Focusrite Mic Pre's for rock guitar sound

Hi there,

Just a question related to Mic Pre's.

I have a Focusrite Red7, ISA220 as well as a Voice Master and Tone Factory. In addition to this I have a 4 channel TL AUdio 5001.

I am making a CD for myself and dont work in a commercial studio.
I pick up a Protools HD1 and 96 I/O on Tuesday and hope that the Mic Pre's I own are of a sufficient standard to be able to record a CD.

All the drums are triggered - the genre is riff-based rock verging on metal, with a lot of attention paid to guitar tones. Think SYL/Devin Townsend meets Tool meets Helmet.

I bought all my Mic Pre's quite cheap second hand but they all work fine. Considering my last desk was a (pthooey) Behringer MX8000 8Bus (I was learning).

I notice a lot of people rave about API preamps for keeper guitar tracks.

I track 4 processed guitar tracks at once as follows:

Fender Prosonnic 2x 10 combo set to STUN with a 57 feeding the ISA220 and a RODE NT1 feeding a TL Audio 5001.
Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier High Gain amp with SM57 on a 2x12 cabinet feeding the Voicemaster
Another SM57 feeding a TL5001.

The Tonefactory (Platinum Focusrite) is recording the DI'd guitar dry so I can reamp at a later date.

The RED7 is used exclusively for vocals (AKG solidtube mic).

The question is this:

compared to the signal chain that am using is there a huge benefit to using API/Neves for guitar tracks?
I am shooting for a modern hi gain rock guitar tone. Open, round but quite a hard sound also. I want the aural equivalent of Henry Rollins' chest.
The guitar rig is stereo with two amps at high gain using 6L6's and sounds lovely. Basically I am very happy with it, but would be curious as to what others would think with these mic pre's.

Also, is the AKG solid tube any good for male rock vocals when feeding the RED7 or wpould I be better looking at something else? Again, it sounds great when I am listening back, but I am not actually an engineer. Just a singer/guitarist who isnt afraid to experiment.



Regards,

James Richmond

Old Studio pics are at:
www.lotusthrone.com/bolly.htm

[Jules]

Sounds fine. All I could suggest is trying the Red's on the gtrs and see if they sound better.. Shoot outs between gear is always a good idea..

[thethrillfactor]

Also, is the AKG solid tube any good for male rock vocals when feeding the RED7 or wpould I be better looking at something else?



The AKG solid tube is a piece of junk. I would definitely get something else for vocals.

[Jay Kahrs]

Sounds fine I guess. I'd prefer to have some API rather then the TL Audio stuff but that's me. Don't be afraid to mix things up and try different combinations of stuff. I'd also look into getting something to replace/augment the Solid Tube. That isn't a great mic IMHO.

[mwagener]

I got some great results with the Solid Tube. You have to watch where you place it in the room. The mic becomes omni above 8 KHz, so if you place it close to the studio window you might get some combfiltering in the high end. Try putting something non-reflective behind the mic (1-2 feet away) like Auralex or so.

Originally posted by thethrillfactor
Also, is the AKG solid tube any good for male rock vocals when feeding the RED7 or wpould I be better looking at something else?



The AKG solid tube is a piece of junk. I would definitely get something else for vocals.

Okie doke. Why is that?
I bought it quite cheap. About £350. I remember puttin git head to head against a Rode Classic I.
I think a lot of people have a problem with the mic because it isnt that expensive now.
WHen I did head to head it was $1800 AUD compared with $1400AUD for the Rode (I was living in Australia) and everyone said 'wow... that AKG is great.'

What do you suggest I look at to go with the RED7?
Neumann?

James

Originally posted by mwagener
I got some great results with the Solid Tube. You have to watch where you place it in the room. The mic becomes omni above 8 KHz, so if you place it close to the studio window you might get some combfiltering in the high end. Try putting something non-reflective behind the mic (1-2 feet away) like Auralex or so.

It sits in a vocal booth that has acoustic foam of different thicknesses. The booth is pretty much dead acoustically.

As I said it sounds great through the Red7, but I am always curious as to how I can improve things.

JR

[Wiggy Neve Slut]

The AKG solid tube is a piece of junk. I would definitely get something else for vocals.

WEll i would ahve to agree with you on that in most cases..... However there is this analoge freque... genius that resides here in Melbourne Australia and he knows AKG/ Neumanns inside out.

i was @ his workshop not too long ago and was fiddling around with his c12's U47's etc and he said have a listen to this. Which by the way was a solidtube. Previously i had theard this mic in a shop and thought it was flamin piece of shit!!!!!!!!! And i was like.. oh here were go he was just going to boast how good his tech work was ont he latest U47 that had been sent to him by his clients on Japan and well i have to say that i was floored!

He rebuilt his own PCB for the mic, rebuilt the PSU and left the capsule and body the rest was his own working and it would certainly stand up to most mics.... Iwas A/B directly with his U47 directly and there was a slight difference but had headroom for DAYS!!!!! and the HF sheen was great. The main disitnctive difference is of course the lack of an M7 capsule and the fact that the mylar on the diapgram had not aged etc... which is the large reason they sound so damn good!..

But it certaily was food for thought... He in all his distribe/ramblings said the AKG designers had no idea what they were making with the solidtube and the c12VR as well!!... but he thought it was essentialy a decent mic that was designed wrong..

But he is a bit of a kook etc so u never really know whether or not to beleive him...

He also makes a great Tube EQ/ compressor and mic-pre....

If anyone is interested in pics of email contacts let me know..

PEACE
Wiggy

[Steffmo]

Well....after essentially gutting the mic...can you even call it a SolidTube?????

I have to agree re AKG designers. I have a pair of C12VRs, and although they will occasionally shine on something, more often than not they are a big disappointment.

[TornadoTed]

I replaced the tube in my Solidtube mic with a Jan 6072A and TO ME it has improved it a lot.