Anyone feel like day-dreaming with me - new tracking room

[kats]

My new tracking room for Spring '06

So I have most of the gear already, and noticed a theme in my gear list. Kind of an Olympic meets Abbey rd (well kinda). It's not a complete picture, so I thought I'd throw it out there to see what you fellas would like to see. (PS - it's for rock/alt rock/hard rock - mixing done elsewhere except for rough stuff, or personal use)


6 X Helios pre/eg
6 X Chander pre/eq
2 x Neve 1073

2 X 1176's
2 X tg1 Limiters
1 La2a

2 X ifet7
2 X UM 92.1
SD E47
TeleUSA Ela M 251
Royer 121
Akg d12e
2 X Josephson c42
Beyer M201
Misc dynamics(421's, 57's etc)


I kind of like what I've got, especially the combination of the Tg channels and helios, both vibey but totally different. I just get the feeling I'm missing something on the front end - hmmmmm

[Lanstar Zero]

what are you tracking to? DAW/tape/what? If digital, good convertors..

I would also pick up a couple distressors.

[kats]

You know, I was thinkin about the distressors, but have honestly not used them - I should definately try em out. Yet, since it's mostly tracking, the dynamics will be used while tracking - ie sparingly on the usual culprits.

No worries on the back end btw, I'm humming and hawing over either a motu config with apogee conversion, or bending over on an HD system. Probably just go with motu (although I like mixing on PT) simply because I'm just to busy to think about mixing aside from personal use anyhow. By the time I get out of this racket, I'm sure digidesign will have another "latest greatest" ehe.

[enharmonic]

That's a sexy list you've got there.

If we're just talking about tracking, my dream piece (aside from a studer 827) would be a Radar 5 with the S Nyquist converters. That's a lot of beans though...but you'd get world class converters and a great recorder.

[DivineMusic]

your a freakin slut lol
thats a nice list you have right there and distressor would just make it better..perhaps 2 la2a's too over just having 1

[eligit]

how about dream about the actual room?

mmmm high ceilings....hard wood floors....sound treatment....

now that's some frickin serious gear

[Syki]

I'm with you eligit.....ummm floated hard wood floors, angled ceilings and walls
The smell of Pine, birch, or cedar.....thats true gearslutism

[kats]

Who said the room ain't slutty

Interesing thought on the RADAR though....

[Jules]

I count 14 mic pre inputs - thats a little short for a rock band sometimes (IMHO)

Is there a console?

If not you need more input pre's IMHO

Is this for your sole use or will friends / freelancers use it too?

I suggest

Evil Twin Valve DI box
2 x Distressors
1 x not too expencive 8 ch mic pre
1 x pair 'fast' / super clean mic pre's (GML/Buzz/SSL X series/Amek9098/Other?)
1 x Pair DBX 160 VU
Best converters you can afford (16 or 24 A/D inputs to DAW or Radar)

[Jules]

To go retro you might want to get

Pair - valve U67 mic's
ADR compressors
Some Fairchild copy compressor...
Pair Beyer M160 mic's / Coles (both ribbons) or more Royers...

Just some thoughts...

[RooF]

Originally Posted by Jules

I count 14 mic pre inputs - thats a little short for a rock band sometimes (IMHO)

Is there a console?

If not you need more input pre's IMHO

Is this for your sole use or will friends / freelancers use it too?

I suggest

Evil Twin Valve DI box
2 x Distressors
1 x not too expencive 8 ch mic pre
1 x pair 'fast' / super clean mic pre's (GML/Buzz/SSL X series/Amek9098/Other?)
1 x Pair DBX 160 VU
Best converters you can afford (16 or 24 A/D inputs to DAW or Radar)

For the 8 channel mic pre s what s in between the octopre and say the Crane song Spider (price and quality wise)??????

[kats]

Oooooooo Jules, your hitting me in my soft spot

Boy I thought long and hard on the U67's, but alas, the nature of my business is that this equipment really gets worked on hard and I worry about 40 year old gear. I think I'm ball parking where your mind is going with the UM92.1 - although I hear the xformer mod makes quite an improvement - in the direction we're both thinking. That said, you just replanted that terrible seed in my head

I do have more pres - no desk, TG2, La-610(which I hardly use, except it sees alot of bass guitar) but I see where your going with the clean pre's. I don't offer much versatility do I - then again I'm not that versatile to begin with.

It's almost a damn shame not to have the U67's isn't it.....

