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  #16  
Old 03-21-2018, 03:38 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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I regard to jim1960 wanting outboard compressors. I have compressors tied to my favorite preamps, because, I not only like having a cushion for peaks, but sometimes I just think compressors are musical as part of a good chain. My main vocal preamp a Manley Voxbox has two compression units built into it and the main compressor has recommended settings for LA2A - La3A feel, and the DeEsser but can be used for hard limiting, my 2-channel Presonus ADL600 is patched through a DBX 160SL comp which can be both musical and transparent, and my Sebatron VMP4000e is patched into a Drawmer DL441 which is just used so I don't peak my interface as I tend to hit the Sebatron hot

As for my studio dreams, personally I like what I have, although I put a lot of work into getting it there. And frankly my room doesn't feel so much like a studio as it does a nice room to just sit and write music in. In the last few years I have bought more microphones than I had the whole rest of my life. I did this to get a feel for what I really like and to be able to be versatile enough when recording other instruments and voices. I'm sure I will sell a few off if I find I'm not using them. But I feel I can record anywhere as long as I have good mics and preamps and some of those are a Violet Flamingo, Violet Globe Vintage, Violet Amethyst Vintage (matched pair), Lawson L251/47 combo set, Neumann U87ai, Neumann U89, Neumann TLM103 pair, Neumann M147 and a pair of KM184s (both the M147 and KM184 are mics that people tried to tell me were crap and I yet I have made some pretty nice recordings with), Blue Cactus, Kiwi, Blueberry, Dragonfly, Peluso 2247, Rode Classic II, Rode K2 (a sleeper), Rode NTK pair (modified by John Bonnell who does wonders with these mics), Cloud JRS34, Shure SM7b, Sennhieser MD421 (3) and a bunch of Shure SM57s and 58s. So as you can see I have a decent selection of mics to work with.

A also have plenty of good preamps, as I said earlier I use a Voxbox, ADL600, Sebatron VMP4000, Neve Portico 5012, Langevin DVC (in my home studio), Drawmer 1960 (home studio), Audient Mico, Focusrite ISA One (2) (home studio), and two Cloudlifter Zs. And one thing I have found is you never know what pre is going to be best for what mic. It always depends on the situation/source. But if I had to limit it to one all rounder it would be the Sebatron VMP4000e, if just for vocals, The Manley Voxbox (it slays)!

My biggest dream would be to have more time to work and create there. As much of my live performance schedule is tied to the resorts in Utah, I have had very little time in the last few months to write or record but the season slows down in late April and early May so I am biting at the bullet to get recording. I plan on spending at least a week doing nothing but testing mic and preamp combinations!

My interfaces are solid, RME Babyface and Mackie 800r (home studio) and RME UCX with RME ADI8DS outboard DA for bringing via ADAT optical some of my outboard preamps into the computer.

My room is not really treated but it is very good sounding so I don't want to mess with that other than the 3 very large movable sound panels I have in there. My mixes translate pretty good to most other systems so I'm happy there.

My monitor systems in my home studio and project studio are both built around the Yamaha HS systems. And I use Sonarworks correction software for both of them (along with headphone correction)

Both forum member Midwinter and I are in the same building so our studios have to work around the night for any loud recording but that is typically not a problem for me as my musical performing schedule has always been centered around slightly later hours. Like Midwinter, I just record enough people to pay the rent on the room. I try to be generous to new people/bands with my fees and time, as I remember trying to put together money to record somewhere when I first started out. As a matter of fact that's how forum member Midwinter and I really got to know each other, his band, The Proper Way, recorded their first demo in my room.

The things I worry about is the continued development of SONAR as a DAW (which recently they have been bought by Bandlab), and that my laptops hold up. They are both HP elitebooks which are pretty capable, and are loaded with everything I need to record software wise! I have Glyph External Hard-drives for bigger storage capability of projects.

