Whats wrong with the 3124?

[Windshore]

In my own experience with high-end equipment, I've found that it always takes a while before you can really know what it can or can't do, and if you've never worked with an API, or a Neve, and you get your first one, .... then your first session doesn't blow you away, you may tend to naively conclude that, "... well, I'm not an API (or Neve) kinda guy."

Get over your impulsiveness, and learn the gear. Give it some time. It can take quite a few sessions for a person to understand what a high-end pre can do, even though there are minimal controls.

Others here have made good suggestions. I certainly agree that it's very important to experiment with the gain structure and, especially with API, what comes after the pre can be remarkably important in realizing it's potential.

[u b k]

i've come to realize that what sounds "big and punchy" to one guy often sounds "hard and pokey" to me, and what i think is "big and slamming" is another guy's "boomy and soft".

i like 26" kicks with two heads, no holes, and a u67 2' off the kick. that, to me, is hugeness. at the last GS shootout party, they stuck a heil 6" from a 22" kick with standard rock head/tuning configuration. everyone was apeshit over the tight, chest hitting sound. i thought it sounded like 1988 (i.e., d112) with more low end.

it's difficult to say what's going on with your drum sound because we're not in the room with you, and there's no way to know how what you describe relates to the way we hear things. please do spend a week or two intensively using the piece before calling it quits, and experiment with different mics and positions and tunings and drum placements while you're at it.

if you like your old pre and working method, and all you do is plug in a new pre, it's not surprising you're disappointed. but use the api as a launching point to stretch your old patterns and expectations. you may still send the pre back, but you'll have gained something for your time with it.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[Cosmonauta]

Wow the last 3 posts is almost a 3 years old thread bump.

But it made me curious... Syra, did you kept the Api?
If so, how do you work with it now?

[syra]

haha ...I just went through the threads for something to catch my attention when I read this title and I think to myself "why would anyone find anything wrong with the 3124" ...I skip the first page of posts and jump to the last one only to find out Cosmonauta is asking me how I liked it in the end ...so I scroll up and in shock I realize this thread is mine!

As Windshore said I just needed to accept the API for what it is and not what I thought it would be ...(turns out the GML pre is what I initially expected the APIs to sound like )

so ...umm ...yeah ...API's rock. I now have 2 10-slot racks ...one of them has 4 512Cs...

[BlueRadio]

I'll try them on the output although I don't like the fact that I have to "figure" out what I must do to get the most out of this unit.

...Um...is this statement a joke?

[AlexLakis]

Glad things worked out for you, Syra! APIs rock! thumbsup

I really enjoyed Windshore and u b k's posts.

One thing I have been trying to work on, personally, has been trying to delve deeper than just the initial impression I get from the sound of a piece of gear, a sound in general, etc. Decrease the haste in my judgments, but still move a session quickly/be able to (eventually) utilize pieces of gears' inherent qualities to my advantage.

I like to think it's a progression towards a "everything has it's right place" zen kinda mentality. The progress is a practice in patience, exposure, and dedication.




We are all only,
Students of this great passtime,
Of recording shit.



(Where's the haiku thread at?)

[soundawg]

Originally Posted by Windshore

In my own experience with high-end equipment, I've found that it always takes a while before you can really know what it can or can't do, and if you've never worked with an API, or a Neve, and you get your first one, .... then your first session doesn't blow you away, you may tend to naively conclude that, "... well, I'm not an API (or Neve) kinda guy."

Get over your impulsiveness, and learn the gear. Give it some time. It can take quite a few sessions for a person to understand what a high-end pre can do, even though there are minimal controls.

Others here have made good suggestions. I certainly agree that it's very important to experiment with the gain structure and, especially with API, what comes after the pre can be remarkably important in realizing it's potential.

YES! WELL PUT!


I just recently enterd into the high end arena with an AD 2022 and boy do I know what you mean.

After using for 5 min. all I really noticed was I had way more gain and maybe more clarity?

After using for 5 weeks - WOW! I do a lot of dialogue and I can hear things in my voice I never knew existed, this 'sound' is now a lot easier for me to 'find' in the other instruments I use it with... I can imagine that after 5 years I will REALLY understand the unit.

Funny - I am surprised I was suprised - having been a long time guitar player - this is nothing new, and is always expected when buying a new guitar or amp...

Here's to many months of awsome new discoveries for all who buy new gear!

Soundawg.

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by ElectriK Noize

Hey Ron. What do you use to pad the outputs of the 3124? As far as i understand, the pad on the 3124 pads the input. Am I right about this?

-John

First of all i call my Api 3124 my PUSH Pres.....omg i love them, 2nd im no sure what setup ypu are using but i use a normal board (tascam m2600) and i have no issues with padding the outputs, my line in have tons of headroom and can handle it w/o buting any ATTY. I guess i lucked up.

[Ricey]

Originally Posted by syra

I do have the inline shure pads...I'll try them on the output although I don't like the fact that I have to "figure" out what I must do to get the most out of this unit.

well, API had to 'figure out' how to give people the pre's they wanted without the rest of the desk, so...

i mean, they're supposed to be in a desk - with an 'output attenuator', that is, a fader.
another couple of hunnies for two ATTY's and it's still the best deal on the block in my estimation.

[syra]

...Um...is this statement a joke?

well, API had to 'figure out' how to give people the pre's they wanted without the rest of the desk, so...

i mean, they're supposed to be in a desk - with an 'output attenuator', that is, a fader.
another couple of hunnies for two ATTY's and it's still the best deal on the block in my estimation.

What I said means I want to buy something, plug it in and have it work (the way I want - read my last couple posts) without having to "experiment" with pading the input or pading the output and so on ...

API had to figure out things cause they are the manufacturer. They had to if they wanted to sell them... I shouldn't have to figure out anything on my part.

Now...all I just said made a pointless point since you don't have to pad the output on these to get a great sound. This is a 2.5 year old thread. It was just not the sound I was expecting to hear at the time and I thought I could do something to get what I wanted. Obviously that's not the case and you would know that if you had bothered to read the whole thread!