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What is your favorite piece of recording equipment? If judging by specs alone, it is probably your HD recorder, or ADAT. Or if you are fortunate enuff, your Analog Multitrack. Maybe it's your new Neumann or BLUE mic. Whatever it is, that is strickly technically speacking. If you were to judge by its results so far you might be surprised by your choice. The piece of gear to win that distiguished honor in my collevtion is a $70 Tascam Ministudio Porta02 cassette 4 track. I got it for $50 at Guitar Center. It was a demo model, but in excellent condition. But with no power supply. So I had to fork over another $20 for an AC adapter. I take it to every jam I play. It only records 2 tracks at a time, so Mic placement is critical. And there is no EQ. Let's face it; I wouldn't use it even if it were there. And there isn't even a way to bounce tracks internally. So at most you get 2 live tracks and 2 overdubs. It forces me to get creative. And it also forces me to get good base tracks. After I get it back home I have the luxury of a DAW with unlimited tracks to work with if I need to, but I can never seem to top the performance and excitement of those low quality tracks.

Comments

anonymous Wed, 08/15/2001 - 11:55

You mean what's my favorite this week? :roll:

My Avalon U5 is my current fave. I bought it used from a rec.audio.pro posting (thanks, Carpedonut!) mainly as a bass DI but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I had a really fine electric fiddle player in here for some overdubs a few weeks ago. Instead of putting phones on him I just ran the output of his multi-function pedal through the U5 and let him monitor through my nearfields. After a few minutes of tone-tweeking with the Avalon's EQ he nailed the first take on both songs. The performance was inspired - he LOVED working without those damn headphones! And I love a session that consists of 1 hour of set-up and recording, followed by several hours of toasting our success. :c:

anonymous Wed, 08/15/2001 - 17:41

A tie between one of my oldest tools--a banged-up, currently clip-less Sennheiser 441 mic that I keep falling in love with again like a good spouse--and one of my newest--my Buzz MA2.2 mic preamp that just sounds so danged sweet and open on everything. The nice part is that the two of them work particularly well together (the 441 needs a lot of clean, quiet gain, and the Buzz is good at that).

Brian

Jon Best Wed, 08/15/2001 - 19:21

Interesting question. hmmm...

hmmm...

I'm so irritated with my mixer right now it's hard to say...

Two things-

1) the combination of my Langevin Dual Vocal Combo and an SM57, and

2) the large diaprhagm, figure 8 head for the AKG C451 body (CK22?)- best room mic I've heard so far.

Jon Best Wed, 08/15/2001 - 19:22

One last point- I do not ever, under any circumstances, see my answer to this question being something computer related. :)

Ang1970 Wed, 08/15/2001 - 21:32

Originally posted by try2break:
What is your favorite piece of recording equipment?

The highly talented people which I have been blessed the opportunity to work for and with.

The excellent songs which enable the existence of my career (sitting on my butt listening to music all day long).

The dual sonic input devices, diametrically situated perpendicular to the sagittal plane of my cranium for both low latency and maximum signal differential.

Everything else is just a toy.

anonymous Thu, 08/16/2001 - 08:06

PERFECTION:
"The dual sonic input devices, diametrically situated perpendicular to the sagittal plane of my cranium for both low latency and maximum signal differential."
That's as good as it gets. My favorite piece of equiptment lies (lays, whatever..)further south. I pick with it, it's a sucker for a downbeat, and it's the consumate analog expander (mono version only, but easily multi-tracked with patience).
Then.. there's my Neuman M149 mike. I love that.. like a distant relative. Doesn't make a peep without Avalon2022 pre. What a pair. Paul

anonymous Thu, 08/16/2001 - 09:36

SM57, is there anything you haven't used one for?

Dave McNair Thu, 08/16/2001 - 19:06

The Line 6 delay modeling pedal. Cheap and VERY useful. My favorite combination.

anonymous Fri, 08/17/2001 - 14:29

My SM-57 and Waves Gold 3 FX pkg,I don't know what I would do without them! (sniffle,sniffle)

Teacher Mon, 08/20/2001 - 03:11

i'd have to say my 7 sonic timeworks plug ins...the reverb & compression are great as well as the eq

bluebass Mon, 08/20/2001 - 05:53

My Pendulum MDP-1! From mic's to direct to sending my whole mix through it... so far, it's my fav!

Tim L

Guest Wed, 08/29/2001 - 16:01

I would have to say my racked 4 x channels of Hellios mic pre / eq. The mobile recording truck they were cut from recorded:

The Who "live at Leeds"
2 x Led Zep albums
2 x Bad Company albums
Started the recordings on Quadraphenia

Add to it that, that it was the same model used by the Stones in the 70's and I am in heaven.... Cost me $2,250

:)

Jules

anonymous Fri, 08/31/2001 - 06:32

Originally posted by Jon Best:
Interesting question. hmmm...

hmmm...

1) the combination of my Langevin Dual Vocal Combo and an SM57, and

Hey, Jon. Don't let Mike hear you say that. After all the Langevin is only capable of "passing signal". You mean to tell me it sounds good too?

Wow, who would have thought. :D

pan Sat, 09/01/2001 - 05:37

For years now my favourite recording gear is my ears. This pair is so astonishing natural sounding with tight bottom and crisp ;) top. I will never do another recording without them. Check it out!

Niko

Jon Best Sat, 09/01/2001 - 10:56

Originally posted by mp@soundtechrecording.com:

Hey, Jon. Don't let Mike hear you say that. After all the Langevin is only capable of "passing signal". You mean to tell me it sounds good too?

Wow, who would have thought. :D

Well, *ahem,* of course, we make allowances for the fact that it's new..., er, I _really_ meant it's OK once you gut it and insert V72's...

drumsound Sat, 09/01/2001 - 19:36

Originally posted by Jon Best:
One last point- I do not ever, under any circumstances, see my answer to this question being something computer related. :)

AMEN! Brother Jon