"color vs. clean" pres and comps
-
- alignin' 24-trk
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2003 9:10 pm
- Location: owensboro ky
"color vs. clean" pres and comps
looking for "colored" pres and compressors. i have a 2108 and have been looking at 2-610. distressor is "colored" too, correct? any other comps? any help appreciated
- A.David.MacKinnon
- ears didn't survive the freeze
- Posts: 3836
- Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
- Location: Hamilton ON, Canada
- Contact:
Comps - depends on how much or little you want to spend.
1176, Alesis microlimiter, CBC volumax, Gates Sta-Level/Solid Statesman/Level Devil, Altec green face comps of black face 1612B, Gain Brains, Shure level-loc or the limiter built into their later mic mixers, EH Black or White Finger, DBX 163, 163x, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. So many choices.
1176, Alesis microlimiter, CBC volumax, Gates Sta-Level/Solid Statesman/Level Devil, Altec green face comps of black face 1612B, Gain Brains, Shure level-loc or the limiter built into their later mic mixers, EH Black or White Finger, DBX 163, 163x, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. So many choices.
- mechanicalmastering
- takin' a dinner break
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:39 pm
- Contact:
Got Meek? And ever since I got some Yamaha PM1K mic pres and the Scully 280 mic pres I've been pretty happy with my color selection. Same is true with the Syteks. Even transparent is a color to choose for recording. The combination of my mics and just those mic pres is enough to keep me occupied.
Of course I've had it in the ear before.....
- Jeff White
- ghost haunting audio students
- Posts: 3263
- Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 6:15 pm
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Contact:
I happen to really like preamps that have transformers in them (BAE 312s, Yamaha PM1000s). The Presonus MP20 that I've had for 9 years is nothing to sneeze at either, and mine doesn't even have the Jensen transformers in it (it has the Burr-Brown mod, though). With that said, I also love my Syteks. And I'm really digging tracking with compression these days; dbx 160X, 163X, Valley People Dynamite. I really think that everything that isn't sterile has a color to contribute. And remember, mics DEFINITELY contribute to color.
I would also seriously consider some spring reverb, tape echo, etc. We always talk about preamps and compressors, but there are a ton of other great boxes that can totally make a track shine. For instance, the Echoplex EP-3's preamp section is pure magic. I can't explain it. Even without the tape echoing away, just running guitar through this box is some sick shit.
Jeff
I would also seriously consider some spring reverb, tape echo, etc. We always talk about preamps and compressors, but there are a ton of other great boxes that can totally make a track shine. For instance, the Echoplex EP-3's preamp section is pure magic. I can't explain it. Even without the tape echoing away, just running guitar through this box is some sick shit.
Jeff
I record, mix, and master in my Philly-based home studio, the Spacement. https://linktr.ee/ipressrecord
+1 on the Meek, love my VC1Q, and VC3Q, altho' the latter is about lo-fi in comparison. Great on rock and jazz vox.
I am also really digging the Summit 2BA-221 what lets you add tube (not starved) on top of a pretty clean SS. I use it on vox, and guitars and acoustic guitars.
I just gotta UA710 today what adds tube in parallel to a pretty colored SS pre.
I have a Eureka and while it's not exciting, it's very nice as a second-color, for example on BV's and rhythm guitars - a rather thick sound, nice on bass.
I have a VTB1 what is cheap and quite useable, from cleanish to dirty with starved tube. I have used it a lot on guitars and vox.
A have a ART TPS that is about meh, except I love it on DI bass, and it's handy on stereo sources, whether mic'd or DI keys.
My fave all-arounder, not as transparent as you might think with a wonderful subtlety, is the ISA 1.
Other cheap pre's include a Trakmaster what I find usable but redundant for me, and a MP105 that I've not found a use for.
I could mention some comps, if ya want ...
I am also really digging the Summit 2BA-221 what lets you add tube (not starved) on top of a pretty clean SS. I use it on vox, and guitars and acoustic guitars.
I just gotta UA710 today what adds tube in parallel to a pretty colored SS pre.
I have a Eureka and while it's not exciting, it's very nice as a second-color, for example on BV's and rhythm guitars - a rather thick sound, nice on bass.
