Chandler/EMI Hardware

[twwalsh]

Is anyone here mastering with the Curve Bender or the TG limiters from Chandler? These seem like a couple of holy grail units, and I was wondering if anyone here has them in their rack.

[bgrotto]

I have a TG-1. Great when you want a lot of coloration; I can't imagine using it in a mastering application. I can't even get control of it on the mix buss (though I've spoken to a few folks who swear by it there).

I (along with most of the rest of the planet, from my understanding) tend to use it on drum buss or room mics. If you'd like, I can try to dig up a clip so you can hear it there.

[twwalsh]

Originally Posted by bgrotto

I have a TG-1. Great when you want a lot of coloration; I can't imagine using it in a mastering application. I can't even get control of it on the mix buss (though I've spoken to a few folks who swear by it there).

I (along with most of the rest of the planet, from my understanding) tend to use it on drum buss or room mics. If you'd like, I can try to dig up a clip so you can hear it there.

i'd love to hear a sample. i've very successfully used the plugin TG limiters on the mix buss (as well as drums), so i have a feeling i might like it. i'm sure it's awesome on bass.

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by twwalsh

i'd love to hear a sample. i've very successfully used the plugin TG limiters on the mix buss (as well as drums), so i have a feeling i might like it. i'm sure it's awesome on bass.

Yup, works great on bass! I've never used the plugins, so I can't really comment.

I'll take a minute now to try and find a good example or two of the TG1 working in an obvious way on some drums...stand by.

[bgrotto]

Cool, so here is a link to an mp3 (I know, sorry!) of a rough mix from the last basics session I did. The TG-1 is working pretty hard on the drum room; you can hear its distinctly grimy character pretty clearly:

http://bennygrotto.com/TG-1%20example.mp3

Here's a link to another clip from a couple months ago:

http://bennygrotto.com/2009.01.25%20...Mix%201.CD.mp3

This one had the drums getting some parallel compression treatment from the TG-1. You can really hear it if you skip to about 3/4s through the tune, when it goes to double-time.

Hopefully between those two you can get a sense of its aggressive vibe, which is IMO what it does best.

BTW - the TG-1 is in "Limit" mode for both clips. It's definitely a lot less aggressive in "Comp" mode, but not nearly as gratifying!

Comp mode is cool for bass (as I think you've already figured out), but I just can't get it to happen on the mix buss. If you have any clips of stuff you've done with the plug on the mix buss, I'd love to check em out, particularly if you remember the settings!

[bgrotto]

Originally Posted by twwalsh

i'd love to hear a sample. i've very successfully used the plugin TG limiters on the mix buss (as well as drums), so i have a feeling i might like it. i'm sure it's awesome on bass.

I just saw that you're in Boston! You can come by my studio any time you want (I work in Allston); I'll show you the TG-1 hardware in person

[twwalsh]

yeah, let's get that together. i will for sure come over. i'm pm'ing you with a buss comp sample.

[twwalsh]

so noone has a curve bender?

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by twwalsh

so noone has a curve bender?

I had a trial for a bit. Wasn't that impressed for mastering, didn't sound much like an EMI TG mastering EQ to my ears, but then again it's based on a different design (more on the TG mixing console). The mastering EQ had different frequency choices and shelf/bell curves on each of the 4 frequency bands which made it very unique. Perhaps Wade (the designer) could chime in. Some people love it though.

I was very impressed by the Abbey Road TG plug-in emulation.

[+6/185]

Originally Posted by twwalsh

Is anyone here mastering with the Curve Bender or the TG limiters from Chandler? These seem like a couple of holy grail units, and I was wondering if anyone here has them in their rack.

The TG limiters are very colored sounding and not very useful in mastering unless your client is into it. I have used them on a stereo buss during a mix and even at their most conservative settings have a VIBE for days. (that's code for they pump like crazy). Great company to business with and on vocals, bass and drums can be magic!

[4130]

I have a Curvebender with the 0.5dB mod. I've never had the opportunity to listen to the original TG mastering or console EQ so I can't comment on sonic or feature comparison. However, I think it's a great piece of gear and it works for me as most of the stuff I work on is indie rock. I use it as my color EQ and do surgical stuff with plug-ins. I find it colorful but not so aggressive that it becomes harsh. The filters are also very useful. Sometimes I wish it had a real bandwidth control, but those are usually the times that I find I end up going to plug-ins for mostly cuts. I like it enough that I'm considering supplementing it with the Abbey Road stuff when I feel like I need more bands of attitude.

[twwalsh]

Originally Posted by +6/185

The TG limiters are very colored sounding and not very useful in mastering unless your client is into it. I have used them on a stereo buss during a mix and even at their most conservative settings have a VIBE for days. (that's code for they pump like crazy). Great company to business with and on vocals, bass and drums can be magic!

i agree - at least the plugs are a totally unmistakable sound. i haven't really used it on the buss for a rock band, but this latin thing i did sounded great through it.

[MicSlut666]

bump

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by twwalsh

Is anyone here mastering with the Curve Bender or the TG limiters from Chandler? These seem like a couple of holy grail units, and I was wondering if anyone here has them in their rack.

too colored for mastering. It would be an audio injustice I know If I sent my mixes to a mastering engineer and they added color Id be pissed. Why do you think the GML 8200/9500 and the old Sontec stuff he designed are the staple in mastering rooms? one word....... Transparency

For mastering they would be useless unless you're a mastering engineer who likes
changing the sound of mixes as opposed to doing your job and simply refining them.

