Help! I'm sick of digital outboard effects, what to do?

[AnalogBrain]

Hey guys,

I almost threw my Eventide H3000 SE out the window the other day. It sounds so damn digital. I've also got a Rev7 who's "Hall" reverb makes the singer sound like he's singing in a metal trash can. I also have a T.C. Electronics D2 delay, but I think my Macintosh computer from 1986 could produce warmer sounding delays.

I'm about ready to sell all of this sh!t and get some EFX that don't sound thin and grainy.

PLEASE help with some suggestions. I've been looking at the "CoolSprings" for reverb. But what is a good nice sounding flanger or phaser that doesn't sound like horse turds.

I did expect more out of the "classic" Eventide, but was very, very, very disappointed.

Thanks,
-Neil

[synthetic]

Get a real plate reverb? Or listen to the Bricasti M7 or Lexicon PCM96. I really like the sound of both of those, and the PCM96 gives you two stereo machines over FireWire. Never really liked the Rev7 sound, I agree it's metallic.

[Mike Brown]

Digital outboard effects really shine when used in conjunction with a aggresive low pass filter.... have you tried this?

[Flymax]

Get one of these!

[dsl]

Phaser: Electro Harmonix: Stereo Ployphase
Electro-Harmonix (EHX) Effect Pedals, Vacuum Tubes, Pro Audio

SubDecay: Quasar
Subdecay Studios - Quasar Phase Shifter

Flanger: Fulltone: ChoralFlange
Fulltone Products


All the above are Analog

[vernier]

Using live real spaces can work.
'

[Casey]

Originally Posted by vernier

Using live real spaces can work.
'

And great spaces are all around. Get out of your room and find a space with a for sale sign on it. They are everywhere these days.

In the late 70s I had an in at a public school that had closed. I did a dozen sessions in the school gym. The blackboards (this is what we used before white boards) were all on wheels and lined up in the hallways. I wheeled them in to the gym and set them all up randomly. Fantastic results!

Spaces are everywhere, use them by agreement or roll in gorilla style and record a take. As the cowboy once said; "Don't fence me in."



-Casey

[AnalogBrain]

Thanks guys for the advice!

I think I got really pissed when I started accepting (it took a few weeks after dropping a nice amount of $ on it) that the H3000SE has way more of a metallic edge than I expected from such a highly respected piece of gear.

I think I am ready to say "F**K Digital Outboard Gear" all together.

I will be trying a heavy handed lo-pass filter as one poster suggested. Thanks!

-Neil

[cjogo]

Sell them to us --that's all we use We felt the same way about plugins --so stayed with externals >> Dig I/O to our DAW

[Mr.HOLMES]

Have you tried this?

Overloud Store - PROFESSIONAL AUDIO TOOLS

Or just what beats every Lexicon / TC / Briscati etc on the Market ...
I have heard it and just was going to hit my self to make sure that I am not dreaming....

Welcome at QUANTEC in Munich / Germany - Navigator Server Push

Bad Website but World class Nr 1 reverb.
About 6 K in $

[jchadstopherhuez]

room mics....always.

spring reverbs...i have some soundworkshop, orban, biamp, and master room....they all sound cool.

fulltone tube tape echo or old echoplex

ibanez ad202 analog delay

sometimes even a holy grail guitar pedal gives me cool, warm "spaces"

but mostly...a good room....setup some extra mics some distance from the thing you are recording.

good luck !!

jchristopherhughes

[clusterchord]

Originally Posted by AnalogBrain

I'm about ready to sell all of this sh!t and get some EFX that don't sound thin and grainy.

tho real space recommendation is certinaly valid, but it may be as simple as getting a more recent high-end Eventide, if you want smooth n warm, and "un-digital", instead of graininess. that or a M7, TC4000, or a Lex300/480, or PCM96 ..


that being said, i love what both digital "eras" can bring to a mix, the modern ultra hifi smooth smooth stuff ($$$), and the old grainy boxes like H3000, PCM-70, URSA etc.. indeed, as suggested, i often shave off send and/or return with a LPF, when using PCM-70. almost always i do some HPF at 100 - 150Hz on sends too.


i often find TC4000 just too damn clean to point of running the return thru something dirty on the way back to A/D.


most of the time, for delays i stick to BBD analog units, like Boss DM-300 and MemoryMAn Deluxe. or RE-201 tape echo. unless the sound calls for some band-filtered or pitched multitaped complex eventide shit.

phasers, choruses and flangers are strictly analog. try EHX small stone, moog MF103, PolyChorus, CE-2. MXR 117 etc..

[robertbonello]

bathroom, hallway, stairwell, boxroom or garage with a) hi-fi b) lo-fi speakers and a mic or two... maybe with some predelay

pedals pedals pedals

maybe that nice expensive reel tape machine(can't remember the name)

a plate?

them akg spring boxes

the small spring verb with envelope knobs on it... (something beginning with a "v" i think)

pedals pedals pedals

some old synths you could jack into? ms-20 perhaps? or a big ol' arp type thingy

perhaps guitar amps in a room as your wet send? perhaps with pedals in front of it?

Creation Audio Labs - Blow it out your amp! The MW1 Studio Tool looks pretty handy

[cdog]

Ill take your 3000SE. You bought it for reverb? LOL nice1

[AnalogBrain]

Thanks guys for all your suggestions. I'll look into 'em.

And no, I didn't buy the H3000SE for reverb. I got it for phase shifting, flanging, and microshift. But i am unhappy with all of them. They all seem to damn grainy.

I am seriously thinking on selling it, and with the cash getting a few fun things that will suit me better.

Thanks all,
-Neil

[dlmorley]

H3000 is a magnificent unit, but not if you want NICE. It´s grainineess is what I love

Buy an AKG Spring (I have a BX25) or if you have the space, a Plate
Then get something like a Dynacord VRS23. Superb reverb/delay for maybe $200
Then buy a DECENT digital reverb. I like the EMT´s (especially the 246) and the Roland R880 a lot.

[cjogo]

Amazing how great a $25 Lexi 5 or 1 can deliver a quality verb Maybe our clients are more interested in their budget ...With a $6k QUANTEC > just for a verb ~~~ they would have to leave their cars for a downpayment

[SEH]

If you're looking for vintage analog effects you might be interested in this studio classic. Matrixsynth: Marshall Time Modulator and the Marshall Tape Eliminator

Scott

[robot gigante]

I love the graininess of those old digital boxes. Keep them and get some analog stuff to complement the sound, unless I suppose you are doing delicate acoustic music or something. Using both is really cool.

There's lots of good suggestions for analog flanging/phasing ect if you do a search here, so I won't bother to repeat what has already been gone over kind of exhaustively.

Gotta say too that plugins are REALLY lacking when it comes to FX right now, the old digital outboard stuff still kills them. So don't waste time looking there. Would be nice to see more plugin manufacturers step up to the plate and give us something other than all these emulated EQ's and comps.