Hi Jules!
Hi All!

I have found that unused gear can make a good job to impress cliens (if you are not too lasy to wipe the dust on a regular basis...) SPL Tube Vitalizer and AKAI DR-16 were not used here for ages as a recording devices, as well as Yamaha 02R - but they have such a cute looks and all that flashing lights!!!
"Oh! how did you learned all this stuff!"
he-he-he!!!

Ivan
PS: Jules, how did Neve Prism performed as a door stop? Did you try any blind A/B tests? Does it improved the door functionality comparing to other devices you maybe have used for this task? Going to use ADAT XT-20 for door-stopping - will you recommend it?
:)

This sounds weird, but... I've used a vibrator on electric guitar (like an E-Bow).

I wouldn't use it on stage, but nobody can see you in the studio. :)

PS: Howdy Jules! This is the same popmusic over at musicplayer.com... They're updating their bb software today, so I figured I'd hang out here for a little while.

I use an old Digital Time Delay System (all processing is analog though) that was made for home stereos as an ambience/image enhancer to add width to vocals or guitars. It works nice.

I got one. Old Altec 436b compressors do NOT have mic preamps (unlike the 438 series which were combo preamp/compressors). But my 436b has so much gain, that I often have used it as a mic preamp. (with compression as a "bonus")

Its been a standard way for me to record electric bass. A Sennheiser MD421 jammed right in front of my Mesa Boogie Bass 400 stack, and plugged straight into the 436b and then to tape - works every time.

steve
sjp@pacbell.net

I use an old upright piano as an effect - Setup:
Remove front panels (exposing strings)
Put brick on damper pedal (lifting damper)
Route an aux send to a keyboard amp & put it as close to the strings as possible
Slap a couple piezo transducers (stick-on guitar "pickups") on the soundboard & return signal to board.

Amazing what sympathetic vibrations can do...

Scott

Speaking of vibrations...

I have a tiny thumb piano I bought at TJ Maxx... When you put it on the back of an acoustic guitar body, it amplifies the sound and changes the tonal character of the instrument. I'm sure there are other things that can be done with amplifying instruments via an acoustic guitar body...

>"I have a tiny thumb piano I bought at TJ Maxx... When you put it on the back of an acoustic guitar body, it amplifies the sound and changes the tonal character of the instrument. I'm sure there are other things that can be done with amplifying instruments via an acoustic guitar body... "<

Wow - That's almost exactly what Godin did with their Acousticaster guitars, only they put a "resonator harp" in a chamber inside the body...

"Jules, how did Neve Prism performed as a door stop? Did you try any blind A/B tests? Does it improved the door functionality comparing to other devices you maybe have used for this task? Going to use ADAT XT-20 for door-stopping - will you recommend it?"

The Neve was the best ever door stop, it really was excelent. I think the Adat will perform brilliantly for you. You need to be able to pick it up with one hand while on the phone and also tell a drummer that's just walked in, where to load in - all at the same time.

Cool answers so far!!!!

:)

I agree, the door on the ADAT makes for an excellent grip while holding the telephone receiver with your other hand.

Lord Alvin, is that the original Desper box from the mid-80's?

ART tube pres are great for distortion during mixing. I put in an insert and crank the thing! Particularly for drums.

As Jules pointed out I use the M2000 as an A/D while mastering after an analog chain. I have a Calzone road case that I got with a VHT guitar amp that gets used as a table or a seat.

Ang, I know that the Digital Time Dealy System was made in the mid 80's. I am not sure who manufactured it. If you have one, you should try it as a reverb. A little noisy, but it sounds cool.

Originally posted by DigitMus:
Wow - That's almost exactly what Godin did with their Acousticaster guitars, only they put a "resonator harp" in a chamber inside the body...

Actually, I didn't mean that I played acoustic guitar and then the thumb piano helped give some weird sounds (although I gotta try that out now that you gave me the idea)... :) I meant that I played the thumb piano and the acoustic guitar body helped amplify and change the sound of the thumb piano. Basically, I turned the thumb piano into a large kalimba, but with some weird sympathetic vibrations from the guitar strings.

i just recorded a bass yesterday....i was going into a bass micro synth and then into a urie LA-12....i set the compressor for a peak limiter and noticed a small amount of top end fuzz....so i said hum??? what if i lower the threshold to like -20db and crank the out put gain....well i got a great fuzzy synth bass tone.

so to make a long story short i just found out my compressors make great fuzz boxes =)

I feel so uncreative! The best I've done is hang a mic from the ceiling fan 'cause some schmo (ok, the bassist) took off with all my mic stands.

However, when you're in a pinch, it's ok to use a TRS cable to un-cork a wine bottle. Just watch out for the overspray when you jam the cork in, I've still got purple stains on my monitor.

Howsabout using an outside intercom to record Vocalists screaming bridge vocal? We actually did this, sounded great. Especially 'cause the Guitar player purposely kicked his car at the end, setting of his car-alarm.

:roll: I need some popcorn

Some fresh, large prawns from the local saturday am "direct from the boat" fish market at fishermans' warf. Arrive at the studio at about 10am, and turn all the gear on. Go to the kitchen, peel the (fresh, uncooked) prawns. Place them in the center of some aluminum foil. A little bit of salt, some african red pepper, and a drop of ketjap bentang (indonesian sweet soy sauce). Fold the foil, ensuring the parcel is well sealed. Place parcel on top of the Inner Tube Audio preamp, the "special hand - build one-off" with the 2 giant tubes and the huge transformer. At one pm, go back to the kitchen and butter some fresh bread, and put it on a plate. Back to the control room, carefully unfold the parcel, empty contends on the plate - by now they are cooked to total perfection.
Regular saturday lunch special at NGS Productions

Bob, somehow I sense you're holding back. Tell us how you really feel.

well mix fix...looking at it from that perspective i guess using a compressor for a fuzz box is a bit lame ;)
damn word processors...er i mean DAW'S

Looking for nice digital distortion?

use a LYNX syncronizer to "refresh" your signal. Great on drums.

I've been using the converters in one of my Eventide DSP4500's for laptop work with an Opcode DATport with and without processing. But more recently I've also been using it connected in my TV chain to limit all those dam loud, peaking and annoying commercials. But what I often find amusing is to play and create different types of effects using TV audio to really learn how the paramters affect the sound. Infomercials, talk shows and CSPAN give you a good variety of different voices to play around with. And with something like the DSP4500, I can tweak around with standard and wild effects as well as dynamics/eq. Of course it's not the same as music and singing, but it is much better than just being a zombie in front of the TV. I find it a great way to master the operation of your effects or any other box and challange your skills.

Try It!

- Bruce -

sjoko, if I make it on this next gig, I'm coming to your place and bringing the dip.

I remember guys using Ashley Crossovers for eq's, it worked pretty good I hear.