cranesong hedd question

[Mastering101]

im looking for my next piece. the hedd looks interesting. i have to say i have a set of distressor with british mod. so im not sure if these units are alike in some ways. i know the hedd is not a compressor.. i would not use it for an ad/da just for the tube and tape effects.. how does it sound for this? is it worth it.. my second choice would be maybe the culture vulture...thanks for any info!!

[C.Lambrechts]

hmmm ... look at the hedd as a FANTASTIC AD that can add tape simulation effect. Yes it does that extremely well. Now wether you wanna skip the AD and just go in digital to use the tape simulation effects is entirely up to you but NOT using the AD if it's there would be ... uhm .... a shame to say the least. What are you using as convertors now ? why would you skip the AD ?

I'ved never used a culture Vulture but I would think that if distortion / tape simulation is what you are lookin for and you are set on not using the AD in th hedd, the culture vulture might be a better option. Just a guess but the culture vulture might allow you to apply 'more' effect then the hedd..... not that I personally see the need for that.

maybe someone has compared the effects of both units ?

[Mastering101]

Originally posted by C.Lambrechts
hmmm ...are you using as convertors now ? why would you skip the AD ?

im useing apogee rosetta 800

[lucey]

Originally posted by effectsnut
im useing apogee rosetta 800

you really should hear the HEDD

i use the D to D for mastering ... but in the rare tracking instances to digital, vocals and bass and guitars are all terrific with a touch of effect

[jazzius II]

The HEDD most definately is a compressor!

[copal]

effectsnut: good god, man...didn't you just get a massive passive the other week?!

maybe you should change your nickname to "Buff McBling"

[Mastering101]

Originally posted by copal
effectsnut: good god, man...didn't you just get a massive passive the other week?!

maybe you should change your nickname to "Buff McBling"

LOL maybe i should be nominated the gearslut of the month

[Ted Nightshade]

The HEDD is an excellent harmonic generation device for D/D use, that happens to come with good but not great converters. Nothing fantastic about them. They smear transients pretty awful and I've never managed a decent sound direct to digital with them.

The HEDD process though is a wonderful tool and yes it acts as a compressor.

HEDD A/D may be better than the Rosetta one though, I couldn't say I've never used the Rosetta.

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally posted by Ted Nightshade
The HEDD is an excellent harmonic generation device for D/D use, that happens to come with good but not great converters. Nothing fantastic about them. They smear transients pretty awful and I've never managed a decent sound direct to digital with them.

surprises me a bit to be honest. I did a mobile recording just a few days ago. Recorded a concert steinway and trombone and violin with it and must say I was very pleased with the AD. Didn't use the processing ... just the AD at 96k. But I guess an opinion is an opinion. I rate the convertors quite high to be honest.

[Simon Lomax]

I have had a HEDD for a little while and must say that it is some of the best a/d that I've heard - the d/a isn't it's strongest feature but you've got to love the tape and pentode processing.

I actually recently did a comparison with the prism dream ada8 and although for me the hedd doesn't quite stand up to that in terms of transparency, for a two channel converter with the processing functions, I can see why so many people use them.

Si

[Brad Blackwood]

Indeed, different people hear differently - I love the HEDD ADC and have chosen it over everything else I've tried...

[Ted Nightshade]

I will say the HEDD A/D doesn't sound as good through the HEDD D/A as it does through the SLAM! D/A... still, never was able to get decent sounds live to digital, although the percussion heavy stuff I'm recording all at once to a mic or two is probably different than what most of y'all are recording.

I did get pretty decent results going from tape to the HEDD A/D, although with some frustrating timing problems that killed some grooves pretty dead... others seemed to survive OK.

Brad, you aren't tracking anything to the HEDD are you? I'm thinking you're mostly putting tapes through it in mastering or using it to get back to digital after an analog detour? I thought the HEDD A/D did a lot better there than it did during tracking.

Still, I believe what that box is all about is that HEDD process, which is really exceptional and most useful.

[blackcatdigi]

Originally posted by Ted Nightshade
The HEDD is an excellent harmonic generation device for D/D use, that happens to come with good but not great converters. Nothing fantastic about them. They smear transients pretty awful and I've never managed a decent sound direct to digital with them.

