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A question for those who record daily or semi daily. As part of my front end I want to place either an Eventide h3500 or Lexicon PCM80. I use a pair of Ward Beck m460's, an LA4 and want to spice up as I go in or rerecord through something to excite my material. Should I, should I use something else or ? I appreciate your help in this matter.

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pr0gr4m Tue, 09/09/2008 - 22:08

Are you thinking about recording with reverb? In other words printing it to tape as it were? I guess it depends on how/what you are recording.

Personally unless I'm recording a 1 take live performance type of thing, I wouldn't record with reverb. It would leave me with less options when mixing. For example I record a guitar with a nice room verb but while recording the rest of the song (overdubs and whatnot) that reverbery guitar now just doesn't fit into the song. If I had recorded it without the verb, I could add whatever reverb/effect on it I want during the mix. If it already had some reverb on it, I wouldn't have as many mixing options.

I think that if you are looking for a little something extra in your recorded tracks, you are better off trying different combinations of microphones and pre-amps. Recording effects isn't something I think many people do...unless the project specifically calls for it or it's something very suttle.

That's what I think at least.

anonymous Wed, 09/10/2008 - 10:05

I have known for years the addage that I should'nt print. I am hearing alot about rerecording so to add some power to a mix or keyboard or guitar track, I wanted to send something through this unit to enhance/excite it instead of relying on multiple software instances and cpu load. I appreciate all of your thoughts and am convinced now that it is a good purchase. Now if you can just tell me at which link in the chain you know is best, as an insert or right before the interface?????? Thanks again for all of your knowledge and wisdom.

hueseph Wed, 09/10/2008 - 10:42

Wait. did you just ask a question and then disregard all the answers given or am I missing something? Verb, delay and some modulation effects are usually best as auxiliary sends rather than inserts. If you insist on printing to tape, either use the effects loop on the guitar/keyboard amp or you will have to use an insert in your console for it to go to print.

anonymous Wed, 09/10/2008 - 11:17

I am not disregarding all of the answers given, there was a resounding "don't do it". I hear alot of lacking mixes these days as I produce and fund studio time for artists and it is due to mixing engineers who may not be venturing out but following the rules and music should'nt have rules! I think the Eventides demeanor will suit my needs perfect. It's top of the line and for rerecording/excitement should do the job, right? All the answers talk of printing but read my response and I speak of rerecording and "light" excitement printing and final mix excitement to a stereo mix track. Did I state that right?

anonymous Wed, 09/10/2008 - 11:23

Firstly;
"A question for those who record daily or semi daily."
By semi daily do you mean half daily?
I'm curious because I don't record _every_ day and I definitely don't record _twice_ a day...
So if I record like 3 times a week, which would be slightly under bi-daily, can I comment?
If I can, read on to my secondly.

Secondly;
"Now if you can just tell me at which link in the chain you know is best, as an insert or right before the interface??????"
That was 6 questions marks... Sure sign of confusion...
It's time to relax and just look at things in simple terms.
Try them both and use your ears, if you the artist can't tell the difference how will a consumer?

I'll leave you with some of my favorite Pratchett quotes.

- "Multiple exclamation marks," he went on, shaking his head, "are a sure sign of a diseased mind." -
(Terry Pratchett, Eric)

- "Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind." -
(Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man)

Yours were question marks... I'm sure you're fine.

anonymous Wed, 09/10/2008 - 12:06

I don't want to purchase the Eventide if all of you say "wait, there's a better piece of gear". Again, I don't use a mixer and the interface has no aux, only inserts. I am appreciative of your time and effort to help me solve this. Maybe I ask too many questions but I would be pissed if I moved and it sucked. Also, no more multiple ?'s or !'s.

Link555 Wed, 09/10/2008 - 12:39

Ok I am confused now... oh wait scratch that , try always instead....

Ok so what you trying to do? Add an affect to a signal entering the box?

Or are you trying to add effect to the signal that is already recorded?

Maybe a VST would should you need?

Eventide does not suck, but again there are many options as there are tastes.

Cucco Wed, 09/10/2008 - 13:06

Wait!!!!!
Before you run out and buy the Eventide, you should look at the Bricasti!!!!!

It is the beez-neez!!!!!

No, really, it is.

