Adding 'mojo' to synths

Donpepperoni · 7th November 2009

I'm looking for a nice character mic pre or compressor to send stereo synths through (hardware ones).

I like to send my analogue mono synths through my UA6176. That gives a nice vintage sound.

I have been sending stereo synths into Drawmer's 1968/ Midas Venice. That's nice but I think I need more mojo! I wondered what other folks are using with good results?

GYang · 7th November 2009

DIs like TAB 71.
Great River, Aurora pres with DI.

geeek · 7th November 2009

Try something like a Demeter VTDB-2 DI, or something else transformer/tube based..

Gates Sta-Level or something else that allows you dial in a ridiculously filthy amount of tube gain. That is one serious mojo piece.

Sexy tube harmonics all the way. Winding up tubes gives you tons of mojo!

rydan · 7th November 2009

SSL vhd pres. Great for grittying up synths. Oh, and thermionic culture vulture is sweeeeet as well...

NWSooner · 7th November 2009

The REDDI is very nice. I have one that I run synths through (Mopho, SE-1X, MKS-80 in particular) and eventually I'm going to add another one so I can run stereo stuff through them. Definitely adds some vibe and mojo.

Audio Hombre · 7th November 2009

can anyone using a tg2 on synths comment about what they think of that pre with their synth? one was recommended to me for this role quite sometime back and i'm searching again.

666666 · 7th November 2009

Run `em through a pair of hand-wired "reissue" API 550A eq modules. These add just the right amount of smoothness and subtle "compression" without "distorting" the signal too much. The original sound at the input is pretty much "untouched", still sounds "true" and "accurate", but yet is just a bit, dare I say, "fatter", "thicker" and rounder... can put just the right degree of "analog" tinting to digital synths, and can make analog synths sound that much thicker.

Now if you are not so much into keeping the sound somewhat "true" and don't mind a good degree of obvious distortion, then any of the more "radical" mic pres out there will do the trick, Neve-ish stuff, tubey stuff, etc.

But personally, I' m often shooting for capturing good instruments "accurately", I try to keep from getting carried away with "distorting" the heck out of everything. Been there, done that, don't like it.

The 550As "distort" but in a generally "transparent" manner... if that makes any sense. They're obvious, but stealthy. (Holy contradiction, Batman!) Well, you know what I mean.... they add an analog thickness in a very polite manner. By comparison, a cranked up 1073 or highly colored tube thing will really "alter" the end result.... for better of for worse.

The newer 550As are a bit cleaner than the hand-wired ones. If you want the hand-wired ones now, you need to get the Saul Walker Editions... either that or scour the used market. These things are truly magical.

Handwired 550As DO "compress" the signal, I actually use them as subtle "compressors" (even though they are EQs)... as long as they are switched inline, they will add their glorious coloration and compression, you need not be cutting or boosting any frequencies. But, one click of 50Hz shelf boost and/or one click of 12.5k shelf boost can really help open things up in some cases (and a click of 400Hz cut can remove just the right amount of unwanted boxiness). This eq can do all these things at the same time if need be... very "musically "designed. Can't have enough of these puppies around.

Donpepperoni · 7th November 2009

Thanks, quick response! I suppose your right, I'm probably looking for tubes!

VTDB-2, looks really interesting! Is that mono, I'd need 2 then?!!

I'd often thought about the culture vulture, that looks like it has 'mojo'. Never tried one. Are any folks using it intensively sending everything through it or is it an occasional piece? I suppose it might depend on music style here but just wondered?

Donpepperoni · 7th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by 666666

Run `em through a pair of hand-wired "reissue" API 550A eq modules. These add just the right amount of smoothness and subtle "compression" without "distorting" the signal too much. The original sound at the input is pretty much "untouched", still sounds "true" and "accurate", but yet is just a bit, dare I say, "fatter", "thicker" and rounder... can put just the right degree of "analog" tinting to digital synths, and can make analog synths sound that much thicker.

Now if you are not so much into keeping the sound somewhat "true" and don't mind a good degree of obvious distortion, then any of the more "radical" mic pres out there will do the trick, Neve-ish stuff, tubey stuff, etc.

But personally, I' m often shooting for capturing good instruments "accurately", I try to keep from getting carried away with "distorting" the heck out of everything. Been there, done that, don't like it.

