Vintage Classics... really?

Plec · 1st January 2006

I was just thinking a few weeks ago about the flood of gear we're bombarded with all the time, and the fact that some of that are going to be considered classics and further what a classic piece of gear really is. I mean, basically... WHAT is a classic piece of gear and WHY does it become a classic??

A short list of classic gear would be

........................................
Neumann U47/67/87
Pultec EQP1A
Neve 1073
Focusrite ISA 110
Fairchild 670
Teletronix LA2A
.........................................

I know people and clients that really dislike a piece or two of these holy grail gear and really prefer the newer stuff instead. I mean why does old have to mean good? I sometimes catch myself in the act of making gear "classics" that I once thought sounded really bad. You know... something totally new comes out on the market that sounds different and you don't like it at all... but then after a few years something else comes out that is a further development of THAT gear and once you hear that you realize that "hey, that older stuff sounds really good compared to this..."..... and you get the rolling snowball effect of it.... Like a good example would be the original 16-bit black face ADATs that actually sound horrible compared to todays digital standards but there are quite a few people who refers to them as having a magical sound.

Like, is all the new gear getting worse and worse and so we realize that the older stuff is much better, and the stuff that is older than the old stuff was much better cause... well..etc..... Or is it just that the new gear is "different" and you got to learn to appreciate the new flavour of things? I thought since there might be some older guys here that has gone through a few generations of gear could shed some light.

I mean, when the U47 was new, it wasn't a big thing. They cost just about what a Rode K2 or something would cost you today right? My feeling is that it's soooo much about nostalgia. I've not met a single person in the "new breed of music artists/engineers" that think the U47 (or similar classic piece of gear) is da bomb, not even the U87 for that matter. About 4 out of 5 people I've talked with really prefer the sound of the TLM103 to the U87. I've more or less only seen the old school engineers pushing the sound and use of the classics, and again... my feeling is that it's more like nostalgia and what you're used to hearing than a piece of gear actually being "better" than another.

I bet in 30 years people are going to go...

- Wow man... do you remember the sound of those UAD plugins? **** they really rocked da house!!
- Yeah, I have a friend who just got a hold of an old UAD-1 setup with three cards and the system to match for just under 20 000$
- WOOOW... imagine having the money to buy that kind of gear dude!

No4PCs · 1st January 2006

I feel the same, the "classics" when launched represents normal piece only. Now in these days "classics". True.
I think the digital domain sounds always will need "tubes" to warmth the music, i dont know, but the analog always will be connection with "new".
I always read " MIB or analog?" i dont know if this thinking is correct because ppl never satisfied with nothing in music.But high-end england consoles costs too high, too much money, and the computer cientists want imitation of thie european "rupert neve sound" Weird but fact.
If i had some money, i could buy all behringer gear possible, with 5K we can buy so much behringer gear, then, since 30 years i will have a treasure?
hahahaha, sorry my poor english friend.
Happy new year

Ollie · 2nd January 2006

The attention to detail was much greater back when many of these classics were made. Germany, for one, had government funded research and developement for many of the classic pieces. They had the money, the minds, and the attention to detail.

Many of the pieces today that we consider classics have a familiar tone that is warm and musical. There are still some great products made today, but probably not to the same degree. Convenience has replaced attention to detail.

1st January 2006	#1
Plec Gear maniac Joined: Apr 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 151 Thread Starter	Vintage Classics... really? I was just thinking a few weeks ago about the flood of gear we're bombarded with all the time, and the fact that some of that are going to be considered classics and further what a classic piece of gear really is. I mean, basically... WHAT is a classic piece of gear and WHY does it become a classic?? A short list of classic gear would be ........................................ Neumann U47/67/87 Pultec EQP1A Neve 1073 Focusrite ISA 110 Fairchild 670 Teletronix LA2A ......................................... I know people and clients that really dislike a piece or two of these holy grail gear and really prefer the newer stuff instead. I mean why does old have to mean good? I sometimes catch myself in the act of making gear "classics" that I once thought sounded really bad. You know... something totally new comes out on the market that sounds different and you don't like it at all... but then after a few years something else comes out that is a further development of THAT gear and once you hear that you realize that "hey, that older stuff sounds really good compared to this..."..... and you get the rolling snowball effect of it.... Like a good example would be the original 16-bit black face ADATs that actually sound horrible compared to todays digital standards but there are quite a few people who refers to them as having a magical sound. Like, is all the new gear getting worse and worse and so we realize that the older stuff is much better, and the stuff that is older than the old stuff was much better cause... well..etc..... Or is it just that the new gear is "different" and you got to learn to appreciate the new flavour of things? I thought since there might be some older guys here that has gone through a few generations of gear could shed some light. I mean, when the U47 was new, it wasn't a big thing. They cost just about what a Rode K2 or something would cost you today right? My feeling is that it's soooo much about nostalgia. I've not met a single person in the "new breed of music artists/engineers" that think the U47 (or similar classic piece of gear) is da bomb, not even the U87 for that matter. About 4 out of 5 people I've talked with really prefer the sound of the TLM103 to the U87. I've more or less only seen the old school engineers pushing the sound and use of the classics, and again... my feeling is that it's more like nostalgia and what you're used to hearing than a piece of gear actually being "better" than another. I bet in 30 years people are going to go... - Wow man... do you remember the sound of those UAD plugins? **** they really rocked da house!! - Yeah, I have a friend who just got a hold of an old UAD-1 setup with three cards and the system to match for just under 20 000$ - WOOOW... imagine having the money to buy that kind of gear dude! __________________ Keep It Heavy! Sound=Distorsion=Music

1st January 2006	#2
No4PCs Lives for gear Joined: Dec 2005 Location: Brasil Posts: 755	hahaha good I feel the same, the "classics" when launched represents normal piece only. Now in these days "classics". True. I think the digital domain sounds always will need "tubes" to warmth the music, i dont know, but the analog always will be connection with "new". I always read " MIB or analog?" i dont know if this thinking is correct because ppl never satisfied with nothing in music.But high-end england consoles costs too high, too much money, and the computer cientists want imitation of thie european "rupert neve sound" Weird but fact. If i had some money, i could buy all behringer gear possible, with 5K we can buy so much behringer gear, then, since 30 years i will have a treasure? hahahaha, sorry my poor english friend. Happy new year

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2nd January 2006	#3
Ollie Lives for gear Joined: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,010 1 Review written	The attention to detail was much greater back when many of these classics were made. Germany, for one, had government funded research and developement for many of the classic pieces. They had the money, the minds, and the attention to detail. Many of the pieces today that we consider classics have a familiar tone that is warm and musical. There are still some great products made today, but probably not to the same degree. Convenience has replaced attention to detail.