But seriously, why are you so bound and determined to do it this way? The reason that this "RULE" exists in recording is because enough "smart" engineers have done it the other way and found out that they wasted time, money and patience on having to go back and retake. Not "most" of the time but ALL of the time.

Why waste your time?

anonymous Wed, 09/10/2008 - 13:15

They have at their disposal a multitude of channels, aux's and patchbays...but that doesn't answer the bad mixes I have been listening to over the last 3 days from over a dozen bands/artists. I would not go as far as to say that 100% of mixes are devoid of any printed effects. As I stated before, I will be judicious in the use of it. I am bound and determined because I know that printing and/or re-recording is occurring in some cases and right now "re-recording is the beez-nezz"....and I cannot afford to sink 3.5k into a unit that most likely is not a 2.8k improvement over a stalwart like the Eventide Harmonizer!

BobRogers Wed, 09/10/2008 - 17:30

No opinion on the reverb unit, but I do have an opinion on the general reaction. - The guy is asking about effects for a project studio - not a for-hire studio. All he cares about is "his sound" and getting his material "to tape." (God, I felt good, but very old, saying that.) If you extend the "always record naked" advice, you would never record a guitar through an amp much less turn on the reverb on that Fender twin. I record bass through a Bass POD Pro XT all the time. I record the direct track every time because "it's the right thing to do," but I have never used it. Not once. Ever. If he is trying to develop "his sound" he can put all the effects he wants on before they are recorded and he won't hear a peep out of me.

Cheers, Bob

"Always record naked" is a bad idea when your diet plan is to move from Jabba the Hut to Sidney Greenstreet.

hueseph Wed, 09/10/2008 - 18:52

I thought the objective was pretty apparent but from a guy who has two M460s and an UA LA-4 one might think that he already has his sound. Where I think the objective gets a little blurry is where Antonio starts talking about re-recording. Now in my head I think, I would only re- record if I had initially tracked to tape and want to bring my tracks back into ProTools to edit. Or, is there another reason to "re-record"? Otherwise, I tend to think "Get it right the first time". Nothing is more "exciting" than a good take.

I'm sorry but I smell Walters. Maybe I'm way off and if that is so, I offer my deepest apologies.

Space Wed, 09/10/2008 - 19:06

And just to recap:

Do you have lights in...
NO I DO NOT...
Discussion goes on thoughtfully aided by many talented minds.
op seems to be growing in stature and girth.
Discussion still moving nicely much more information added.
Bob brings up the unthinkable.
op says this is the objective.

I guess calling it Walters is a lot better then what it gets called @ Exit 4.

anonymous Wed, 09/10/2008 - 20:13

I attended a digidesign conference recently where a demonstration involved a stereo drum track that lacked excitement though some might have found it good enough. The demonstration went on to send it through a series of limiters 3 times. This built it into a powerful track. Instead of utilizing so many instances of a plugin, I would like to send it back through some analog gear since an engineer may have, say it isn't so, recorded poorly. The Eventide would offer much in the way of "sound" and "rescue" in this instance. Now I have gone and exposed what I consider to be a weapon in my battle against poor sampling or recording. I guarantee that I know from theory what I am after.

hueseph Wed, 09/10/2008 - 20:26

But reverb is something altogether different from limiting. (Maybe it was compression?) I understand what he was doing. Essentially pumping up the "up-frontness" of the drums with as little "pumping" as possible. Instead of running one compressor/limiter at a massive ratio, hitting it several times at a less obtrusive ratio.

Will this work with reverb? I don't know. I can imagine a sea of mud. But, if that is your vision, all the power to you. Try it. If it works, great! Post an example. If not, oh well.

I don't think I would even consider using an Eventide(harmonizer?) or Lexicon reverb unit unless I had the luxury of a decent mixing console and patchbay. With the Digi003 and Mbox units your routing is too limited if you rely entirely on the interface. With something like a 96io it's just ludicrous to try without a mixer.

hueseph Wed, 09/10/2008 - 20:43

On another note regarding "re-recording" it's very likely that the demonstrator was processing the drums and "re-recording" (bouncing) them to a stereo track within ProTools. This would be a one time thing. So any and all concerns about using up too much CPU power would have been dealt with all in one shot.

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