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TL Audio C-1, 2 channel Mic Pre/Compressor or Groove Tubes Brick. Which one would you pick & why? I have the chance to buy either for about the same money (around $300.00). but cannot aford both. I already own the Groove Tubes Ditto & like it a lot. I have a nice selection of mics (Ribbons, Dynamics & Condensers). I use a 24 channel Spirit Auto for recording straight to Alesis HD24. I typically record whole bands at once, then overdub vocals & perhaps lead. I always mix in the box.
Thanks

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anonymous Mon, 02/28/2005 - 09:27

Sorry I took so long to respond.......Yes, I do know someone who works at a music store & he hooked me up. I am trading a Behringer 32/16 inline mixer for a new in the box brick even across the board.......includes tax! Now hows that for a great deal!!!0
Say what you will about Behringer, but I have made some pretty good recordings with that Board.
Since my music store guy is traded me even, I had enough money to get the TL Audio too!!!!!!!!!!
Next will come comparisons.....I'll let you know how they sound in relation to one another.
Thanks for responding......I'm gonna have a REAL HAPPY DAY!!! & I hope YOU DO THE SAME!!!!

anonymous Tue, 03/01/2005 - 08:23

bluesman714 wrote: Sorry I took so long to respond.......Yes, I do know someone who works at a music store & he hooked me up. I am trading a Behringer 32/16 inline mixer for a new in the box brick even across the board.......includes tax! Now hows that for a great deal!!!0
Say what you will about Behringer, but I have made some pretty good recordings with that Board.
Since my music store guy is traded me even, I had enough money to get the TL Audio too!!!!!!!!!!
Next will come comparisons.....I'll let you know how they sound in relation to one another.
Thanks for responding......I'm gonna have a REAL HAPPY DAY!!! & I hope YOU DO THE SAME!!!!

I'd also love to read your veiws on the TLaudio vs. The Brick as I also chose the The Brick over the TLaudio.

anonymous Fri, 03/04/2005 - 05:26

bluesman714 wrote: Sorry I took so long to respond.......Yes, I do know someone who works at a music store & he hooked me up. I am trading a Behringer 32/16 inline mixer for a new in the box brick even across the board.......includes tax! Now hows that for a great deal!!!0
Say what you will about Behringer, but I have made some pretty good recordings with that Board.
Since my music store guy is traded me even, I had enough money to get the TL Audio too!!!!!!!!!!
Next will come comparisons.....I'll let you know how they sound in relation to one another.
Thanks for responding......I'm gonna have a REAL HAPPY DAY!!! & I hope YOU DO THE SAME!!!!

So how do they compare,

anonymous Wed, 03/09/2005 - 08:35

so far I am only getting very low level & thin-telephone type sounds from the brick when using a microphone. I am suspecting that I have a bad cable (lo-z mic to trs hosa). The cable is new, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't be bad. I tried playing my Fender Precision through the brick & it was extremely low level too.....so, I got out my Groove Tubes Ditto....with the same results. By the time I decided it must be a cable problem it was too last to test further. I will do more testing tonight witn a new cable.
The TL is a rackmount unit, so I went ahead & wired it into my patchbay......no problems at all. It sounds big fat & lucious even without the built in compressor. Bass guitar sounded fine too. Both mic & bass had tons of gain & nice definition. I was using an ADK Hamburg most of the time, but it also had PLENTY of gain & good sound using my Altec 639 ribbon mic.
More on this as the drama unfolds!
bluesman714

anonymous Wed, 03/09/2005 - 20:08

As I suspected, a bad cable was the problem with the brick...all is better now.
as for the comparisons.....I was using an ADK Vienna and an Oktava MKL2500.
Both mics sound VERY GOOD with both pres...The Brick sounds smoother & a little Deeper with sort of a soft, relaxing sound, very natural & not hyped at all.
The TL sounds a little less deep & has a little more midrange presence, not so much that would be considered harsh, just enough to give the vocal that quality that makes it sit well in the mix.
I ab'd both mics & both pre's over & over & have decided that I really love the sound of both. The differences between the two are subtile at first, but after a few takes with each I was able to easily identify the pre I was listening to.
I will note that when recording directly to my M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 soundcard, the TL is easier to control on loud vocals. The Brick can overload the soundcard VERY easily, even with the gain on the Brick set at its lowest setting. I did not pad the ADK, this, Im sure would have taken care of the problem....the Oktava has no pad & therefore the difference was much more problematic.
I did not use the compressor in the TL Audio. I was only checking out the pre's & I figured that compression would be an unfair advantage...I can say that so far I like the sound of the Brick over the TL because it has that puffy smoothe as silk sound that I love to hear on vocals, but It is only useful when using mics that have a built in pad. The TL audio has a very good & usable sound with a more controllable gain & has two pre's both of which have compressors. I am glad that I was able to swing the deal for both!!! I plan to use the TL to record kick & snare and use the Brick for vocals when recording live in the studio....that will leave me with the Groove Tubes Ditto for bass DI. Not to mention that my Spirit board has 24 pretty good sounding pre's its self.....I am thinking that I am pretty well set up.....that is, until the next big thing comes along!
I am busy mixing live sound until Sunday.....that is when I will break out the Ribbon & Dynamic Mics.......I will post an account of the outcome.

Bluesman714