Upgrading, looking for advices ! :)

[EchoLabs]

Hey, whats up ? :)

Im new here , its good to know such a professional forum, ive been reading
a lot here on mics and gear in the last week and i decided to jump in and say
hello, and also for some advices :)

Im upgrading my project studio , here is a little background :

Basically i produce digital music (HipHop,RnB,Electro,House)
and the instruments i usually record is vocals,guitars (elctric & acoustic)
and im about to record some violin & cello for an upcoming projects.

My studio consists of

really strong DAW with massive Sample libraries VSTi & plugins running Cubase SX 3

RME HDSP9632 audio card

UAD Ultra PAK - DSP Plugins card PCI

Focusrite LiquidMix - DSP FW Plugins

Dynaudio BM6A Monitors

Blue Baby bottle condenser

M-Audio Keystation 88 Pro Midi Keyboard

A Preamp - a great one that manufactured by a local sound engineer
a great one here in israel, it sound really good compared to what i had previously
(Focusrite VoiceMaster ProPlatinum) didnt really compared it with a known high end
Preamps ... but here is the Specs
=====

As you can see my most work on producing , mixing etc happening in my
computer with digital processors.

The thing is , i have lots of knowledge and exprience in Sound and Studio
Gear , and i made lots of mixes and productions and recordings through the
last 5 years,since i got more serious in that profession,but i feel that i can't
make my mixes bigger than im already making, and it still doesn't sound
"like famous artists records",if its the clear sound or the big feel of it.

so , i decided to upgrade my recording chain & my Sound equipment in general,
and it will be a real help if you guys tell me what you think i should do with my
setup for my needs...my budget is 10,000$ (can stretch these a little if needed)

here is what i thought about :

buy a new mic
im looking for a new 1 real good mic/or 2 cheaper mics especially for
Soul singers , because the baby bottle seems to have too much Lo mids
it doesn't compliment the singers i record here.

buy 2 more UAD DSP cards - Nevana x2 and the expert pak
(really love the sharpness of these plugins)

buy an external compressor for mixing needs.

What do you think can make my sound chain better for mixing and recording ?
and what should i replace/add to my setup ?

thanks :).

[EchoLabs]

Help ? someone ?

[elmolemon]

You should have:

- a treated room (!!!)
- i said a TREATED ROOM !!!!
- great monitors (!!!)
- at least one great mic (better 3!)
- at least one great pre (better 3!)
- a nice tracking comp (la2a, 1176.. whatever you like..)
- a nice stereo-comp for the 2-bus
- a good mastering studio

In your position i would start with the room!

Then have a look at real good monitors!

Then buy an amazing Mic (maybe with another pre/comp).

And now you should be broke again..

[EchoLabs]

Well (whats the !!! all about )

I got a treated room,and i think that the Dynaudio BM6A ARE Great monitors .

[elmolemon]

Then you don't have to worry about this and you can go on buying mics, pres and outboard!

[EchoLabs]

now can you help ?
or you gonna be cynical the next posts too...

cmon people... im sure that not all of you started with 200,000$ studio in 1 day, help the
amateurs to evolve here ,its important to me , just a few suggestions for a better gear

[TonyBelmont]

I would probably look at a great vocal mic next.

Depending on your budget, a Peluso or Wunder could be good options.

[EchoLabs]

thanks for the reply tony.

well my budget for a mic is 2,000$ and after reading lots of threads here
about R&B Vox Recordings and other suggested female vocals mics
i think my options for the budget is :

Neumann TLM49 (heard that one,loved how it sounds)
Peluso VTB
AKG TL2 (or the newer version i think its XL2,lots of ppl recommends that)
Blue blueberry
Peluso 22 251

well , one little problem with the Peluso mics, didnt found any
one who importing them here (israel)
so i dont really know how to compare those 2 to the other mics.

basically im looking for a mic with sparkling highs and low presence
for mostly a R&B Vocals style...

which one of those mics you think best suite ?
and what about a compressor for recording, is it necessary or can i get good results
without one either ?..

thanks

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by EchoLabs

basically im looking for a mic with sparkling highs and low presence
for mostly a R&B Vocals style...

which one of those mics you think best suite ?
and what about a compressor for recording, is it necessary or can i get good results
without one either ?..

The Peluso VTB... the 251 could work well, but lacks the low end of the VTB.

We can ship those mics to Israel if you can't find one locally.

As far as compression.... It's a must for me. I could probably make due without, but I much prefer to have a good compressor for tracking. Unfortunately all of the good compressors I would use are over $2000. You could probably make due with a DBX 160, which I occasionally use for rap vocals. I usually prefer a more flexible and slower compressors for R&B...

[EchoLabs]

Got it , i'll search the VTB around here if i wont find a distributer here i probably
buy 1 from you.

im not familiar with the DBX 160a is it a good compressor ?

i see that the VTB costs 1496$ it leaves me with something around 7,500$ (its about 9k
budget,not including taxes,shipment if needed,etc)

for other equipment i might need,such as a compressor for recordings
and routing channels through it in mixing,another UAD Nevana x2 DSP card.
or other equipment i might not be aware of at that moment and that is the reason
im looking for advices about other outboard gear that might help the
rec sound chain and mixing sessions,and the final sound.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by EchoLabs

Got it , i'll search the VTB around here if i wont find a distributer here i probably
buy 1 from you.

im not familiar with the DBX 160a is it a good compressor ?

i see that the VTB costs 1496$ it leaves me with something around 7,500$ (its about 9k
budget,not including taxes,shipment if needed,etc)

for other equipment i might need,such as a compressor for recordings
and routing channels through it in mixing,another UAD Nevana x2 DSP card.
or other equipment i might not be aware of at that moment and that is the reason
im looking for advices about other outboard gear that might help the
rec sound chain and mixing sessions,and the final sound.

