Mics, preamps and technique...

[Doug Young]

As SD said, most techniques, mics and preamps were established years ago. Much of the new stuff simply tries to emulate the classics. There are some new mics I'd love to try, like the new Rode ribbon. But there are some related areas where there're new things that I find useful, that you might consider under the category of "techniques". Latest stuff for me would include:

The Apogee Ensemble: great 1U box with 10 analog channels, monitor controls, and best of all, thunderbolt, greatly simplifying my setup.

iZotope Ozone 6: some really nice new features, especially the Insight visualization tools and the Dynamic EQ. Insight, especially, is a big help in mic placement.

UAD Apollo - all the vintage hardware emulations you could want, including various preamps, in a 1U box.

Bricasti M7 reverb. Not all that new, been around a few years, but I find it to be a game changer - great sounding reverb that's practically invisible.

Oh yeah, and my single best purchase of the past few years: the LG 21:9 Ultrawide monitor :-) Has a big impact on your editing and mixing technique.

Another area that you seem to want to exclude is monitors - really important for being able to hear those mics, preamps, and techniques, and there's been a lot of activity there recently, it seems. Mine have been with me a while, but we've had some people (KevWind, for example), posting about some cool newer monitors, there seem to be a lot with digital processing, semi-automatic room acoustics compensation, speaker emulation, and so on.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

iZotope Ozone 6: some really nice new features, especially the Insight visualization tools and the Dynamic EQ. Insight, especially, is a big help in mic placement.

Explain please how it helps you place microphones.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Explain please how it helps you place microphones.

Nice stereo balance meters, phase, etc. I just like the presentation, tho there are tons of different ways to show this. If nothing else, the iZotope meters are big - so I can see them across the room :-) I used to just use Digicheck, which I assume you use, but I lost that when I switched to the Apogee and off of RME. My favorite visualization for balancing mics is actually in Adobe Audition, but unfortunately, only on older versions and only on windows. That visualization was created by iZotope, I keep hoping they'll add it to their own tool set.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Nice stereo balance meters, phase, etc. I just like the presentation, tho there are tons of different ways to show this. If nothing else, the iZotope meters are big - so I can see them across the room :-) I used to just use Digicheck, which I assume you use, but I lost that when I switched to the Apogee and off of RME. My favorite visualization for balancing mics is actually in Adobe Audition, but unfortunately, only on older versions and only on windows. That visualization was created by iZotope, I keep hoping they'll add it to their own tool set.

Thanks Doug. Figured it was something along those lines. As I mentioned a few times in prior threads I will tweak a channel delay some fraction of a millisecond post recording if it seems to help - takes a bit of pressure off of setting up more exacting mike placement.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Bricasti M7 reverb. Not all that new, been around a few years, but I find it to be a game changer - great sounding reverb that's practically invisible.

At the risk of side tracking the thread a bit I found this Video about the M7 in use to be very interesting. It is Casey one of the owners of Bricasti ( sitting in the middle) using I think 3 M7's on a Jazz session. Also a bit of personal interest as the preset he is using on the vocal ( Sunset Chamber ) is the one I use.
This is a must listen in head phones or a set of system monitors and also bump the YouTube quality tool up to HD 720p at least
Fixed it

[DesolationAngel]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Much of the new stuff simply tries to emulate the classics.

It would seem to me that a lot of the new stuff uses the classics as a starting point but then tries to put their own twist on that... I'm pretty thankful for that, given the choices it gives us and the fact that it would be hard to find an A88 console these days

[rick-slo]

The nicest thing from my point of view and doing things at home is being able to do most everything (post recording wise) in the box, being able to make quick comparisons, being able to run multiple instances, and being able to easily save software settings.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by KevWind

At the risk of side tracking the thread a bit I found this Video about the M7 in use to be very interesting. It is Casey one of the owners of Bricasti ( sitting in the middle) using I think 3 M7's on a Jazz session. Also a bit of personal interest as the preset he is using on the vocal ( Sunset Chamber ) is the one I use.
This is a must listen in head phones or a set of system monitors and also bump the YouTube quality tool up to HD 720p at least

Nice video, very interesting.

[midwinter]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

The Apogee Ensemble: great 1U box with 10 analog channels, monitor controls, and best of all, thunderbolt, greatly simplifying my setup.

ZOMG Drool.

[DesolationAngel]

Have to be honest; HUGE Apogee fan, here. I have the Quartet as the basis of my studio... but also have a One and a Mic and a Jam... Being able to aggregate devices on the Mac is a hoot. I often travel with the One and the Mic and give myself quite a bit of quality and flexibility. Started off on the Duet and loved it.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by DesolationAngel

...[snip]....
You? Any Peluso users? Advanced Audio? Cascade? ShinyBox? Oktava? Avantone? Telefunken? Beyer?

I've really enjoyed and appreciate this thread; I like hearing about what's out there and what folks have been using. While all the high end gear is great to learn about, I probably won't be going there due to my limits in budget, talent, time, and probably most importantly my hearing. So, in case anyone is following this thread that is in a lower bracket of gear I thought I'd share what I'm using.

