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  #16  
Old 09-29-2019, 05:06 PM
alohachris alohachris is offline
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Default Both the Adams & Neumann's are a great step up

Aloha Bonedigger & Howzit Friends!

Several years ago, when they first came out, I was able to audition the Adams A7X's (now A7X 7") with the Neumann KH-120 near-field monitors side by side for a week in my now defunct home studio. I appreciated both using lotsa personal criteria & extensive testing of both monitor sets. It was a lot of fun putting them through their paces in my space.

Both models are an excellent step up for home recording once your ear is ready for more detailing, clarity & can manage it in tracks & mixes created in a properly treated studio environment. Is your space treated, Bonedigger?

I went with the Adam's monitors because they offered - to my ears - better sound-staging & depth. This helped me add more air & openness around my simple guitar & vocal tracks (along w/ mic placement experiments). They were so clear, natural & unhyped. But the KH-120's are very balanced & detailed as well. Zero ear fatigue for both because the upper mids are tamed w/o boosted EQ.

Ya can't go wrong with either. But I loved those Adams A7X's. They helped me produce my favorite guitar & vocal tracks ever. All gone now.

Good luck with your auditioning of the two monitor sets. Try to put your ears on both & compare before you buy.

A Hui Hou!
alohachris

PS: Jim, reading about your Neumann "Holy Grail" mic searches really takes me back to my 30-year+ high-end mic addiction. Tipped off early by W. Coast musician Mike Marshall, I used KM-84's a lot in the 80's. Exceptional instrument mic for live or studio. But where I really "$hined" was in my vintage U-47 searches all over the world. I auditioned many & owned a few. But I spent a fortune on calls, rentals, auditions, shipping & tube upgrades. I once spent $17K in cash & other mic's thrown in for an almost mint U-47 (with VF-14 tube) that was in someone's closet for 40 years in Germany (at least I bought that story, Ha!) For my then 40 y.o. voice, it truly WAS the Holy Grail & I considered it a bargain when I got it & checked it out through Neumann (they we're amazed). For some reason, as my voice aged, only the Microtech UM900 sounded better than that U47. I got my money out of the 47, but the UM900 was my last studio vocal mic. Oh, the 'Mic Wars. I had a blast but spent a lot of my retirement pursuing it over much of my adult life. Now, I'm cured. Doesn't matter. Just another aged Boomer who can't play guitar & can't sing worth a dam anymore at 76 y.o. Thanks for the memories, Jim - alohachris-

Last edited by alohachris; 09-29-2019 at 05:57 PM.
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  #17  
Old 09-29-2019, 06:06 PM
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KevWind KevWind is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alohachris View Post
Aloha Bonedigger & Howzit Friends!

Several years ago, when they first came out, I was able to audition the Adams A7X's (now A7X 7") with the Neumann KH-120 near-field monitors side by side for a week in my now defunct home studio. I appreciated both using lotsa personal criteria & extensive testing of both monitor sets. It was a lot of fun putting them through their paces in my space.

Both models are an excellent step up for home recording once your ear is ready for more detailing, clarity & can manage it in tracks & mixes created in a properly treated studio environment. Is your space treated, Bonedigger?

I went with the Adam's monitors because they offered - to my ears - better sound-staging & depth. This helped me add more air & openness around my simple guitar & vocal tracks (along w/ mic placement experiments). They were so clear, natural & unhyped. But the KH-120's are very balanced & detailed as well. Zero ear fatigue for both because the upper mids are tamed w/o boosted EQ.

Ya can't go wrong with either. But I loved those Adams A7X's. They helped me produce my favorite guitar & vocal tracks ever. All gone now.

Good luck with your auditioning of the two monitor sets. Try to put your ears on both & compare before you buy.

A Hui Hou!
alohachris

PS: Jim, reading about your Neumann "Holy Grail" mic searches really takes me back to my 30-year+ high-end mic addiction. Tipped off early by W. Coast musician Mike Marshall, I used KM-84's a lot in the 80's. Exceptional instrument mic for live or studio. But where I really "$hined" was in my vintage U-47 searches all over the world. I auditioned many & owned a few. But I spent a fortune on calls, rentals, auditions, shipping & tube upgrades. I once spent $17K in cash & other mic's thrown in for an almost mint U-47 (with VF-14 tube) that was in someone's closet for 40 years in Germany (at least I bought that story, Ha!) For my then 40 y.o. voice, it was the Holy Grail & I considered it a bargain when I got it & checked it out through Neumann (they we're amazed). For some reason, as my voice aged, only the Microtech UM900 sounded better than that U47. I got my money out of the 47, but the UM900 was my last studio vocal mic. Oh, the 'Mic Wars. I had a blast but spent a lot of my retirement pursuing it over much of my adult life. Now, I'm cured. Doesn't matter. Just another aged Boomer who can't play guitar & can't sing worth a dam anymore at 76 y.o. Thanks for the memories, Jim - alohachris-
Hey Chris I was just thinking I had not seen you post here in a while and was wondering how ya been doing .

I did a much smaller version (with fewer and probably bigger leaps between mics )of the Grail vocal mic search. I went from a very early version of Studio Projects C1 which frankly was pretty marginal to a pair Of Shure KSM 44 for both vocal and stereo guitar. I then finally got (you may recall) the Brauner Phantom V and used for many years.

Just two years ago I decided to try a tube mic, and figured I would try for a clone of either a Neuman 47 or a 67 . Having sung through an outstanding vintage 47 in Nashville when doing some demo recording there about 9 years ago .
Long story short I lucked into a mic shootout at Wind Over the Earth in Longmont Colorado and to my surprise ended up getting and ADK Z Mod 251 (their version of the Telefunken ELAM 251) and fortunately I am done ,,,,,for my voice it is perfect and I still have the Brauner for an FET alternative .
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  #18  
Old 09-30-2019, 07:31 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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Before moving up in monitors, always consider how you can improve your room's acoustics first - are corners, ceiling and side walls acoustically treated the best possible? If your room is big enough, a rear wall diffusor?
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  #19  
Old 09-30-2019, 08:27 AM
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Thanks everyone! I do have acoustic treatment, including corners and the walls in most areas. There is a large section on each wall around where I record. The only place without it is the ceiling. I have now ordered some treatment to put on the ceiling too. The floor is untreated and is hardwood. I have a rug down but there's not much more I can do in that regard.
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  #20  
Old 09-30-2019, 09:48 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BoneDigger View Post
Thanks everyone! I do have acoustic treatment, including corners and the walls in most areas. There is a large section on each wall around where I record. The only place without it is the ceiling. I have now ordered some treatment to put on the ceiling too. The floor is untreated and is hardwood. I have a rug down but there's not much more I can do in that regard.
If you have not already done it you may want to download iZotpe Ozone 8 mastering plugin. It is still free as catdaddy posted a while back (today may be last day)

https://www.izotope.com/content/izot...cts/ozone.html
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  #21  
Old 09-30-2019, 12:26 PM
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BoneDigger BoneDigger is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KevWind View Post
If you have not already done it you may want to download iZotpe Ozone 8 mastering plugin. It is still free as catdaddy posted a while back (today may be last day)

https://www.izotope.com/content/izot...cts/ozone.html
Yes, I already own Ozone 8 professional. It's a very good plugin!
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  #22  
Old 09-30-2019, 05:09 PM
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Al Acuff Al Acuff is offline
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Have you calibrated your Yamaha monitors? If not then check out Sonarworks.
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  #23  
Old 10-01-2019, 03:31 PM
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Thanks everyone! I am going to look into the calibration thing.

I am also going to post up a new thread about my recording room and sound treatment to get some feedback.
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