me is now 3-4 years. On the HD stuff. My conversion will do the HDX family.....I just don't need it. I'd rather redo the room and add the few little touches here and there like Manley outboard, U67 clones, 500 rack toys etc....

BTW....Kurt is right about the Radial 500 racks and their power supplys. They are the ones to buy....Although, since their release a couple years back, a few manufacturers have beefed up their 500 series power supplys to a level consistent with powering these devices at a high level.

So, I will finish these two full length projects I am working on now. At least the tracking will be done. I have two other new clients in this month but they are a single guitar track for animation and a voice-over for a childrens book and then the re-configuration of the room, rebuild of the furniture, rewire of the new racking, you know.....ALL THE THINGS YOU REALLY NEVER WANT TO DO......

It is exciting though with a goal of having a home studio that sounds really really good and is populated with pieces that put it on a level with a lot of the big rooms in town. I'm never going to compete with their sonics....no way I'll get a Russ Berger sounding room here...but the comfort level will be high, the gear selection very good, the ease of work flow superb, and the look of a pro-quality room a matter of aesthetics.

Its not nearly as "home studio looking" as it could be right now, but the last few steps to bring it up another 10% plus, will be a good investment if for no other reason, my own comfort and use. I do wish I owned this house. Theres no doubt that walls would change...corners would be properly trapped...floors would become hardwood etc etc...

Cool stuff Dave, interesting that people around your area aren't making the jump to HDX. Nice that your gonna do a rewire and all that "fun" stuff. It'd be great to see some progress pics. Any ideas on what 500 series modules your gonna look into?

(Sorry for the hijack DD)
It's no real wonder that folks aren't jumping ship on HD to move to HDX... Avid has shot themselves in the head, and they deserve exactly what's happening... they're loosing the battle for the professional audio market share, in favor of the consumer and prosumer level gear, and the vidiot market.

Typical trade up programs generally take into account a client's initial investment with the manufacturer giving them between 20% and 45% of the investment, based upon age and purchase date of the gear. To date, I think the vast majority of the HD users have probably felt the sting of not being offered much more than 8%-10% of the investment in HD to upgrade.

Lets just suppose you invested $50k in an Icon/HD rig five years ago on a 7 year amortization... The loan value on that 50k would be ~19-19.5k still left, and you're being offered $5k as a trade in... one word... BS. So, we're all keeping the damn things until they value to $0.00, throw the damn things in the trash, and buy Logic, or whatever is hot/good at the time... or if they're still running... keep on using em' until they won't run no more.

What happened to a lot of us in the HD market, was that when Avid purchased DigiDesign, the transition of the customer data was corrupted and most of us have fallen through the cracks. I've spoken to at least 5 other Icon users that never received their full warranty or even our 24 month support from Avid, as we never did exist... coupled with ridiculous support costs, Avid's not likely to get any purchases from the majority of the professional audio market unless they do a rethink of their business model and actually take care of their clients who put rather significant investment dollars in a fairly decent product.

(End of thread hijack)

MadMax, post: 415548, member: 1402 wrote: (Sorry for the hijack DD)
It's no real wonder that folks aren't jumping ship on HD to move to HDX... Avid has shot themselves in the head, and they deserve exactly what's happening... they're loosing the battle for the professional audio market share, in favor of the consumer and prosumer level gear, and the vidiot market.

What happened to a lot of us in the HD market, was that when Avid purchased DigiDesign, the transition of the customer data was corrupted and most of us have fallen through the cracks. I've spoken to at least 5 other Icon users that never received their full warranty or even our 24 month support from Avid, as we never did exist... coupled with ridiculous support costs, Avid's not likely to get any purchases from the majority of the professional audio market unless they do a rethink of their business model and actually take care of their clients who put rather significant investment dollars in a fairly decent product.

(End of thread hijack)

Personally, I don't see what you wrote as a thread hijack, Max. I think it's a very valid concern. Anyone considering an upgrade needs to be aware that Avid has pretty much screwed the pooch when it comes to customer service and support, on all levels of their PT and relative HW.

After hearing as many horror stories as I have from various Avid customers, I'm beginning to think that they're asleep at the switch over there... or maybe there's just one guy left working in support who gets through life on amphetamines and Red Bull LOL..

