Would a top notch comp/preamp 'cause clicks...

[Arno Peeters]

I've noticed that with vocal recordings (voicovers) done w. a Neumann (any TLM) and say an AMEK preamp and a D3 or DBX (simply put; top of the line preamps and compressors) spittle-sounds or abrupt transients will cause extra click-type sounds or small distortions. This shouldn't happen right ?
Or is this...natural vintage behaviour ?
Anyone else noticed ? Or am I just plain crazy ?

Have seen it happen 3 or 4 times now in sessions from different studio's, varying form 'natural' sillava-sounds that become a problem during the masteringstage to real strange transients popping and crackling...

I'm just suspicous what this outboardgear does aside from warming things up a little.

 

[Mindsender]

Arno, I've noticed the same using NeumanM149,Avalon2022,ApogeePsx100 to YamahaAW4416 but very minor stuff. Some of it I've determined is very small throat stuff and sinus changes, but there is still something "else" sometimes. I've read where humidity on mike's diaphram causes just these sort of anomalies, and whereas I don't think that's happening in my case, in a humid enviroment, even though air-conditioning takes a lot of it out, it's possible at certain temperatures that your own breath moisture content momentarily could cause this. Try putting a mesh screen in front next time, and see if it happens when you remain as close (or closer) but turn you head away from the diaphram. If it goes away.. voila. Paul

 

[Arno Peeters]

Thanks: that's a good one !

 

[ransom]

I hate to admit this but last night, for the first time, I got these little sounds in my Roland VS1880. I thought it was only a guy's adat I'd heard who used auto-tune. I purchased auto tune, then loaded a CD instrumental to record over with a singer. After a while small pops occured and the siganl input shot to 0db for a second. Maybe I'm thinking a digital clock error...never happened until I heard it on another guys track...go figure.
Paul I was thinking of getting the 2022 and selling my 737...how do you like your 2022 Avalon mic pre on vocals?Thanks.

 

[MadMoose]

Scan the tracks, is there a momentary clip? Are you clipping the converter or frying a gain stage somewhere?

 

[MJOwings]

I'm not Paul and have no experience with the 737 so my comments on the 2022 are without that perspective.

1) The 2022 has a GREAT feature set. Balance and unbalanced out, varible impedence on the input (great for the different mic output matching/loading).

2) Sound - probaly what you really wanted to know; you can read about the features elsewhere. I am pretty crappy at describing with words what I hear, but I would say the 2022 sounds more like my GML than it does my 1073s (duh!). I guess we could call the two relatively "transparent". The GML has a little more "character". See how futile this is?

The more I work with both (the GML and the 2022) however I am finding that as with all preamps what I prefer tends to depend on the mic and the application (singer, etc.) It might vary with the other instruments being/having been recorded and how I want to differentiate them in the mix. Having some of the options of the 2022 adds flexability to all the combinations.

3) Nice to have the DIs on the 2022, but note they do have a different character (and design I believe) that the U5.

Do I prefer the 2022 over the GML 8304? NO. They are just different. Myself I think I'll be looking at John Hardy or Manley SLAM (not out yet) to audition for next preamp.

Take a listen, the 2022 is nice. A lot depends on what else you have (pres AND mics), what you record, and what you want it to sound like as to whether you would want one.

Good luck,
Mike

 

[ransom]

I want to hear the GML have you heard the Focusrite ISA 110?