hi armando
great thread : )
this has reminded me why i love GS, despite only being a wannabe slut!
ur rack is now my desktop in London UK
i wish you continued success, and hppy christmas to all you slutz out there!
all the best
sam

Nice for you that you have a lot of work!! thumbsup


What I still dont get from people is that they use this kind of big money while it can be a lot cheaper and better building your own amps.

Is this because there is a sign/trademark called NEVE on it?

Also this counts for EQ's and Comps etc.


As Napolion Dynamite would say: GOSH!


Cheers,

M. Blom

What???????!!!!!?????

First of all Im a musician not an Electronic Engineer, I don't know anything about circuits so I won't be able to make my own Preamps, and if I could I wouldn't do it either, because i prefer to spend my time making music.
And about brands... well if you can afford diferent colors, why not get equipment that its garanteed with more than 30 years in the business (neve), and about Wunder... well I trust a lot in some folks here at GS and they always have a good word about Wunder.

Best.
Armando Avila
www.cosmosproducciones.com

Sure, I agree Armando. If you know some guys who can it's a lot easier.
BTW, it isn't that hard to build it, it is not rocket sience. Building a microphone is more complicated than some amp's.

That's why I still dont get it.

II you got all the money, then you can let also build them by some one and spend it on like a modular moog or something


Cheers,

M. Blom

Congratulations, man!
You deserve it!
You probably also spent a few years without even buying a pair pf pants and invested on equipment!
That is it! deep love for the profession!

Thanks Alecio, you are right, the best part is that now I have my dream studio and I can buy some pants but believe it or not Im still buying a lot of equipment, a new toy always give me some motivation for something new that can be applied in a project, so I never get bore.

Best.

Armando Avila.

Hi Armando.
You are a musician too, right?
I was wondering how do you balance your own creation with the work related one? I mean, do you still have time to compose and produce your own music?
Cheers and Feliz año Nuevo!!..................Joaquin.

Hi Joaquin, saddly I don't have time to make my own music, since I make almost everything in my productions, I barely have time to eat!!!!but I compose a lot for the projects I produce, I mean, I spend a lot of time writing songs to see if one fits on somebodys project, its funny but every time I write a song for an especific artist usually that artist don't use it and always another artist wants that song, so you never know, never underestimate a song, they always find their way.

I hope in the future to make my own project, but for the moment, produce is my fulltime job.

Best regards.

Armando Avila
www.cosmosproducciones.com

Armando, when you write for someone else.. do you write differently ?? or do you write like if it was for your album and then show it to other people ?? I ask because I have a very specific style on the songs I write for myself, and find it difficult to put myself in other peoples shoes and think what they would like to sing and write accordingly. thanks!

Hi Jose, when I write for someone else I try to fit the artist's style, a lot of times I love to co-write with the artist ( when the artist know how ) one of my biggest hits was that way.
Since my projects are so different from each other I developed some kind of instict.

Best.

Armando Avila

Magnificent studio, unbelievable amounts of equipment, but above all, great talent.

You have my respect.

Hats off.


Spacey

Thanks Armando.
Seems to me that you are exploiting your creativity and are content thru producing and working with different artists thumbsup
I asked because, what's happening to me right now, is that with all the Studio/Gear needs and paying gigs, I'm pushing my music back...though it's ("My" Music)the main reason for all my doings in the first place!?....I think this is a common disease with the "gearslutz"

Anyway. Best of luck with all your projects and everything for the next Year!!......................Joaquin.

I was yesterday on Armando´s Studio. and want to tell you that he´s a great guy.
He deserves his great studio and all awards thumbsup
We all have equipment, more or less but Armando had talent. this one makes differences..
Congratulations!
Pepe Ortega. Estudios Elith Mexico

Yes... I agree.... I sent armando an email the other day, and he responded !! One more for Armando !! For he´s a Jolly good fell...ow , for he´s a jolly good fell.....ow, for he´s a jolly good fe- e- llow........ which nobody can deny !!!
Armando for Gearslutz president !!!

Thanks for your kind words Spacey.


Thank you Pepe, you are welcome all the time at my place.

Ja, ja, ja!!!... thanks Lukejs!!!!! By the way are you still selling the Aurora?

Best regards to all and Let's make 2006 a better year than 2005, at least with more new toys ( and a lot of work to use them!!!!!)

Armando Avila
www.cosmosproducciones.com

Sorry, but to be true:

This guy also works with Shakira! And he has a photo with her! This gives him a double bonus which brings us the following result:

Mexico 3, World 0

Oh Armando,

at first I wanna congratulate you for the great songs you must have written. This studio is nearly unbeatabe I think!

I would love to get some information about your way of mixing and recording, your most beloved parts in the studio and...

the tool which is the biggest pricesurpriser (cheap and of high quality for your ears!!!). I know there are no 2 Dollar tools and good thing cost good money, but there are always tools which are not priciest and which are very affordable! If you had to take five parts of your outboard for the next record which tools would that be?

Thank you for the oics and the Information here! Wonderful thread.

Hi Andrew, one of my biggest price-suprises is a Fender Bassman head that I got for $700usd with cab!!
And my surprise was that it sounds amazing on Crunched guitars, I connect it trough a marshall 4x12 and it delivers one of the best Rock guitar sounds ever!!!
I have Orange, Mesa rectifier, Soldano, Plexi, JCM800, VOX, Badcat, Twins, Bluesbraker, Deluxe, Vibroverb and all those cost me a little fortune, but Im getting superb tones from this fella that I got for $700.