I wouldn't touch any Avid product right now with a ten foot pole, based on what I've seen my clients and peers go through. And I think it's important for those that plan on incorporating PT into their studio rig to be aware of Avid and it's current level - or lack thereof - of customer service and product support.

I understand, as we all do, that any company is in business to make a profit. That's the way it is and the way it should be. But if, as a company, you don't offer sufficient support, or even loyalty rewards (fair discounts, trade ups and upgrades) to those who have remained loyal customers over the years, then you are being incredibly myopic, and ignoring the long-term revenue you would make from your loyal customers remaining customers,, as well as new customers turning into loyal customers. You can't sell your product and ignore the customer's needs afterwards. In short, you can't "ring and run" in this business.

You need to provide support and fair trade-up value on upgrades. And Avid has better get on the ball... they sure as hell ain't the only game in town anymore.

IMHO of course.

Interesting, i thought (when I first got hired) that my boss was being cheap by using apogee motu and DP instead of PT. After seeing how this all played out my opinion has changed.

And BTW, avid hasn't really fixed sh*t. at least on there consumer stuff. i recently installed my cousins new home setup, brand new mac quad3.6, UA apollo quad, PT 11. i urged him strongly to go w a different recording program. anyway, guess what, during a tes session that had a huge buffer, no plugins, and like 5 tracks. "dae buffer underun, please add more ram or change buffer settings" that famous error still popping up. screw that. im all set.

@Dave, pt 11, imho s not worth it. it seems like you already made your interface choice, but i remember from another thread you were interested in the apollo, and it sounds quite nice.

I'm using PT. I'll move to a PTHD system but I'm stopping at 10. My workflow and type of session needs doesn't dictate anything beyond that nor will it in the foreseeable future. I'm on 9.0.5 now and because it is essentially an LE (what they have renamed 'native') it uses the computer's resources to perform its duties. Yes, latency and buffer sizes are something I don't have time or patience for. Thus what some might say is a sideways move to an HD set-up. I don't do a lot of keyboard based music styles and I don't need all the voices an HDX system might give me and ANY HD10 is a step up for me in work-flow and latency with the CPU load moving from my drive in the Mac to those pcie cards just like the UA quad they'll live with. I'll have four or five essential plugs to PERHAPS track through but mostly hardware...ZERO latency ...(I have two singer clients who can hear 32 samples and it bugs them....) I'm like Max in that I'll use these tools until the wheels fall off. Most of the studios around here are on the same track although I have heard a couple of the big rooms have upgraded to HDX now much to the chagrin of a lot of their independent producers. Once again, AVID has brought an upgrade product that has very little integration with legacy investments. No matter how much they have improved the product, they still are pirates when it comes to giving back to their support group.

As for the Native PT11. Kevins story is one of many I have heard. Not just read....My PT instructor makes it easily clear...." Any round-trip through the computer will induce latency and cpu loading. " So if you have a computer that doesn't allow for the increased load to the cpu it simply slows down. The speed sensing in PT (maybe other DAWS...I dunno) says to the program that this is taking longer than I want to see so you get the error messages. These occur less frequently when your computer is set up properly and by properly I mean COMPLETELY DEDICATED to PT and recording music. But they still occur in any of the Native, LE, etc systems. Of course with PT11 you can set two buffer speeds which should help.

But I want to set my system up to be playing back with any essentials in place WHILE tracking something onto the session. At the end of the day a fairly complete sounding capture makes the workflow better as well as clients happier.

BTW.. Max, you're always welcome with ANY comment on anything .I look forward to your posts.

About a couple of other things...I AM using newest AVID conversion. I could go to HDX without any problems. The new converters are worlds...WORLDS better than the old 192's etc...So its a mid step for me in this case. I don't want to buy AAX 64 bit plug ins when my 32 bits will all work with HD...I just wont be able to track through them...that's why I'll get a few...(mostly EQ's) TDM plugs for tracking. I have enough hardware comps to go that route...which I think sounds better anyway.