I've recently picked up an assortment of 3 Zigma mics. Even though their head amps can accept a variety of capsules I ended up with dedicated head amps for each capsule (due to what I could find used). I've got a pair of SD cardioids, a pair of SD free field omnis, and a 47 style LDC. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett interface. So while it's not high end gear, it seems to be a good match for my needs and the price point was right for me. My primary use is for home recording, solo finger style acoustic guitar, no vocals. I've been recording using mainly a spaced pair arrangement but I'm experimenting with the various capsules and placement. I did some MS recording in the past with mics I used to own but wasn't as happy with the results. XY setup seemed easier to get an ok result, but I'm happier with spaced pair as long as I spend the time needed to get the mics setup well. I've recently built a gobo for a treated space that I can disassemble and move around (4 panels in a U shape, each panel 2' x 5', as well as a 2' x 4'panel on top and a 2' x 5' panel behind). I used 4" of Roxul Rockboard 80 in each panel.

The downside is my playing/recording is for the most part on hold until I get my shoulder problem fixed.

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

I've really enjoyed and appreciate this thread; I like hearing about what's out there and what folks have been using. While all the high end gear is great to learn about, I probably won't be going there due to my limits in budget, talent, time, and probably most importantly my hearing. So, in case anyone is following this thread that is in a lower bracket of gear I thought I'd share what I'm using.

I've recently picked up an assortment of 3 Zigma mics. Even though their head amps can accept a variety of capsules I ended up with dedicated head amps for each capsule (due to what I could find used). I've got a pair of SD cardioids, a pair of SD free field omnis, and a 47 style LDC. I'm using a Focusrite Scarlett interface. So while it's not high end gear, it seems to be a good match for my needs and the price point was right for me. My primary use is for home recording, solo finger style acoustic guitar, no vocals. I've been recording using mainly a spaced pair arrangement but I'm experimenting with the various capsules and placement. I did some MS recording in the past with mics I used to own but wasn't as happy with the results. XY setup seemed easier to get an ok result, but I'm happier with spaced pair as long as I spend the time needed to get the mics setup well. I've recently built a gobo for a treated space that I can disassemble and move around (4 panels in a U shape, each panel 2' x 5', as well as a 2' x 4'panel on top and a 2' x 5' panel behind). I used 4" of Roxul Rockboard 80 in each panel.

The downside is my playing/recording is for the most part on hold until I get my shoulder problem fixed.

Chuck,

Here's hoping your shoulder gets better soon.

Now that you've had the 3 Zigma mics for a while, how do you like them?

[DesolationAngel]

So far... in my space, with a wide variety of guitars I'm finding that I like the KM184s on some guitars and the Mojave MA-100's on others (and I like both of those over the AKG451's, Josephson C42's and the AT4041).

I think it was sdelsolray that gave a list of mics and I noticed that in the mid-chunk he had the KM184 and a Peluso P28... I wondered if anyone here had compared the Peluso P84, the Bees Kneez Lulu and the Advanced Audio CM1084? (All, reputedly, trying to capture the flavour of the original KM84).

[alohachris]

Aloha Martin,

Haven't heard any of the more recent KM84 knock-off's you mentioned (except the KM184). I have owned & recorded through several KM84's though.

The Neumann KM84 was ubiquitous in 80's studio's & stages for acoustic instrument recording & amplification. No longer made, I haven't heard anything, especially the 184 which has nothing in common w/ its predecessor sonically, IME - that sounds quite like the 84. It's advantage was that you could use it on any acoustic instrument & it would shine.

Many KM84's were made & so there are still many available, even though it's no longer manufactured. The trick is to find used ones in decent condition. Check it out.

You can find them at VintageKing occasionally & I have auditioned a coupla sets from there. Smooth, detailed, balanced, great off-axis, pretty durable, a tad noisy - it's sad that Neumann swapped it out for the KM184 which has slightly hyped upper mid's & high's (but so does the C-42, IMO) & is a very different mic all together.

Haven't heard anything about Advanced Audio mic's yet, but am curious.

Good discussion, Martin. Good perspectives & info from all here.

alohachris

CHUCK - Good luck with the shoulder. I have one of my own that's slowed down my surfing & that I'm still waiting on to heal.-alohachris

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Chuck,

Here's hoping your shoulder gets better soon.

Now that you've had the 3 Zigma mics for a while, how do you like them?

Hey Steve,
Good to hear from you. The 3 Zigma CHI mics are working out really well; glad you had that pair of cardioids available to get me started. Like you predicted, I have been using the 3 Zigma exclusively (the ADK A6's are sitting on the shelf). It's been fun trying the omni vs the cardioid capsules in various setups and differing guitars and material. These capsules are working really well for my needs (solo fingerstyle acoustic guitar); they seem full, non-hyped, detailed, and very clear.

It's nice to see you still recommend them (within their class/price range) even though you have moved on to the very high end stuff. I like supporting smaller companies, and have been well taken care of by one of their distributors (pro audio toys). 3 Zigma's founder, Larry Villella, has been extremely helpful. I've had product questions for ADK/3 Zigma gear and he's taken time to provide detailed insight. He even took care of a product that I had purchased used, which was well out of warranty; he had me send it in for testing and swapped out a capsule. What a company!

Take care,
Chuck