[Huntley Miller]

Originally Posted by allencollins

too colored for mastering. It would be an audio injustice I know If I sent my mixes to a mastering engineer and they added color Id be pissed. Why do you think the GML 8200/9500 and the old Sontec stuff he designed are the staple in mastering rooms? one word....... Transparency

For mastering they would be useless unless you're a mastering engineer who likes
changing the sound of mixes as opposed to doing your job and simply refining them.

looks like some "audio injustice" going on in this place.
http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20080211/...1A_270x280.jpg

[Adam Dempsey]

It'd be interesting to hear about how Calbi's was modified...

For what it's worth, the LTD-2's rock for when that tone is needed. Love 'em.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by Huntley Miller

looks like some "audio injustice" going on in this place.
http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20080211/...1A_270x280.jpg

If he jumped off a bridge would you follow him?
not me

GML is king in the mastering room

[twwalsh]

Originally Posted by allencollins

too colored for mastering. It would be an audio injustice I know If I sent my mixes to a mastering engineer and they added color Id be pissed. Why do you think the GML 8200/9500 and the old Sontec stuff he designed are the staple in mastering rooms? one word....... Transparency

For mastering they would be useless unless you're a mastering engineer who likes
changing the sound of mixes as opposed to doing your job and simply refining them.

i have a slightly different take on it, and my clients are happy. i think you can be tasteful and conservative without avoiding colorful processing.

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by allencollins

If he jumped off a bridge would you follow him?
not me

GML is king in the mastering room

I disagree. I think a survey of the currently busiest and most acclaimed mastering houses would find GML gear in only a very small percentage of them.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[William Bowden]

FWIW I have a modified Curvebender in my mastering suite. The two mods are:

1. The Lowpass filter has been changed so that the next position to 'out' is 30k then down through the values to 2K. Originally it was out then 2k increasing to 30k - this was crazy as you can imagine. I pointed this out to Wade and he was like "Oh my god, you're right I'll fix it", so the Curvebender from my unit onwards (00100) have a new faceplate print and switch arrangement.

2. I thought the highpass filters were too radical for my purposes so I have a much more gentle arrangement going from 10hz up.

I also have the half db steps of course, and I'm looking at modding the power supply as it's not the quietest around despite being remoted.

Yes this eq has a flavour and is coloured (so is the GML IMO - bright anyone?), and I don't use it as much as my Sontec or Z sys for example. As Ben F says it does sound different to a TG eq (I know, I also have a TG mastering console) and doesn't have the multiple shelving options, that being said though, I think it's a great box at times and I like having it around for something different. It is not a purist unit, and when it's in the chain the levels increase by about half a db, but I can live with that. It has quite a punchy and unique tone and can be great in MS. I find if I do use it that the high and lowpass filters are really useful too.

I wouldn't have it as my only piece that's for sure, but it's paid for itself on a number of jobs already, so I'm happy to keep it around here. Some clients love it as well - especially the retro guys when they hear how it's not the same as the TG, sometimes better, sometimes worse.

The King

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by William Bowden

As Ben F says it does sound different to a TG eq (I know, I also have a TG mastering console)

I nominate you for gearslut of the year.

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

I nominate you for gearslut of the year.

I second that nomination. How often do you get an opinion by someone that actually owns a TG console as well?

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

I disagree. I think a survey of the currently busiest and most acclaimed mastering houses would find GML gear in only a very small percentage of them.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

most acclaimed? and no GML? I doubt that very much. Seriously.
I would never let anyone master my stuff unless they had a GML or similar
unit

[Ben F]

Originally Posted by allencollins

most acclaimed? and no GML? I doubt that very much. Seriously.
I would never let anyone master my stuff unless they had a GML or similar
unit

Really? I find a lot of people use it on the mix bus, but the 8200 I used to use had terrible left/right imbalances which is not ideal for mastering.

[IIIrd]

i use a tg consol every day, and i did try the curve bender. i agree with comments above i'd maybe have it as something else to add, but it wouldn't be the backbone of my room. i'd say its more of a studio bit of gear rather than a mastering tool

[William Bowden]

Originally Posted by IIIrd

i use a tg consol every day, and i did try the curve bender. i agree with comments above i'd maybe have it as something else to add, but it wouldn't be the backbone of my room. i'd say its more of a studio bit of gear rather than a mastering tool

Hey wow, another Tg owner, mine's an ex Capetown desk that went from there to Zimbabwe and then Dublin, now Oz. Couple of pics here William Bowden (william bowden) | MySpace.com

As you can see it's been cut down on the right rack, any pics of your beast.

Yeah I'm a slut Robin - go figure!

The King

[IIIrd]

Originally Posted by William Bowden

Hey wow, another Tg owner, mine's an ex Capetown desk that went from there to Zimbabwe and then Dublin, now Oz. Couple of pics here William Bowden (william bowden) | MySpace.com

As you can see it's been cut down on the right rack, any pics of your beast.

Yeah I'm a slut Robin - go figure!

The King

mines pretty similar...fairly basic but has been modded over the last 30 yrs. i work at abbey road so mines been here all the time. i'm searching for some pics but i'm not sure if i have any at home (i'm there now).
the mods done arn't state secrets , but i wont go into them just now.
i wouldn't be without my tg it's quite unique.

[lerone]

Divine in parallel!!

[Kayo]

Originally Posted by William Bowden

Hey wow, another Tg owner, mine's an ex Capetown desk that went from there to Zimbabwe and then Dublin, now Oz. Couple of pics here William Bowden (william bowden) | MySpace.com

As you can see it's been cut down on the right rack, any pics of your beast.

Yeah I'm a slut Robin - go figure!

The King

The King!! for sure..
Loads of gear there. Great options..
A true Gearslut.. . Wow!

Cheers'
FD