Higher end Gear you've hated?

[Dean Roddey]

All really high end gear that I can't afford is actually over-hyped crap that only gullible people would ever buy.

[visiblesound]

A DESIGNS PACIFICA. Come on all you Pacifica loving whiners, get mad and insult me now!

Worst sounding Pre I've ever used.

[visiblesound]

By the way.... i was just kidding except for the fact that I didn't like the pacifica much. A great pre for many, but one of my least favorites and I was very disappointed by it since it was so hyped - I had high hopes for it.

[sumskilz]

Drawmer 1960
All Digidesign Converters

[24-96 Mastering]

Let's see... some gear I've hated over the years:

- Quested speakers (VH3208, to be precise)
- Amek Galileo (for its sucky automation)
- Avalon 2044 because I really liked its sound but it somehow always managed to be unusable
- Sintefex FX8000 for losing me a lot of money in a very short amount of time
- Millennia NSEQ-2 for the bad load interfacing and the high price of the balancing option and for its chunky, oh, and the rather quick going-crackly of pots.
- Mackie d8b (not high end, but still) for crashing all the time in the early software revisions (for 2 years at least).
- Pro Tools / Digidesign (too many reasons to pick one out)

[ho-fi]

- dbx 160SL
- any spl-gear except the de-esser
- akg c-414 and most other akg-mics

[Space Station]

Lexicon 480L - the most underwhelming reverb I've ever owned.

The very early 414eb with the brass CK12 capsule sounds smooth as silk..a great mic.

[Mad John]

+1 on Monster cables SUCKING LIFE OUT OF YOUR GEAR!!!

(1000 series - what a joke at that price! They are so overbuilt and way too colored to be a reference cable!)

500 series - also, way too colored and hyped in the low mids!

Switching out thousands of dollars of Monster cables for Magami!

Because transparency matters!

[slopeshoulder]

Originally Posted by mackid

AKG Mics, tried them all, they all suck.

Agreed, EXCEPT I love my old C460B pair.

[Silver Sonya]

Klein & Hummel O300D's.

Amazing sound, but not enough amp headroom for the dough.

I am waiting for them to make a version with an improved amplifier and then I think it will be absolutely perfect.

- c

[UpNSmoke]

I posted this on another thread, but it bears repeating here..

Software - Sonic Studio Soundblade; has to be the buggiest P.O.S. I've ever used. $2K for an app that most users are retrograding versions because of stability? It blows my mind why some mastering engineers get in their little [profanity deleted] about this program over on the mastering forum - proabably because they need to justify the purchase cost.

Hardware - allrightee..this is a candidate for 'best sounding' and 'worst built' piece of equipment I've ever used: Thermionic Phoenix Mastering Comp; the meters didn't work, the knobs never detented correctly, no matter how much I calibrated the levels the L/R channels were always off, and the chassis and parts just reeked of cheapeness. How did it sound? Like sex to my ears - I hated returning it. Imagine if you will - you're mother-in-law driving off the cliff in your brand new Mercedez - that's what returning the Phoenix was like.. mixed emotions.

[dannycurtean@yah]

Originally Posted by roxxon

Some people will want my head...
Yamaha NS10s.
I hate those speakers.
Okay on guitar and vox.
I think they suck...when attempting to mix anything else.
Not a great ref monitor...
Very highly over-rated.
If that were your only set of ref monitors getting a decent mix would be similar
"an act of God" or the "Second Coming of Jesus."

Well, in that case, you will get a GREAT mix.stike

But since when are speakers "good on guitar or vocals"? That makes not sense to me!

[usefullidiot]

Originally Posted by mackid

AKG Mics, tried them all, they all suck.

I read an interview with Steve Albini ( i think) and he was talking about how he had the chance to audition 5 AKG 414s on a singer on the same day etc etc anyway he said each mic sounded completly different...like each had different filters on them...i think he described it as shocking

[Bob Yordan]

Dont know if it is considered Higher, but Lola Vocaloid VSTi was kind of a
disapointment vs the time I spent on it.

[Space Station]

Originally Posted by usefullidiot

I read an interview with Steve Albini ( i think) and he was talking about how he had the chance to audition 5 AKG 414s on a singer on the same day etc etc anyway he said each mic sounded completly different...like each had different filters on them...i think he described it as shocking

I doubt he was shocked as that is standard engineer knowledge. There are many different types of 414 and the older the mic is the more the sound will vary.