I have a VTB1 what is cheap and quite useable, from cleanish to dirty with starved tube. I have used it a lot on guitars and vox.
A have a ART TPS that is about meh, except I love it on DI bass, and it's handy on stereo sources, whether mic'd or DI keys.
My fave all-arounder, not as transparent as you might think with a wonderful subtlety, is the ISA 1.
Other cheap pre's include a Trakmaster what I find usable but redundant for me, and a MP105 that I've not found a use for.
I could mention some comps, if ya want ...
- losthighway
- resurrected
- Posts: 2353
- Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:02 pm
- Contact:
- Nick Sevilla
- on a wing and a prayer
- Posts: 5595
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
- Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
- Contact:
Re: "color vs. clean" pres and comps
Tell me :xiandishinger wrote:looking for "colored" pres and compressors. i have a 2108 and have been looking at 2-610. distressor is "colored" too, correct? any other comps? any help appreciated
What color you are after.
Then I'll tell you what you need.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.
- mechanicalmastering
- takin' a dinner break
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:39 pm
- Contact:
Not to derail the thread, but I'm on the prowl for a clean, stackable preamp around $1k street with some sparkle, the closest thing I've found is the Forssell SMP-2, which sounds less detailed and "earthy" but more sparkly and prettier than the Gordon Model 5, maybe you could suggest one? John Hardy perhaps? I wish the DAV BG-2 had transformers.What color you are after.
Then I'll tell you what you need.
- Nick Sevilla
- on a wing and a prayer
- Posts: 5595
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
- Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
- Contact:
- mechanicalmastering
- takin' a dinner break
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:39 pm
- Contact:
Thanks!John Hardy.
(Now, OP, that is how you ask for a preamp suggestion, use adjectives! )
The 610 sounds somewhat "wooly" from what I've gathered, and if that's what you're after, I'd suggest the Peavey VMP-2, (don't mind the name), it's an amazing sleeper tube pre. If clean, color for use on multiple "stacked" tracks is what you're after then you should really consider the Hamptone JFET, after lots of research and help from my good friends here I just ordered one. It has lots of dimension, is very stackable, sounds like royal purple and it will totally knock your socks off. The Distressor uses distortion when compressing so yeah, it's colored. A Symetrix CL-150 or 501 can get some of that same mojo and cost a lot less. I hear that the Valley People DynaMyte has lots of midrange crunch as well.
- losthighway
- resurrected
- Posts: 2353
- Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:02 pm
- Contact:
I would look into what one channel of Avalon costs these days.mechanicalmastering wrote:Not to derail the thread, but I'm on the prowl for a clean, stackable preamp around $1k street with some sparkle, the closest thing I've found is the Forssell SMP-2, which sounds less detailed and "earthy" but more sparkly and prettier than the Gordon Model 5, maybe you could suggest one? John Hardy perhaps? I wish the DAV BG-2 had transformers.What color you are after.
Then I'll tell you what you need.
I don't know if I would call Sytek sparkle, but they're affordable, powerful and viscerally clean.
- I'm Painting Again
- zen recordist
- Posts: 7086
- Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 2:15 am
- Location: New York, New York
- Contact:
the distressor has some subtle coloring with its controls..it also tends to make things sound "flat" to me which is good and bad depending on what you're after for the sound..
altec 1566 is my most "colored" preamp..it's from the 1950's so it's noisy and distorted and awesome..it's "colored" whilst retaining a 3D sound which is really nice..
a lot of the "color" I find comes from the source sound most of all..if I could only use one preamp and comp..I'd definitely pick a high fidelity one without any color..
you can always add color but not add any higher fidelity..make sense?
altec 1566 is my most "colored" preamp..it's from the 1950's so it's noisy and distorted and awesome..it's "colored" whilst retaining a 3D sound which is really nice..
a lot of the "color" I find comes from the source sound most of all..if I could only use one preamp and comp..I'd definitely pick a high fidelity one without any color..
you can always add color but not add any higher fidelity..make sense?
- Nick Sevilla
- on a wing and a prayer
- Posts: 5595
- Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
- Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
- Contact:
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 155 guests