Should I ditch the R.N.P/R.N.C for the U.A Solo 610?

Reag1502 · 1st August 2006

How's it going. I am seriously thinking about getting rid of my R.N.P and R.N.C for this bad boy. I'm looking at the Solo versions of either the 610 or the 110. I don't know if you know much about the Really Nice Preamps and Compressers, but from what I have recorded with them, I am not really that impressed. For the longest time, I had a cheap M Audio Duo, and I swear to you that thing sounds just as good, if not better than the R.N.P. The most important thing is recording guitars from lush clean to heavy overdriven tones, and the R.N.P just sounds flat, and mono with no life to it. When I bought the unit I wanted a two mic pre so I could record in stereo if I like, but that doesn't matter to me anymore,because I would rather just have 1 really nice channel, than 2 decent ones. Anyway I am looking to capture a big wide open type sound with lots of headroom and I have the guitars and effects to do that, now I just need the mic pre to help me. If you could give me some thoughts if the 610 or 110 is the way to go I would appreciate it. Also I know there are other things out there that might work, but I bought the FMR Pre from Sam Ash and can really only do a trade with other things they have like the UA stuff and Presonus Fire Pod.

uncle duncan · 2nd August 2006

If all you're doing is putting a mic in front of the speaker, it's going to sound flat and lifeless no matter what preamp you use. Try micing the room with the other channel, or the back of the cabinet. Search this board for guitar micing techniques. You could make a record with the RNP RNC combo, and it would be in stereo! But buying new gear is always fun, so keep what you got and put a UA box on your credit card. That's the gearslut way.

doorknocker · 2nd August 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

If all you're doing is putting a mic in front of the speaker, it's going to sound flat and lifeless no matter what preamp you use.

That's only true if your guitar sound and performance is flat and lifeless to begin with.

While I'm a big fan of using room mics for guitar amps you really should be able to get a great sound with just one close mic.

Everything else, like using 2 close mics on the amp and/or room,etc is just the icing on the cake. It can take the sound to the next level but it won't magically cure a lifeless sound. Chances are that it might even weaken the sound due to phase issues, especially if you're not so experienced.

What's often overlooked IMO is the influence of the room even on a close miked, loud amp. No matter what anybody says, I really think that the room plays a HUGE part even for say a amp tracked with a 57 right on the grille.

A great preamp will help though. A far as UA is concerned, my fave for electric guitar is the 2108, naturally they don't make it anymore.......

AmekGuy · 2nd August 2006

If you are looking for a great guitar sound, try some of the small vintage tube guitar amps. It will dramatically improve your sound over a preamp.

jwnc · 2nd August 2006

I have a Solo 610 and I love it, I highly recommened it for the money. You can set it for clean signel or you can get more tubey gain out of it. I have recorded direct signal and miked electric and it really sounds great.

Thanks
JW

Jtt · 2nd August 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

If all you're doing is putting a mic in front of the speaker, it's going to sound flat and lifeless no matter what preamp you use. Try micing the room with the other channel, or the back of the cabinet. Search this board for guitar micing techniques. You could make a record with the RNP RNC combo, and it would be in stereo! But buying new gear is always fun, so keep what you got and put a UA box on your credit card. That's the gearslut way.

That's the ****** way.

Only buy what you can actually afford, unless you want to pay for it three times over...

-Jtt

jwnc · 2nd August 2006

Maybe you should check out one of these.

http://www.palmergear.com/pga05.shtml

Joe Satriani (and countless others) use this without micing at all and it really works great. Satches new CD used this on 75% of the guitar tones on the record and it sounds just like a very well miced amp.

JW

David@MVS · 2nd August 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reag1502

Anyway I am looking to capture a big wide open type sound with lots of headroom and I have the guitars and effects to do that, now I just need the mic pre to help me.

If you cant get the FMR combination to give you "big wide open type sound" then the UA pres will not help you.

The lack of this in your recordings is probably more a factor of your room...possibly mic technique...possibly your monitoring setup than the RNP/RNC (unless the RNC is smashing the signal).

The FMR combo is a very capable input chain. There are better units, sure. But the difference between the RNP and UA610 is more lateral than vertical.

Good Luck,
David

uncle duncan · 3rd August 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jtt

That's the ****** way.

Only buy what you can actually afford, unless you want to pay for it three times over...

-Jtt

So if I need a specific piece of gear for a project, and the project is going to pay me for my time plus the new gear, I'm supposed to not buy the gear and bypass the project? Or do a bad job on the project and miss out on future referrals because I didn't have the right gear to make the artist sound great? Now that is the ****** way. Of course, the studio scenario is different from a guy recording in his bedroom. In his case, if the new gear is going to make him happy, why postpone happiness? Life is short, my friend, and who knows, tomorrow we might be bombed by terrorists, so why not make the most of today?

stagefright13 · 3rd August 2006

I agree with the slutty method. Don't sell anything. The RNP and RNC get very good reviews from lots of people. I would keep them AND get something else. Credit card is ok if ya get 0% for 12 months etc and make a point to pay it off. That's what I do. And train yourself that ya can't buy more gear till it's paid. You would be surprised how fast it gets paid off

As far as the 610 solo I have one and love it. But I have never tried the RNP. But you should be able to get a good sound out of it I imagine. If you are miking your amp with a 57 in your basement on concrete then nothing will sound good. But you haven't stated how or what you are recording with. That information would help people give you advice.
The solo 610 is great and especially useful to a guitar player like myself. I can use the tube pre as a di if I want to get some great input gain out of my old JCM 800. Plus run a clean out at same time to my DAW for reamping or sansamp stuff. And it smacks everything I have on vocals. (ada8000, art prochannel, mackie vlz, etc.) Right now it is glued to a kick drum in my tracking room. But I would NOT put down the RNP. I haven't tried one.
And Joe Satriani uses a 2-610 at home he says. And records with a 610 and an la2a. According to the video that comes with the 610 lol... there is an interview...

nathanvacha · 3rd August 2006

oh my. if the guitar sound is flat and lifeless, then the guitar/amp sound is flat and lifeless. Asking a pre to make it magic is like a lesser-version of saying you'll fix it with a plugin later. I've heard some incredibly slamming-ass guitar sounds with a 57 into a cheap digi-focusrite that was seriously paint-peeling.