1-Black face LN1176
2-BA 1272
3-Hedd 192
4-Chandler TG Channel
5-Distressor



Best.

Armando Avila
www.cosmosproducciones.com

I haven't seen that nice of a rack since...well...Shakira

Congrats man, that's got to be fun to play with.

Shakira? Yeah, I'd love to play with that too heh

Hi Armando,

me again. Thank you for answering my questions. I read about the Brent Averill PreAmp, because you recommended it. Now I have one additional question if allowed:
If I understand the concept of the Brent Averil Tool right, this one gives you a sound close to the old Neves, right?
If this is your goal, have you tried the Phenix Audio Tools? These guys seem to do a good job and seem to be damn close to the original also! There was a listening session with a lot of different amps here . Perhaps this is interesting for you, and for others also!

Hi andrewj, Yes I love my BA 1272.
Right know I am after a pair of AMS-Neve 1084, Im shure that BA clone must sound very close to an original but saddly people want to see brands in your racks, after I get those AMS I want to try that Aurora pre and some Wunder audio stuff but It's very difficult to me, to get the stuff I want here in Mexico City, I want to buy one SSL Xrack loaded with 8 compressors and a pair of AMS-Neve 1084 but its very difficult to get' em. Some audio stores can't send the units to Mexico, others can but when the equipment is here, customs in Mexico stops the shipping until you pay 35% off the price and fill like 4 forms, so it's a lot of Money and finally you got your gear 1 month after you bought it!!!!
Thanks for the advise on the Phoenix Audio Pre, Im gonna check it out, thanks god Mercenary sell that brand. ( Mercenary is the only place that I trust for Intrnet-shopping ).

And please make sure to visit http://www.thelisteningsessions.com/ ! To me it was very interesting! But be careful with your speakers when you listen to the Bass examples!

Armando, did you know that the original Marshall WAS a Bassman Amp, essentially? If my memory serves me right, Marshall was kind of making a Bass amp and it was quickly discovered that the things were absolutely killer on guitar. Hendrix and Clapton got some of the early ones if Im not mistaken. But essentially, the Marshall head was incredibly close to the Fender Bassman electronics. Maybe some tone control values were changed or something, and the output transformer. I used a 60's Bassman head for my guitar for many years. Its kind of your basic 6L6 and 12AX7 tube amp that has been re-done a thousand times. I wonder where that amp is now.... dammit. At least my 67 Gibson SG is only a few feet away at the moment. heh

Hi Dave, I have a book with the Marshall story and yeah, as you said, they were trying to make a Bassman head, Jim Marshall was obsessed with that sound and they started from that. I don't know if Bassman head is 4oms or 16oms or whatever, I connect the little fella in to my 4x12 marshall cabinet and it sounds glorious!!!!!!!!!

Best regards.

Armando Avila
www.cosmosproducciones.com

First of all, thanks for those pictures, still drooling

Just a little question:

"Is the result of a life times work"
...
"Im 31"

So when did you start in music/studio ?

Sorry if this question has allready been asked, I only looked at the pictures in this thread

bassman heads are 4ohms. the fenders are anyway. let's just say i've seen an unfair share of them.

The very first picture of this thread emanates a mysterious mystical energy!!!

Viva Armando, I'm proud of you...

Let me know if i can help you getting a hand on a Neve 1084.

Angelo Clematide
Producer, Composer, Arranger, Engineer...
Miami Music Box - Bruce Swedien Enterprises
Florida and Switzerland

.

hola armando,
yeah, being a GS is bad enough but living in mexico, and being a GS is like.........




well... a guy that fantasizes about shakira. heh couldn't resist.



also, selling anything here is a lost cause. i have a house full of crap that would fly on ebay, but nnnnnOOOOOOOO. i'm currently struggling with trying to audition different converters. Radar and 16X for protools, and dCS, Weiss, Lavry, etc., to mix to, none of which are available here. the closest i can get to these is a f#$%!!! rosetta 800.

so i'll probably end up buying without hearing... of course. sorry for the rant but i feel better now.

abrimos el bull aqui en cancun anoche bro! pero extraño al estudio... a ver que dia nos juntamos a comparar notas, y muchas felicidades por tu lugar.thumbsup por ahi nos traemos una ATR 102 juntos o algo...!!!

That Mellotron is the cherry on your cake! Very nice indeed.

Angelo, thank you for your kind words, I would apreciate if you can help me on that neve thing.

Hi Raal, you are right, its hard to run a High end facility in Mexico, some times you have to buy with out audition, I have 3 rooms full of stuff, but I'm like you, I don't sell anything ( I even have my first 2 Alesis midiflex from the 80's!!).

Claro Rafa cuando estes en Mexico y tengas un tiempo estaria increible armar un "get together"!!
Felicidades por el nuevo Bull.

Hi Jetblack, Yeah I love my mellotron, I must change his tapes because they are old, even with that old tapes it have a particular sound.
Sombody knows where I can get those replacement tapes for a Mellotron?

Best regards.

Armando Avila.
www.cosmoproducciones.com