What a difference a Decade makes. (TapeOp) Volume II

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Ryan Silva
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What a difference a Decade makes. (TapeOp) Volume II

Post by Ryan Silva » Mon Nov 09, 2009 11:00 am

So I received my Volume II TapeOp compilation, and I may have danced like I little school girl when I saw it in my mailbox, but I digress. I was reading the Butch Vig interview (by john vanderslice) and there was a question he asked that made me realize how much things have changed; it goes like this.
John Vanderslice

"For all those out there that have 8 and 16-tracks, which are probably the majority of TapeOp readers,....:
Wow! That was only 8-9 years ago, I mean I know people are still using 8-16 track recorders (analog or digital) but it is by no means the standard any more.

Also I have found that during this time, almost no one was using, or at least talking about using ribbon microphones. Nowadays they seem to comprise about one third of an average studios mic locker

Man, sometimes a look back into the not so past, past reminds me of how trendy equipment choice can be. Were all just 15 year old teenage girls, getting themselves all hot and bothered over the new pre-packaged boy band. :wink:
Last edited by Ryan Silva on Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by TapeOpLarry » Tue Nov 10, 2009 1:08 pm

Pro Tools LE wasn't out and few people were even manufacturing ribbon mics. I know it's hard to believe... ha ha.
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Post by Ryan Silva » Tue Nov 10, 2009 2:58 pm

You ever wonder if Ribbon mics were a reaction to the extended top end of digital, and the poor conversion of some of the early AD's.

Sonically, I can see it making folks use to tape a little more comfortable with digital.

Just a thought.
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Post by TapeOpLarry » Tue Nov 10, 2009 6:07 pm

Of course ribbons were a reaction, as have been tube preamps, inductor EQs and all the good stuff people had left behind years before. No one was looking for ways to muck the sound up when they were recording to tape!
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Post by Ryan Silva » Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:52 pm

Yep, guess that qualifys as obvious. :oops:

I guess now its just a choice of where you chose to add your muck.
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Post by chris harris » Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:48 am

Digital was around (and even more sterile than current digital) for a long time before the ribbon mic trend blew up. I think that the popularity of ribbon mics, and especially the recent popularity of inexpensive ribbon mics, is a reaction to a gear market saturated with outrageously bright, cheap condenser mics.

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Post by Brian » Wed Nov 11, 2009 7:13 pm

I second that emotion.
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Post by TapeOpLarry » Thu Nov 12, 2009 12:44 pm

Astute observation on the ribbon mic thing. I do think digital "plain-ness" helped bring 'em back too. Mixing something right now where the vocals sound like a cheaper mic, pre or convertor. The overall sound seems nice at first then you notice the splattery hard consonants, too much low end bump, lack of "nice" air and such. It's easy to be fooled by some cheap gear at first, especially when it is bright sounding, but you'll usually pay for it in the end one way or the other...
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Post by 1grex » Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:09 pm

Is the first compilation still available? I'm interested

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Post by Aj » Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:27 pm

I often think the word "bright" has taken a reputation nosedive not unlike the term "liberal". In the 70s/80s, there was no problem with describing something as bright. Now it's almost an insult!
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Post by TapeOpLarry » Sun Nov 15, 2009 9:43 am

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