Quote:
Originally posted by johnnyblotter
Like I got a pair of Averill 312 API's (the old ones) on the recommendation of a trusted friend (I'm a drummer) and they've been just great on drums. What they aren't so spectacular on is guitar, and also when running samples through them, you can crank up them up but you'll also get a lot of noise. |
There are a lot of pieces that are like that, and there are a few that are extremely versatile. When getting recommendations, make sure the person giving the recommendation has heard a large amount of things. Otherwise there is a good chance you will have higher expectations for the piece you buy, just like in the situation you tell us about here. The net is a great place, but I think it suffers from oversaturation and a lot of bravado.
Quote:
| How long does it take for you guys to figure out whether something is a keeper? Can you tell right away, or does it happen gradually? |
Personally, I've got a quick learning curve at this point but it comes from having the luxury of being a pro audio shop owner who simultaneously owns a commercial studio. Lots of tinkering and comparing going on there.
Quote:
| And what do you think of the strategy of sometimes just buying things without hearing them? |
I think it's a great strategy, but sometimes overhyped for certain people. And what I mean by that, is that there is a
huge group of beginning engineers who don't know what they want, or expect to hear. I've experienced this many times first hand. They could borrow $100K worth of gear for a month, and still not figure it out. My advice still stands on talking to engineers you know are 1) experienced 2) have utilized a large variety of gear in the trenches. Otherwise everyone is wasting their time IMO.