About the 500 series stuff. I already have a Retro Doublewide comp..tube goodness! I highly recomment this one....I have an IGS 1176-like comp...very nice! I have a Radial Komit comp...great on guitars..I use this one on the output of the 11 rack I have . It makes the 11 rack sound more 'real' for lack of a better term. I also bought a Little Labs VOG. I can't tell you how much improved my bass sound is now. I track bass exclusively through the DI in an ADK AP-2 preamp with a ADK Custom Shop Vintage N (secret Neve handshake) Op-Amp and a Cinemag transformer into the Retro comp or the IGS and the Little Labs VOG at the end. Doing this makes the bass......DONE. The only thing left is level. At mix. Huge, firm, round, tight, and the bass sounds good too........................................HAH

Here's a progress report for any who are watching. Most of the gear is bought and either here or in transit. I'm doing the desk design now. It will be cheaper as well as much more pleasing to build something that I can use and fits my eye and work style. I have a pro carpenter- long-time friend who is getting all the overflow gear for his rehearsal space to help with the design and construction...ie: laminations, trim building and cutting, and ergonomics as well as building the desk to come apart for the time I move to my very own suite.

I have decided to keep control surfaces as my mixing regimen. I'm just a country mixer Jim not a damn rocket surgeon......So I now have an Avid Artist Control as well as an Artist Mix. EUCON language and fully integrated into PT and all other DAWs as well. The Control has all the functions of the keyboard shortcuts and transport. The Mix has 8 motorized faders as well as access to everything. Yeah, I know you can jockey with the mouse and I'm okay at it....'Okay' meaning it doesnt bother me to be slow on my own projects......But tactile is, for me, much like playing the mix into place.....

Tracked acoustic guitar last night. Gibson J200 with serious bar-tan white finish....Cathedral Pipes U67 tube clone....Manley with NEW TUBES!!! ...DBX 160sl...Song is a tribute to Stones guitarist Brian Jones. We got a very good approximate "Angie" acoustic sound. Also tracked electric guitars...mostly support tracks through the revitalized Fender Deluxe Reverb (1975 rebuilt to original w/secret weapon speaker choice......it really makes them perfect sounding)...Royer/57 (why change)....ISA....1176 on the 57 and Aphex Compellor on the Royer.

I'm having fun in retirement.

Nice man! I'm very interested in your desk build, would love to see pics, and hear your thoughts/compromises as you work your way thru planning and build. Awsome!

Davedog, post: 416021, member: 4495 wrote:
I'm having fun in retirement.

I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Dave.

So often, we get so bogged down with the business end of things, with all of the BS that comes with it - both big and small alike - that sometimes we forget the FUN part, don't we? ;)

It's important to enjoy what you do, and it's great to have a facility that you are proud of and that makes your clients happy... BUT...don't ever forget to use your facility for your own stuff, too.

Shut the studio door, shut the phone off, and make some music for you once in awhile.

You don't always need to use your gear, knowledge and creativity on - or for - everyone else.

Save a little of that stuff for yourself from time to time.

FWIW

:)

d./

Thanks. I found out years ago that my songwriting skills are a bit iffy. I'm pretty good in an arrangement or as a co-writer. So there really isnt any of "my stuff" ...lots of "our stuff" though.

I would be remiss by not listing other pieces coming into the fold....not just the electronics....

I found and bought a shell pack to replace the 'frankenstein drumkit' I put together. 1980's Yamaha's. The high-end stuff. Mahogany shells... maximum lugs {ten on the 22" kick and 8 each on the toms 14x9 and 16x16}...I think they might be the early edition of the Recording Customs...separate lugs... They look like furniture inside and are very very clean with great condition beads and hardware. The frankenstein kit went to one of my friends who has a rehearsal setup. It'll serve him well. We had a band rehearsal the other night with my band and I am seriously excited to get these drums under the mics. They really do sound quite glorious! Best BY FAR kick drum I've heard.

I also have accumulated a "more me" headphone mix system. I'll have more to say about it when I put it into use. Four mix stations...16 channels available at each...Master with remotes working off Cat5 cabling. They all get their power through the cat5. Much like the Aviom, just not as expensive. Great reviews and someone I know with a personal recommendation for it. Yeah...Behringer. Seems to be one of those pieces they got right. We'll see. No latency at all.