[andyspiller]

Neumann U87s 1988-92 - hired several and thought they were appaling pieces of gear - hired an Beyer MC740 and thought that it destroyed the Neumann for quality of sound.
Drawmer M500, Jack of all trades, Master of failure to function with any kind of control, Yamaha R3 Reverb, getting a decent Reverb setting seemed so much hard work. . . . . usually turned it off again, Sony DTC 1000ES DAT Recorder, Digital glitches dropping into record, anyone?

Thought the SSL E and G were dissappointing but that's just my taste, still had to work on them, usually bypassing the EQ and inserting Massenburg and Focusruite on tone-critical stuff.

\MAC computers 1995-1999 - they were so unreliable and cost me a fortune having to remake stuff when they dumped data in partial crash mode (this happened twice and the timing was absolutely crap too)

[rowan wood]

Originally Posted by vernier

Almost everything newer than 50's tube gear annoys me.

wow, you are kind of picky, ain't ya'?

[PhilE]

Originally Posted by PhilE

ProTools software since OSX.
Focusrite Red mic amps.
Drawmer 1960
Drawmer 1961
Raindirk (Series III?) Desk
Harrison Desk
All the Joe Meek stuff I've ever seen
Focusrite Platinums
Focusrtie... actually all of it apart from the Green and ISA series, and Red comp is OK too!
Mackie monitors
Flying Faders
Hell... loads more I'm sure- I'm a whinging git after all!

Wow- I've changed my mind on some of those now! I like the Reds now, have moved to appreciate the Raindirk Series 3 and also like flying faders!

[dannycurtean@yah]

Originally Posted by Chaim Goldman

I was just about to buy a pair of the AKG 414 Bs, when I came across this thread. I'm scared off now.

I do have a U87 (and a an AT 4050) that was discussed here.

While I hate the U87 on SOME vocals, they are just fine on others. And for instruments they are good as well.

So this makes me think that the hatrige against the 414 Bs might be source specific.
Or is it totally not worth?

I was going to use it as a stereo pair to record choirs in a 14' X 11' dead studio room.

I liked the fact that it has 5 polar patterns and the other stuff there on the mic, but if it sounds like crap, I'll have to stand away...

It doesn't sound like crap. I use 414s all the time, and for OH, Piano and vocals, they are great mics. If you cant get a great recording with a 414, your source sucks or you need to take up carpet cleaning.,....

[dannycurtean@yah]

Originally Posted by UpNSmoke

I posted this on another thread, but it bears repeating here..

Software - Sonic Studio Soundblade; has to be the buggiest P.O.S. I've ever used. $2K for an app that most users are retrograding versions because of stability? It blows my mind why some mastering engineers get in their little circle jerks about this program over on the mastering forum - proabably because they need to justify the purchase cost.

Hardware - allrightee..this is a candidate for 'best sounding' and 'worst built' piece of equipment I've ever used: Thermionic Phoenix Mastering Comp; the meters didn't work, the knobs never detented correctly, no matter how much I calibrated the levels the L/R channels were always off, and the chassis and parts just reeked of cheapeness. How did it sound? Like sex to my ears - I hated returning it. Imagine if you will - you're mother-in-law driving off the cliff in your brand new Mercedez - that's what returning the Phoenix was like.. mixed emotions.

haha! LOL thats a GREAT analogy. Language IS a powerful tool.....

[dannycurtean@yah]

Originally Posted by Mikathechou

Oh YES I HATE PLUGINGS !!!

Didint, you JUST say that there are no bad gears, just bad users?

I dont think plugins suck at all, I think you need to get your head out of your ass and start using them as TOOLS not magic boxes that fix shitty recording and inadequate mixing talent.

[rob S]

avalon
blue
manley
adl
joe weak
SSL
km184
mesa boogie
JCM 900's
millenia
focusrong

[NickHiebert]

A lot of people said they were disappointed with the Drawmer 1960, I'd tend to disagree, I found it functional at the very least - good for electric guitars. I would say it's a good unit, but not good enough for the price.

I hated the Avalon 737sp, though. It sounded good for the most part, but the compression was really terrible - no amount of tweaking ever really did the trick.

the AKG D112, I actually hate the way this mic sounds, I was all for it a year ago but not so much now - makes your kick sound like a puff of air no matter where you put it. It's so big and clumsy you'd be lucky to get it inside the average kickdrum.

AKG C 1000, maybe good for close-micing a ride cymbal but definitely not for over-heads, for some reason I didn't dig them.

Anything Behringer or Presonus... even though I still use Behringer and Presonus in my rig, I can't hack it... they make me want to punch a baby.

Alesis Monitor 1s, my old boss who owns Studio 11 in Winnipeg swears by these things, I thought they sounded just as poor as the average stereo speaker...