[Jules]

Sh!t, with a pair of U67's and a castle, you'd be all set!

[s00p3rm4n]

Originally Posted by Jules

Sh!t, with a pair of U67's and a castle, you'd be all set!

Quite frankly, I'd spring for the castle. Depending on where you live, it could be more affordable. Plus it has that nifty natural reverb... and, if you play your cards right, a medieval armory.

[kats]

Originally Posted by Jules

Sh!t, with a pair of U67's and a castle, you'd be all set!

Your killing me!!!

[Fletcher]

I realize it looks like I'm pimping... I'm not.

I sincerly hope my comments don't turn into a "Fletcher's an asshole" [FWIW, I am] shitstorm that won't be productive to your ultimate goal/decision process.

As always, please take any and all/everything I say with a big bag of salt.

-----------------

There were a few things on your list I would suggest you bag... and a few things I would suggest you add

Originally Posted by kats

6 X Helios pre/eg
6 X Chander pre/eq
2 x Neve 1073

2 X 1176's
2 X tg1 Limiters
1 La2a

2 X ifet7
2 X UM 92.1
SD E47
TeleUSA Ela M 251
Royer 121
Akg d12e
2 X Josephson c42
Beyer M201
Misc dynamics(421's, 57's etc)

I would bag the 1176's and suggest Purple Audio MC-77's as they are actually truer to the original 1176's than the Universal Audio reissues [I shit you not!] and around the same price.

I'd suggest you look at the Tube Tech CL-1B instead of the LA-2A... I've often found the CL-1B to do a better job of being an LA-2A than 99.998% of the LA-2A's that exist.

I'd suggest you bag the TeleUSA Ela M 251 and look at any of 20 other seriously class acts as it's dubious whether TeleUSA can actually deliver a decent product. I've heard conflicting reports... most of the positives come from those that have received "promotional support discounts" for the unit, the negatives from other "non-endorser" type user/owners... I've seen a set of photos where a unit was actually delivered with blobs of solder on the capsule!! I don't give a shit if that's an isolated mistake, the fact of the matter is that a unit made it out of their building/factory like that... I would avoid the motherfukker like it caused herpes, but your business is your business.

I'd suggest you go for a pair of U-195's instead of the iFet-7's as I've found the U-195 to be a WAY more versatile mic by virtue of the "fat" and "lo cut" switches while the iFet-7's "dual amplifier" thing seems to be way more marketing hype than substance... that and the motherfukkers break all the time which is a serious drag.

Personally I think the E-49 buries the E-47 in damn near every application where I've tried them next to each other... but that could just be my sense of aesthtic creeping into the conversation... you might want to check them out side by each before making your ultimate decision... while you're trying things, you might consider checking out one of the MT Gefell UM-900's or the Horch RM2J... both of which have become "favorite mics" in my arsensal [as always, YMMV]... I would suggest that like "in addition to" something like the E-49 not in lieu of the E-49... but if you strike the TeleUSA 251 from the budget then there could be some room for the additional experimentation... or not.

On the Josephson end of things, if you can squeeze a couple of e22's into your arsenal I think you'll be a VERY happy camper, maybe a second Royer 121 and/or a Coles 4040... and I might suggest a bit more variation than 6x Helios and 6x Chandler on the mic pre end of things... maybe some API [and/or] Great River [and/or] TAB-funkenwerks in the fray, etc... again, sense of aesthetic kind of variable... use your ears, ignore my words.

Best of luck with the search... again, my most sincere apologies if it seems like I'm pimping... that is not the intention. You asked for a review of your list, that is what I have attempted to provide.

Peace.

[Art Johan]

I think Jules is right.
you better have a pair of clean pres in your arsenal.
The day may come when you have a great musician playing a great axe
and coloration becomes a hinderence not an asset.

[kats]

Alright dammit, I'll get a couple of clean pres Actually I was going to anyway, but didn't list them 'cause "clean" ain't that subjective.


Hmmm interesting post Fletcher. As I said I have most of the equipment (at least 1 of) save for a few items...and the 251 is one of those items not purchased yet - thanks for the heads up. Somehow the U195 never did it for me (I know I'm in the minority on that one) and I warmed up to the ifet7's after quite a bit of use - I use them on everything. Like you said YMMV

I do want a 251 style mic though, on the detailed side sonically speaking, which made me move towards Telefunken instead of other brands of pseudo 251's - maybe I should give SD a shot.