I keep adding little things here and there. Beyer M201....I'm looking at an older C414 EB tomorrow. Every studio needs one of those. Good price on it. Hopefully the capsule is working well and is the original.

Onward and upward.

Davedog, post: 416167, member: 4495 wrote:

I found and bought a shell pack to replace the 'frankenstein drumkit' I put together. 1980's Yamaha's. The high-end stuff. Mahogany shells... maximum lugs {ten on the 22" kick and 8 each on the toms 14x9 and 16x16}...I think they might be the early edition of the Recording Customs...separate lugs...

This might have been the Power Stage II line... as I recall, that was the kit model that preceded the first Recording Custom Models - IIRC, around '87 or so.

I have the Recording Customs, 1989. Candy Apple Red, 10" and 12" upper rack toms, and 13" and 14" mounted floor toms. Zildjian 22" Ping Ride, Zildjian New Beats for Hi-Hat, various Zildjian and Paiste crashes. The hardware is the most solid I've ever encountered. Literally, the best kit I ever owned, and I've owned 7 kits over the years.

Although, coming in a very close second place, is my 1968 Ludwig "Ringo" Kit. (Don't laugh, it's a great sounding 3 piece kit, especially for recording).
I use coated ambassadors on the toms, as opposed to clear heads, and it's like "instant tone" for retro, and even jazzy stuff.

Although, both kits benefit greatly from my secret weapon: a 1968 Ludwig Black Beauty snare. ;)

LOVE LOVE LOVE the older Ludwig snares! I have a drummer who does sessions from time to time and he has a MINT condition 6.5 Leedy wood snare that sounds like snare is supposed to sound. I currently only have a few in my snare locker. A 6.5" all maple ten lug Rhythm Traders (house brand for the store...could be Keller shell) a 6.5" old Tama Steel ten lug serious WHACK! A wonderful Tama 5.5" all maple with mighty hoops and ten lugs and a ten lug birch PDP 5.5". No Black Beauties...no Dynasonics....no Gretsch maples...(sold the Gretsch). I have a guitar playing friend who has a store (actually an office now...guitarcrazy.com < shill....he's the best) who has a 64 Ringo Kit. He also has a mid 70's Camco. Do I want them? uhh.....

The later model C414EB made it home today. Its a Teflon cap model. Still sounds good and in decent shape. For what I paid for it I can afford to rebuild it to spec if it needs help. I think I'm only three or four mics away from being complete.

How many fell over laughing? I actually threw up a little in my nose when I typed that.

Davedog, post: 416198, member: 4495 wrote: I think I'm only three or four mics away from being complete.

Dave.... Dave..... C,mon buddy.... it's time to wake up now. ;)

Yeah. It never ends......

Whats really REALLY cool, is new boxes of stuff arrive every day.

All the ProTools upgrade is here just not installed....still working on the desk design...have a handle on it I think...All the headphones system is here...I bought a basically unused Neumann KM184 yesterday. Great price! I also bought a True Systems P2 and an unbelievable price. I love these and it will go quite well with everything I do, especially on the acoustic stuff. I have a bid in on a Grace M502 optical comp for the last space in the 500 rack...

The really BIG news is I bought a pair of Neumann KH120's to replace the little Genelecs. Detail is mine. HAH! The Genelecs will now live in the living room as stereo speakers. With the sub.

And, of course, there's the matter of The Guitar. Like I need another one. But I don't have a Les Paul currently, and my good friend @ guitarcrazy.com (Bob) has a "maybe" one coming in today. I'll go play it and then hopefully NEVER buy another guitar again.....

Until next time...but really...3 Strats, 2 Teles, SG Standard, Ibanez S Series, Taylor, 1971 Gibson D50, solid-top classical,Seagull 12 string, dobro, Bouzouki, 7 basses.....

Yeah, you're right....NEED Les Paul.

The really really cheap C414EB has some issues. I have a call out to Klaus. Hopefully he'll take it on. With what I paid and what he'll charge to fix it, it'll be about the average price for a used one in decent condition with one caveat....Its been to Klaus.

I will try and post construction pictures of the desk build if I remember....

Yeah, you're right....NEED Les Paul.

. Yeah you do. That plus hi gain amp is pure sonic mayhem!