The 550As "distort" but in a generally "transparent" manner... if that makes any sense. They're obvious, but stealthy. (Holy contradiction, Batman!) Well, you know what I mean.... they add an analog thickness in a very polite manner. By comparison, a cranked up 1073 or highly colored tube thing will really "alter" the end result.... for better of for worse.

The newer 550As are a bit cleaner than the hand-wired ones. If you want the hand-wired ones now, you need to get the Saul Walker Editions... either that or scour the used market. These things are truly magical.

Handwired 550As DO "compress" the signal, I actually use them as subtle "compressors" (even though they are EQs)... as long as they are switched inline, they will add their glorious coloration and compression, you need not be cutting or boosting any frequencies. But, one click of 50Hz shelf boost and/or one click of 12.5k shelf boost can really help open things up in some cases (and a click of 400Hz cut can remove just the right amount of unwanted boxiness). This eq can do all these things at the same time if need be... very "musically "designed. Can't have enough of these puppies around.

This popped up as I was typing! Really interesting response! Great suggestions of gear! I suppose you could be right. Pushing the harmonic distortion all the time could be a bad thing in many cases. Maybe I should have explained that I am decent project studio but like to try to improve my set up with a few choice pieces of high end gear.

I want to try to get that lush 70s sort of synth sound though. Recording to tape might also be the answer.

Charlie Hugall · 8th November 2009

I have been getting some really great results using a 1073 with an old juno-60. Really super fat

StoneinaPond · 8th November 2009

Try an Avalon 747.

2Loud · 8th November 2009

Pacifica has nice impact and shine to hw synths, programmed percussion,
I like GR for weighty and focused stuff - kicks to bass,big snares but also strings, horns, leads...

Sounds Great · 8th November 2009

I don't remember what it was called, but I had a Peavey valve saturater box that actually had tubes in it, specifically for keyboards. You could dial in how much tube distortion you wanted. It worked quite well.

yeloocproducer · 8th November 2009

+1 for ze culture vulture.

Donpepperoni · 8th November 2009

Anyone got any love for an elop in this role?

illacov · 8th November 2009

Tape.

Transformer based pre with steel core or 50/50 steel core transformers.

The transformers have to use shitty quality steel cores though, not that brand new state of the art stuff. Think WWII steel.

Cassette deck with 3 heads so you can realign it in the DAW.

Mic your monitors and record the playback of your synths that way.

Run your synths thru a reamp box into a tube guitar amp and mic it with whatever gritty ass chain you want.

If you can't get a Gates Sta Level, try the Solid States Man. Has a shit ton of iron in it and sounds just like it, dope on drums, guitars, bass as well. The AGC is the one I have and I can use it on most anything and find a pleasing result when I want dirt!

Peace
Illumination

Sounds Great · 8th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sounds Great

I don't remember what it was called, but I had a Peavey valve saturater box that actually had tubes in it, specifically for keyboards. You could dial in how much tube distortion you wanted. It worked quite well.

Ahh, here it is, the Peavey Tube Sweetener.

Harmony Central®: Peavey Develops Tube Sweetener(TM) Signal Enhancement Unit

davedarling · 8th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donpepperoni

Anyone got any love for an elop in this role?

I've got my synth sub-mixer running into a piece 'o shyte Bellari 520 stereo mic pre
(cost like $200 new, put in NOS rca tubes) into a Manley ELOP.
The Bellari has a dialable distortion factor, and the ELOP has the love.

dd

mudrock · 8th November 2009

Here's a curveball: Roland JC-120 Amazing on synths, with or without the stereo chorus. That is my secret weapon.

ianbryn11 · 8th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by 666666

Handwired 550As DO "compress" the signal, I actually use them as subtle "compressors" (even though they are EQs)... as long as they are switched inline, they will add their glorious coloration and compression, you need not be cutting or boosting any frequencies. But, one click of 50Hz shelf boost and/or one click of 12.5k shelf boost can really help open things up in some cases (and a click of 400Hz cut can remove just the right amount of unwanted boxiness). This eq can do all these things at the same time if need be... very "musically "designed. Can't have enough of these puppies around.

That description makes me want some handwired 550a's real bad.... i feel like ive noticed a similar "compression" effect with the Avedis e27.... just having it in the chain helps to smooth out and "round" out the sound a bit.... With no EQ changes, things sound a bit better to my ears....Could be my imagination..... I still run things through it as much as possible.....

trashman · 8th November 2009

I'm pretty sure the bottom knob will do the trick

kittonian · 8th November 2009

If you want a bit of punchiness and grit with a smooth top and big bottom get an A Designs Pacifica.