AND

To get digital converters that sounded as good as my lovingly rebuilt near-mint 1968 Sony 1/4" 4 track, which cost me $600 (total steal, especially rebuilt!), I had to go the Manley SLAM! with digital option. Cranesong HEDD wasn't even close. That is a LOT more money!

Trouble is, I had to have some way to mix down to digital from the reel-to-reel, so I needed converters anyway. Frustrating. My mixdowns to the HEDD never sounded anywhere as good as the mixes did of the tape machine. Whole takes that sounded great on tape fell flat on the HEDD.

Now I dispense with the reel-to-reel altogether and record it all live to 2 track on the SLAM

As Brad was saying, I'm always suprised how differently we hear things... I've seen several of your posts where you've raved about the SLAM's converters, and downplayed the HEDD's and I'm going to have to go 'on record' to say I feel exactly opposite: I've used both a bit, and in direct comparison, so I feel I can confidently state my opinion. I think the HEDD's A/D is among the finest and (No offense Ms. Manley) I was extremely underwhelmed with the SLAM in general on all fronts. I felt it was average. No more, no less.

Obviously our mileage varying.

Please carry on!

[Simon Lomax]

Of course you are right that it depends on what you are using it for.

I don't think that I would rely on the HEDD's D/A for critical listening. I also prefer the A/D on the prism unit 95% of the time - but I love the sound of the tape emulation.

Just out of interest anyone using the pheonix plugin - how does that compare to the processing functions on the hedd?

Si

[Ted Nightshade]

Blackcatdigi,

I'd be real pleased to have something a lot better than the SLAM!. It has been the first thing to get me workable results recording direct to digital- although I don't use the limiting at all, it kills it just being in the chain. So, I'm able to work, finally, without the tape machine. And the stuff I've mixed from tape to SLAM! sounds a lot better than the stuff I've mixed from tape to HEDD. The SLAM! ADC ain't truly great but it's a whole lot closer IMHO.

I wonder are you doing all kinds of tracks and all kinds of processing? I'm doing 2 mics to 2 tracks and that's it. Could explain some of the differences.

The SLAM! is far from the be-all-end-all but I can get a whole lot better results than I ever could with the HEDD, tracking live to 2-track straight to digital. Which I wonder are any of you HEDD fans doing?

All of this stuff is a pretty poor substitute for the instruments in the room. I've been having a hard time just finding something that I can work with without total frustration- and extensive post-tracking processing and EQ and all that is just not something I care to get involved in, personally, which is a real minority position amongst gearslutz!

Still, that HEDD process is dynamite, and since that's what the original poster is after, hey, have at it! It's very nice that there are credible ADC and DAC to get you in and out but if you're already digital I would go D/D.

Since most of you work very differently with very different kinds of sources, YMMV a bit more than usual even.

One of these years there will be something truly satisfying to record with... this SLAM ought to hold me 'til then, although I am already jonesing for some truly great all-tube mic pres...

[blackcatdigi]

Ted,

Yes, very, very different work!

BTW, I would strongly suggest you check out DW Fearn mic pre's!!!

Get 'em from Fletch and try 'em...

Cheers!

[Jules]

Just out of interest anyone using the pheonix plugin - how does that compare to the processing functions on the hedd?

Very well!

IMHO

[Simon Lomax]

Originally posted by Jules
Just out of interest anyone using the pheonix plugin - how does that compare to the processing functions on the hedd?

Very well!

IMHO

I must give it a try - as soon as I've got a protools system installed.

Would you say that the phoenix is just like the processing on the HEDD? Or is it more than that?

Si

[Jules]

If you were on a budget and the Hedd was out of reach you could be safe in knowing that you were getting the same style "phattening" everyone raves about.

Phoenix & URS - rock my world at present.

Phoenix Dark Essence on drums RULES

[burst]

The Phoenix plugs plus auto delay compensation in PT have made mixing drums a blast again. The combo has meant fat, rich, thick and pumpy goodness to our latest mixes here, with not nearly the effort we had to expend previously.

We have the HEDD as well, and have been BLOWN AWAY that Dave Hill and Crane Song keep coming up with such incredible tools. Our mixes now leave our Sony DMX console as AES signal to the HEDD, with a STC-8 patched into the HEDD's analog in/out.... we've never been happier.

And Crane Song is in Wisconsin. We're proud of 'em. :-)

Just weighing in with my $0.02.