Okay, for a starter suggestion though, how hard are you hitting the comp? You don't want to be squashing your guitar sounds at the compressor because that will take the life out of a distorted guitar really really fast. In fact, as I'm typing this, I'm more and more guessing that may be what happened...

otherwise, the first contributing factors are going to be
1. performer
2. instrument(s) (guitar/amps/effects)
3. the space you're working in

then mic pre is probably next for electric guitar, but it's pretty well down the list.

uncle duncan · 4th August 2006

You don't need a compressor on distorted guitar because the guitar amp is already compressing the sound. Big time.

Grasshopper · 4th August 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

You don't need a compressor on distorted guitar because the guitar amp is already compressing the sound. Big time.

1st August 2006	#1
Reag1502 Gear addict Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: overlooking the pacific ocean Posts: 367 Thread Starter	Should I ditch the R.N.P/R.N.C for the U.A Solo 610? How's it going. I am seriously thinking about getting rid of my R.N.P and R.N.C for this bad boy. I'm looking at the Solo versions of either the 610 or the 110. I don't know if you know much about the Really Nice Preamps and Compressers, but from what I have recorded with them, I am not really that impressed. For the longest time, I had a cheap M Audio Duo, and I swear to you that thing sounds just as good, if not better than the R.N.P. The most important thing is recording guitars from lush clean to heavy overdriven tones, and the R.N.P just sounds flat, and mono with no life to it. When I bought the unit I wanted a two mic pre so I could record in stereo if I like, but that doesn't matter to me anymore,because I would rather just have 1 really nice channel, than 2 decent ones. Anyway I am looking to capture a big wide open type sound with lots of headroom and I have the guitars and effects to do that, now I just need the mic pre to help me. If you could give me some thoughts if the 610 or 110 is the way to go I would appreciate it. Also I know there are other things out there that might work, but I bought the FMR Pre from Sam Ash and can really only do a trade with other things they have like the UA stuff and Presonus Fire Pod.

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2nd August 2006	#2
uncle duncan Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3,585	If all you're doing is putting a mic in front of the speaker, it's going to sound flat and lifeless no matter what preamp you use. Try micing the room with the other channel, or the back of the cabinet. Search this board for guitar micing techniques. You could make a record with the RNP RNC combo, and it would be in stereo! But buying new gear is always fun, so keep what you got and put a UA box on your credit card. That's the gearslut way.

2nd August 2006	#4
AmekGuy Lives for gear Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 741	If you are looking for a great guitar sound, try some of the small vintage tube guitar amps. It will dramatically improve your sound over a preamp.

2nd August 2006	#5
jwnc Gear maniac Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NC Posts: 201	I have a Solo 610 and I love it, I highly recommened it for the money. You can set it for clean signel or you can get more tubey gain out of it. I have recorded direct signal and miked electric and it really sounds great. Thanks JW

3rd August 2006	#10
stagefright13 Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,187	I agree with the slutty method. Don't sell anything. The RNP and RNC get very good reviews from lots of people. I would keep them AND get something else. Credit card is ok if ya get 0% for 12 months etc and make a point to pay it off. That's what I do. And train yourself that ya can't buy more gear till it's paid. You would be surprised how fast it gets paid off As far as the 610 solo I have one and love it. But I have never tried the RNP. But you should be able to get a good sound out of it I imagine. If you are miking your amp with a 57 in your basement on concrete then nothing will sound good. But you haven't stated how or what you are recording with. That information would help people give you advice. The solo 610 is great and especially useful to a guitar player like myself. I can use the tube pre as a di if I want to get some great input gain out of my old JCM 800. Plus run a clean out at same time to my DAW for reamping or sansamp stuff. And it smacks everything I have on vocals. (ada8000, art prochannel, mackie vlz, etc.) Right now it is glued to a kick drum in my tracking room. But I would NOT put down the RNP. I haven't tried one. And Joe Satriani uses a 2-610 at home he says. And records with a 610 and an la2a. According to the video that comes with the 610 lol... there is an interview...

3rd August 2006	#11
nathanvacha Lives for gear Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Orlando Posts: 1,231	oh my. if the guitar sound is flat and lifeless, then the guitar/amp sound is flat and lifeless. Asking a pre to make it magic is like a lesser-version of saying you'll fix it with a plugin later. I've heard some incredibly slamming-ass guitar sounds with a 57 into a cheap digi-focusrite that was seriously paint-peeling. Okay, for a starter suggestion though, how hard are you hitting the comp? You don't want to be squashing your guitar sounds at the compressor because that will take the life out of a distorted guitar really really fast. In fact, as I'm typing this, I'm more and more guessing that may be what happened... otherwise, the first contributing factors are going to be 1. performer 2. instrument(s) (guitar/amps/effects) 3. the space you're working in then mic pre is probably next for electric guitar, but it's pretty well down the list.

4th August 2006	#12
uncle duncan Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3,585	You don't need a compressor on distorted guitar because the guitar amp is already compressing the sound. Big time.