If you want warm fat and round get a pair of A Designs REDDI Tube DIs.

Best recommendation is to get them both and you'll be set for whatever your needs might be. Heck, you can combine them together for third type of tonality.

RKrizman · 9th November 2009

I run sampled drums of any sort through my 737's and pad like sounds into my 2-610. OTOH, I recently acquired a Korg M3 that sounds best plugged straight into the HD 192.

-R

jmikeperkins · 9th November 2009

I recorded and mixed a project that was mostly synths recently and the 2 things I used to add mojo were the tube Anthony Demaria CL 1500 opto compressor and the vintage (solid state) Telefunken W695 eq. Both of these work really well for that. The CL 1500 (or the mono CL 1000) can add really nice tube mojo/warmth to synths, especially with heavy compression or heavy gain. The Telefunken W695 eq also works really well in this application. It has a 60hz low end boost that is to die for in this application. It has also selectable mid range boost which can be cool and a nice 10Khz top end. You can experiment putting the compressor before the eq or the other way around (both sound different).

7th November 2009	#1
Donpepperoni Gear nut Joined: Jan 2009 Location: London Posts: 120 Thread Starter	Adding 'mojo' to synths I'm looking for a nice character mic pre or compressor to send stereo synths through (hardware ones). I like to send my analogue mono synths through my UA6176. That gives a nice vintage sound. I have been sending stereo synths into Drawmer's 1968/ Midas Venice. That's nice but I think I need more mojo! I wondered what other folks are using with good results?

7th November 2009	#3
geeek Gear addict Joined: Jul 2007 Location: UK Posts: 410	Try something like a Demeter VTDB-2 DI, or something else transformer/tube based.. Gates Sta-Level or something else that allows you dial in a ridiculously filthy amount of tube gain. That is one serious mojo piece. Sexy tube harmonics all the way. Winding up tubes gives you tons of mojo! __________________ laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone

8th November 2009	#13
Sounds Great Gear Guru Joined: Jan 2005 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 15,301 1 Review written	I don't remember what it was called, but I had a Peavey valve saturater box that actually had tubes in it, specifically for keyboards. You could dial in how much tube distortion you wanted. It worked quite well. __________________ http://soundcloud.com/sounds-great-1 -Rob And these children that you spit on As they try to change their worlds Are immune to your consultations They're quite aware of what they're going through

8th November 2009	#16
illacov Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,791	Tape. Transformer based pre with steel core or 50/50 steel core transformers. The transformers have to use shitty quality steel cores though, not that brand new state of the art stuff. Think WWII steel. Cassette deck with 3 heads so you can realign it in the DAW. Mic your monitors and record the playback of your synths that way. Run your synths thru a reamp box into a tube guitar amp and mic it with whatever gritty ass chain you want. If you can't get a Gates Sta Level, try the Solid States Man. Has a shit ton of iron in it and sounds just like it, dope on drums, guitars, bass as well. The AGC is the one I have and I can use it on most anything and find a pleasing result when I want dirt! Peace Illumination __________________ Langston Masingale Sales and Customer Support @ JJ Audio Mics, USA JJ Audio Custom Mics and Mods!! JJ Audio Mics Email (Langston/Sales and Customer Support) Artists recently recorded with JJ Audio Mics: Ronnie Spector, Baby Bash, Paula DeAnda, Z-Ro, Slim Thug and the list continues to grow... http://soundcloud.com/illacov/jj-cd-vo-demo

8th November 2009	#21
trashman Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2007 Location: Williamsburg, NYC Posts: 1,494	I'm pretty sure the bottom knob will do the trick Attached Thumbnails

7th November 2009	#2
GYang Lives for gear Joined: Nov 2004 Location: here Posts: 4,290	DIs like TAB 71. Great River, Aurora pres with DI.

7th November 2009	#4
rydan Gear addict Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 369	SSL vhd pres. Great for grittying up synths. Oh, and thermionic culture vulture is sweeeeet as well...

7th November 2009	#5
NWSooner Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,085	The REDDI is very nice. I have one that I run synths through (Mopho, SE-1X, MKS-80 in particular) and eventually I'm going to add another one so I can run stereo stuff through them. Definitely adds some vibe and mojo.

7th November 2009	#6
Audio Hombre Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2005 Posts: 1,893	can anyone using a tg2 on synths comment about what they think of that pre with their synth? one was recommended to me for this role quite sometime back and i'm searching again.