Last edited by rockabilly69; 03-22-2018 at 12:59 AM.
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  #17  
Old 03-21-2018, 03:55 PM
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I'm hoping I know enough not to do that to myself. Even in the box, I try to use compression sparingly.
For sure. The issue I found was that when tracking myself, I didn't always know how much I was applying. One note after you see the meter's go too far is one note too late! And often the meters don't tell the whole story. Even with plugins, I generally use so little the meters don't even move, yet there's still some there. I never want to hear the compression. With the STC-8, I think I eventually ended up with it practically off, and I could still sometimes hear it. That unit also had all kinds of color options, which were hard for me to predict in advance how they'd sound on any given track. Maybe it'd be easier with an LA-2, since it's simpler. I'm sure I'd find a hardware compressor useful if I was doing anything other than solo fingerstyle guitar. Nevertheless, it's hard not to think a nice hardware box would be a good thing to have in the chain, and I'm occasionally tempted! There's that empty space in the rack, just begging to be filled :-)
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  #18  
Old 03-21-2018, 05:37 PM
Trevor B. Trevor B. is offline
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There's that empty space in the rack, just begging to be filled :-)
Or as a buddy of mine who has been operating his own commercial studio for decades likes to say, "We're all always just one piece of gear away from our perfect studio."

That said, I'm pretty close to where I want to be.

My room: 10' by 15', 7 custom built wall panels, 6' tall - three panel free standing movable gobo, 4 ceiling panels and two floor to ceiling corner bass traps.

Mikes: matched pair of Gefell 300Ms SDC, two Sennheiser MKH 800 P48s and a Miktek CV4, LDC. Pair of Adam F7 Studio Monitors.
Audio Interface: Apogee Quartet
DAW: Logic Pro X (10.4.1) Computer: Mid 2015 15" MacBook Pro, 16GB.

To achieve my dream studio I'd need to buy an A-Designs MP-2A (tube preamp).

I know many people frown on the notion that software plugins can truly emulate high end hardware, however; the new vintage EQ collection in Logic along with reverbs like the LiquidSonics Seventh Heaven and the Lexicon 480L IRs I loaded into Logic's Space Designer sound great to me. I'm also having a blast learning to use the iZotope RX 6 (standard version in my case) Audio Repair Software.

Last edited by Trevor B.; 03-21-2018 at 05:49 PM.
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  #19  
Old 03-21-2018, 11:20 PM
midwinter midwinter is offline
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Originally Posted by rockabilly69 View Post
I regard to jim1960 wanting outboard compressors. I have compressors tied to my favorite preamps
I had suspected that you did this just as a matter of taste and workflow. Glad to hear it directly from you.

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I try to be generous to new people/bands with my fees and time, as I remember trying to put together money to record somewhere when I first started out.
This is a HUGE issue for me. I had SO. MANY. PEOPLE. when I was a very young (i.e. teen or young 20s) get me in their studios either for free or for very reasonable rates, and I hope to pass that karma on for the really good, but inexperienced, local musicians.

It was great having a beer with you today. Glad you got to meet my pops (his musical partner is also on AGF... somewhere)

If y'all want to hear/see what Rockabilly69's studio looks and sounds like, here you go:






Last edited by midwinter; 03-21-2018 at 11:45 PM.
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  #20  
Old 03-21-2018, 11:57 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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I had suspected that you did this just as a matter of taste and workflow. Glad to hear it directly from you.



This is a HUGE issue for me. I had SO. MANY. PEOPLE. when I was a very young (i.e. teen or young 20s) get me in their studios either for free or for very reasonable rates, and I hope to pass that karma on for the really good, but inexperiences, local musicians.

It was great having a beer with you today. Glad you got to meet my pops (his musical partner is also on AGF... somewhere)

If y'all want to hear/see what Rockabilly69's studio looks and sounds like, here you go:





Scotty boy I doubt people here would be believe how fast we got your demo done! Wait... other than removing the clicks of Shane's cheapass digital piano keys that unsuspectingly got into some of his live vocal tracks

And Doug and Jim, we had outboard compressors on every thing we recorded going in, and then later for mixing, 1176 plugs on a few things, and the WAVES H2 Comp on all of the two tracks mixes! We recorded voices, guitars, mandolin, banjo and digital piano.

And for those watching and listening to the videos, that piano was going through two channels of the Sebatron VMP4000e pre and the Drawmer DL441 comp. And it sounded just right for what we were doing! And the Peluso 22 47 that the guys were singing through (purchased from forum member Stamper) was going through the Manley Voxbox, and you can be sure there was some compression going in. As a matter of fact, the needle was bouncing while Shane was singing, and I remember pointing that out to Scott (midwinter). Scott's and Shane's acoustic guitars (and mando and banjo), were recorded with a Neumann U87ai and Neumann KM184 in combination through the Presonus ADL600 and the DBX160SL.