With that kind of budget, you may want to consider getting a couple of different mics along with an upgrade to your mic preamps and compressor situation.

Maybe a pair of Aurora Audio GTQC's for tracking and mix buss duties?

I would hold off on the UAD since they'll probably have the UAD2 at AES.

[EchoLabs]

Whats is the UAD2 ? a new series of cards ?,if so, when its about to release ?,
it might worth waiting for.

i googled the Aurora Audio GTQC, i see its a preamp & compressor channel, and 1 costs
2700$, at that price for a stereo buss compressor,wouldnt it be better to go with the API2500 ?
never heard about the Aurora Audio GTQC as a preamp + Comp channel for recording
is it a good 1 ?

because i got a pre already,its pretty good, but its not neve or any other high end pre, maybe
it would be better to add a compressor for recording (i saw lot of recommendation here about
the Tubetech CL1B,dont know it either ...and its really expensive )
and a Stereo buss comp such as API2500

by the way which extra mic you think complete the VTB ? to add more versatile
sound choices.

thanks for the help.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by EchoLabs

Whats is the UAD2 ? a new series of cards ?,if so, when its about to release ?,
it might worth waiting for.

i googled the Aurora Audio GTQC, i see its a preamp & compressor channel, and 1 costs
2700$, at that price for a stereo buss compressor,wouldnt it be better to go with the API2500 ?
never heard about the Aurora Audio GTQC as a preamp + Comp channel for recording
is it a good 1 ?

because i got a pre already,its pretty good, but its not neve or any other high end pre, maybe
it would be better to add a compressor for recording (i saw lot of recommendation here about
the Tubetech CL1B,dont know it either ...and its really expensive )
and a Stereo buss comp such as API2500

by the way which extra mic you think complete the VTB ? to add more versatile
sound choices.

thanks for the help.

The API 2500 is a great unit, but I prefer it more on drum buss as opposed to stereo buss.... If you don't need the preamp, you could get Aurora's GTC2 (stereo compressor only version of the GTQC compressor).. but, those are backordered two months. Well worth the wait if you can hold off.

I think either the 2500 or GTC2 would be excellent choices, though.

As far as another complimentary mic.... the 47 LE would be my choice.

UAD2 info is here:http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music...outta-bag.html

[delasoul]

i would recommend getting a lavry black ad10. and then a lavry black da10. cuz trust your probly not hearing things right, and youll know it when u get these.the ad10 doesnt sound huge but it will definitely keep things that sound huge, huge. and then get a huge sounding pre, then your set! ehe, sounds like tony is tryin to sell u somethin..

[EchoLabs]

yeah its surely sound like it , tony what about recommendation about gear that you don't sell ? :)
i would like to know other equipment as well, though the Aurora audio pre+comp,VTB&47 LE
looks really good,any other opinions on that ???.
and maybe other models of mics ? what abou mojave audio MA-200 ?

delasoul - do you think that the rme hdsp9632 converters isnt good enough for now ?
because 2400 for ad/da is pretty expensive, but if thats necessary i'll put something else away...

thanks

[delasoul]

he, tonys sells everything. but seriously, those converters make a huge difference.. the da makes a big difference when your mixing, and the Ad makes a big difference when recording. maybe jus get one piece at a time.

although rme is a great brand, my friend will swear by them. they do make great converters.. but he now has a lavry blue, attached to his rme fireface. ive mixed on everything from apogee, lynx, mytek, benchmark, lavry, echoaudio, motu, rme. my best mixes were with the lavry da10. the mytek would have to be a close 2nd. maybe get the mytek cuz its a bit cheaper.

[EchoLabs]

By saying mytek you meen the Mytek Stereo96 ADC Mastering A/D Converter also ?
and the DAC version of it ?
well its cheaper
btw. what do you say about apogee's rosetta 200 ? its 192khz 24bit 1 AD/DA unit, is it
not as good as the mytek i mentioned above?.

thanks for your help, i serieously considering purchasing converters next to the other
gear i'll buy,

still looking for the right mics & pre's options though
its really hard to decide what will suite my needs with all this gear around
got to narrow things a little bit...

[delasoul]

haha yea, the mytek stereo version. if anything i would say get the DAC first.. nothing is more important than hearing things correctly, right? mytek is like the poormans lavry haha.

apogee is more colored.. and mytek is more.. more of what you put in it is what you get out. with the apogee its more kinda of.. what you put in.. comes out more.. dare i say.. scooped? it has sparkly highs and some nice lows.. i guess thats kinda why it sounds scooped.. kind of a hip hop sound or radio type sound.. i dunno how to describe it.

one thing ive noticed over the years.. is that:

crappy mic pre's will make great mics 'sound' crappy.

great mic pre's will make crappy mics 'sound' great if not decent. and it will make great mics sound even greater haha.

but then again it all depends on what you record through those mics..