7th November 2009	#7
666666 Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,564	Run `em through a pair of hand-wired "reissue" API 550A eq modules. These add just the right amount of smoothness and subtle "compression" without "distorting" the signal too much. The original sound at the input is pretty much "untouched", still sounds "true" and "accurate", but yet is just a bit, dare I say, "fatter", "thicker" and rounder... can put just the right degree of "analog" tinting to digital synths, and can make analog synths sound that much thicker. Now if you are not so much into keeping the sound somewhat "true" and don't mind a good degree of obvious distortion, then any of the more "radical" mic pres out there will do the trick, Neve-ish stuff, tubey stuff, etc. But personally, I' m often shooting for capturing good instruments "accurately", I try to keep from getting carried away with "distorting" the heck out of everything. Been there, done that, don't like it. The 550As "distort" but in a generally "transparent" manner... if that makes any sense. They're obvious, but stealthy. (Holy contradiction, Batman!) Well, you know what I mean.... they add an analog thickness in a very polite manner. By comparison, a cranked up 1073 or highly colored tube thing will really "alter" the end result.... for better of for worse. The newer 550As are a bit cleaner than the hand-wired ones. If you want the hand-wired ones now, you need to get the Saul Walker Editions... either that or scour the used market. These things are truly magical. Handwired 550As DO "compress" the signal, I actually use them as subtle "compressors" (even though they are EQs)... as long as they are switched inline, they will add their glorious coloration and compression, you need not be cutting or boosting any frequencies. But, one click of 50Hz shelf boost and/or one click of 12.5k shelf boost can really help open things up in some cases (and a click of 400Hz cut can remove just the right amount of unwanted boxiness). This eq can do all these things at the same time if need be... very "musically "designed. Can't have enough of these puppies around.

8th November 2009	#10
Charlie Hugall Gear interested Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 19	I have been getting some really great results using a 1073 with an old juno-60. Really super fat

8th November 2009	#11
StoneinaPond Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 1,157 1 Review written	Try an Avalon 747.

8th November 2009	#12
2Loud Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2009 Posts: 569 1 Review written	Pacifica has nice impact and shine to hw synths, programmed percussion, I like GR for weighty and focused stuff - kicks to bass,big snares but also strings, horns, leads...

8th November 2009	#14
yeloocproducer Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2004 Location: los angeles Posts: 1,739	+1 for ze culture vulture.

8th November 2009	#19
mudrock Gear maniac Joined: Oct 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 189	Here's a curveball: Roland JC-120 Amazing on synths, with or without the stereo chorus. That is my secret weapon.

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8th November 2009	#22
kittonian Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 4,324 1 Review written	If you want a bit of punchiness and grit with a smooth top and big bottom get an A Designs Pacifica. If you want warm fat and round get a pair of A Designs REDDI Tube DIs. Best recommendation is to get them both and you'll be set for whatever your needs might be. Heck, you can combine them together for third type of tonality. __________________ Joshua Aaron President/Chief Engineer AudioLot/AudioLot Studios High End Pro Audio Sales & Consulting Recording/Music Production/Mixing http://www.audiolot.com Follow AudioLot on Facebook for AudioLot's BIG DEAL Gear Specials, Morning Mix Tips, and more by clicking here AudioLot is located in Hollywood, CA. If you're in the LA area and are interested in coming by to see any of the gear we carry in person, please let us know.

9th November 2009	#23
RKrizman Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 6,598	I run sampled drums of any sort through my 737's and pad like sounds into my 2-610. OTOH, I recently acquired a Korg M3 that sounds best plugged straight into the HD 192. -R __________________ Now Blogging: A skeleton goes into a bar .... www.rickkrizman.com

9th November 2009	#24
jmikeperkins Lives for gear Joined: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 844	I recorded and mixed a project that was mostly synths recently and the 2 things I used to add mojo were the tube Anthony Demaria CL 1500 opto compressor and the vintage (solid state) Telefunken W695 eq. Both of these work really well for that. The CL 1500 (or the mono CL 1000) can add really nice tube mojo/warmth to synths, especially with heavy compression or heavy gain. The Telefunken W695 eq also works really well in this application. It has a 60hz low end boost that is to die for in this application. It has also selectable mid range boost which can be cool and a nice 10Khz top end. You can experiment putting the compressor before the eq or the other way around (both sound different).