That was a fun time. and I'm glad Scott, and Shane, and Shane's girl Ashley on camera, documented it.

Another thing to note is that, I had my RME UCX at my house as I was testing something with it, so we recorded that whole project with a RME Babyface and a RME ADI-8 DS. I thought the pieces worked fine!

As for meeting your pops Scott, the pleasure was all mine, and I already relayed his road warrior travelling wayward musician bus story to Paula

Last edited by rockabilly69; 03-22-2018 at 01:07 AM.
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  #21  
Old 03-22-2018, 05:12 AM
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My only offerings:



Tell me you get it.



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  #22  
Old 03-22-2018, 06:17 AM
Johnny K Johnny K is offline
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I get it.

Re the video: That's probably Fred Armisen's own stuff. He's a pretty good musician. His For Drummers Only comedy special on Netflix was good.
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  #23  
Old 03-22-2018, 07:46 AM
midwinter midwinter is offline
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Scotty boy I doubt people here would be believe how fast we got your demo done! Wait... other than removing the clicks of Shane's cheapass digital piano keys that unsuspectingly got into some of his live vocal tracks
6 hours for 8 songs!
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  #24  
Old 03-22-2018, 09:41 AM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Like Midwinter, I just record enough people to pay the rent on the room. I try to be generous to new people/bands with my fees and time, as I remember trying to put together money to record somewhere when I first started out.
That's the direction I'm heading in the future. While the studio I'm putting together is primarily to record myself, I'd like to be able to take on some projects for some deserving performers who might not have the means to accomplish that on their own.

Back in the either '99 or '00, a music teacher in the high school where I teach, introduced me to a musician with a home studio who had come in to do a DAW demonstration for some classes. We got to talking and at some point I told him I'd love to record a cd of original work but I couldn't afford what studios charged. He offered to make it happen in his home studio for $200. He had never done a full album before so he was excited to make it happen. We had a great time doing the album and became good friends in the process. But had someone not made that very generous offer to me, I'd probably never have made a recording. I want to be able to do that for others at some point.
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  #25  
Old 03-22-2018, 10:18 AM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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My only offerings:



Tell me you get it.



Bob
Off topic to be sure but I'd add; back in the 80's when I was working in Nashville there wasn't a single major studio that didn't have a pair of Radio Shack Minimus 7's on hand. I seem to recall Little Javelina having them on the console as a secondary reference. They also had a pair of Pioneer car speakers built into the desk as well.

I'd REALLY like to have a pair back in my arsenal. Perhaps the most under-rated small reference speaker ever.
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  #26  
Old 03-22-2018, 10:25 AM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
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My only offerings:



Tell me you get it.



Bob
I fall over laughing every time I see that video
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  #27  
Old 03-22-2018, 10:58 AM
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Bob Womack Bob Womack is offline
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Off topic to be sure but I'd add; back in the 80's when I was working in Nashville there wasn't a single major studio that didn't have a pair of Radio Shack Minimus 7's on hand. I seem to recall Little Javelina having them on the console as a secondary reference. They also had a pair of Pioneer car speakers built into the desk as well.

I'd REALLY like to have a pair back in my arsenal. Perhaps the most under-rated small reference speaker ever.
And that was part of a very deep pun. You can find new old stock occasionally on eBay.

Bob
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  #28  
Old 03-22-2018, 06:24 PM
midwinter midwinter is offline
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I fall over laughing every time I see that video
That falling over laughing sound is the same one they used on Pet Sounds.
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  #29  
Old 03-25-2018, 01:37 PM
jim1960 jim1960 is offline
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Lastly, I'd love a pair of LA-2A compressors.
I know there's some expression about "the last shall be first."
Decided today to roll the dice on this LA-2A clone. If it's up to the task, I'll probably pick up another in the near future.
http://www.audio-scape.com/product-p...e-optocomp.htm
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2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi
2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood
2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar
2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce
2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce
1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce

along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos.

YouTube
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  #30  
Old 03-25-2018, 03:59 PM
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Originally Posted by jim1960 View Post
I know there's some expression about "the last shall be first."
Decided today to roll the dice on this LA-2A clone. If it's up to the task, I'll probably pick up another in the near future.
http://www.audio-scape.com/product-p...e-optocomp.htm
Boy clone is right . right down to the shape and style if the name
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