Neumann TLM103 - REALLY sensitive, but aside from that I couldn't hear that much of a difference between that mic and an AKG 414. In fact, the 103 conked out half way through tracking vocals once and we finished with the 414. We couldn't hear a difference at all, really... I think the most I noticed was that the 414 didn't sound as close or as involved as the 103.

And last but not least, Pro Tools... I was balls-deep in pro tools about a year ago, I swore by it for some ridiculous reason, but I came on here looking for advice on what kind of gear I should select for my rig and 'peeder' suggested that since I have a macbook I should just use logic. I resisted at first but eventually chose logic, after buying a copy of Logic Studio it's probably the BEST investment out of all my gear, peeder's suggestion really saved my bacon.

Now, on the opposite end of the scale, one unit I was very impressed with was the Art tube PAC, it's only $100 but Acoustic guitar sounds amazing through this thing.

[Fleaman]

Originally Posted by NickHiebert

the AKG D112, I actually hate the way this mic sounds, I was all for it a year ago but not so much now - makes your kick sound like a puff of air no matter where you put it. It's so big and clumsy you'd be lucky to get it inside the average kickdrum.

AKG C 1000, maybe good for close-micing a ride cymbal but definitely not for over-heads, for some reason I didn't dig them.

Anything Behringer or Presonus... even though I still use Behringer and Presonus in my rig, I can't hack it... they make me want to punch a baby.

Alesis Monitor 1s, my old boss who owns Studio 11 in Winnipeg swears by these things, I thought they sounded just as poor as the average stereo speaker...

These are hardly considered 'high-end'....

[Phaidon]

Originally Posted by PhilE

Wow- I've changed my mind on some of those now! I like the Reds now, have moved to appreciate the Raindirk Series 3 and also like flying faders!

I bet Drawmer 1961 will be next...!

[Audio Hombre]

Originally Posted by NickHiebert

the AKG D112, I actually hate the way this mic sounds, I was all for it a year ago but not so much now - makes your kick sound like a puff of air no matter where you put it. It's so big and clumsy you'd be lucky to get it inside the average kickdrum.

not high end

Originally Posted by NickHiebert

AKG C 1000, maybe good for close-micing a ride cymbal but definitely not for over-heads, for some reason I didn't dig them.

not high end

Originally Posted by NickHiebert

Anything Behringer or Presonus... even though I still use Behringer and Presonus in my rig, I can't hack it... they make me want to punch a baby.

not high end

Originally Posted by NickHiebert

Alesis Monitor 1s, my old boss who owns Studio 11 in Winnipeg swears by these things, I thought they sounded just as poor as the average stereo speaker...

not high end

Originally Posted by NickHiebert

Neumann TLM103 - REALLY sensitive, but aside from that I couldn't hear that much of a difference between that mic and an AKG 414. In fact, the 103 conked out half way through tracking vocals once and we finished with the 414. We couldn't hear a difference at all, really... I think the most I noticed was that the 414 didn't sound as close or as involved as the 103.

u couldn't hear the difference between these? what model 414? sound nothing at all alike to my ears

[NickHiebert]

Originally Posted by Audio Hombre

not high end

u couldn't hear the difference between these? what model 414? sound nothing at all alike to my ears

Perhaps the distinction between good gear, mediocre gear, high-end gear, and pretentious over-priced gear is a bit too arbitrary. A good example would be that the Avalon 737 would be considered high-end, however it's really not worth the money and I think it's a crumby piece of equipment... So is it really high-end? I wouldn't say so.

But yeah, I would agree that much of the gear I mentioned wasn't generally considered high-end, but again, it's arbitrary and subjective.

And Presonus does make "high-end" gear - although Behringer doesn't...

As for the 414, I haven't a clue exactly what model it was, but no monumental differences were heard between it and the 103 in that particular mix.

[Mad John]

Originally Posted by visiblesound

A DESIGNS PACIFICA. Come on all you Pacifica loving whiners, get mad and insult me now!

Worst sounding Pre I've ever used.

WOW!

That is quite a statement my friend!

[wrekdahouse]

avalon
manley

[visiblesound]

Originally Posted by Mad John

WOW!

That is quite a statement my friend!

Glad you got a kick out of it. As you can see from my second post, I was partially joking. I did buy one and sold it because it was my least favorite out of the pre's I used. When I originally shared my opinion on Gearslutz, I got FLAMED by many, many people. It was like I ran over their pet dog or something. They seemed to take it deeply personally that I didn't personally care for their favorite pre. I found the whole thing kind of funny. Hope that explains further. Who knows, maybe one day I'll get to use one again on different sources and I'll like it more. So much gear is great in certain situations and not great in others. Funny place this Gearslutz.

VS