using a mixer with really nice mic pres

[versuviusx]

i know a guy who uses a behringer eurodesk. but he uses it soley for mixing. he has othe really nice mic pres that he goes through the desk. so he basically turns down the levels all the way and then he uses his mic pres for amplificatoin and not the board. my question is if he does this will the behringer compromise the sound in any way? i didn't expect the behringer to sound that great. it's suppost to be very quiet though. please let meknow. thanks

[vvv]

I suspect that you are misunderstanding the signal path.

Typicallly, outboard pre's run direct or through a patch bay to the recorder. I would advise that he is using the mixer to monitor only.

If in fact he is running his pre's through the board, he is probably not getting the best use of his pre's.

[Punkity]

I really don't see this as an improvement. He is still running the signal through the board's pres, regardless of how the trim is set. That and the signal is still passing through the remainder of the board all the way to the main buss out amplifiers. If your friend really wants to use the rnp as a line amplifier into the board, he has to bypass the preamps on the board and plug the rnp into the insert point return on the channel (if it has one, I don't know jack about the board). The insert will undoubtedly be unbalanced, but that is a wiring problem, not really a sonic one. However, the insert point is likely to be after the EQ, and that could be a big problem if the EQ is to be used. Also, there could be problems if the clip light on the channels is at the board's preamps (I would hope it is a more global type, but who knows without looking at a flow-chart or circuit layout).

[@?,*???&?]

Anything he's plugged into is coloring the sound. If it's not the lineamp on the Eurodesk, it's still going to be the eq at that point. Behringer gear is cheap. That said, I hear their pres as somewhat similar to Langevin equipment. Anybody hear that comparison?

[Ronan]

If it's not the lineamp on the Eurodesk, it's still going to be the eq at that point. Behringer gear is cheap. That said, I hear their pres as somewhat similar to Langevin equipment. Anybody hear that comparison?

Actually I would love to hear opinions about the Langevin stuff. I am generally in love with most manley gear, and have high hopes for the Langevin stuff, but have not had a chance to try it.

ps Jeff, checked out your web site. Very cool discography. You were worked on the American Music Club's San Francisco. I will be eternally jealous of you!!!

[@?,*???&?]

Actually I would love to hear opinions about the Langevin stuff. I am generally in love with most manley gear, and have high hopes for the Langevin stuff, but have not had a chance to try it.

ps Jeff, checked out your web site. Very cool discography. You were worked on the American Music Club's San Francisco. I will be eternally jealous of you!!!

Yeah, Mark is a great guy. "Hello Amsterdam" is an amazing song. I didn't get to meet the rest of the band as I was only involved with the mixing of the disc, not the overdub stage. Mark was around for the whole mix though I believe it was Vudi (if I recall) that was working at Black Market Music in San Francisco and had to stay up thereto make money, but I might not be remembering that correctly. A good friend of mine, Tracy Chisholm, engineered the recording for Joe Chiccarelli up in San Francisco. A favorite story from him was when he and Joe had only been up a week or so and they were trying to find a vocal sound. Tracy is pretty casual and will pretty much make anything work, but Joe tends to be a little the opposite and turns to him and says, "If we can't a get a vocal sound, we're going to be on a plane tomorrow back to Los Angeles!" Just really possibly looking for something that just wasn't there or perhaps necessary. After many months of recording, Mark felt like Joe was hanging on a bit tight and decided to have someone else mix the record. The label still had Bob Clearmountain and Tom Lord-Alge mix the same 3 songs for a ridiculous amount of money each. Jim Scott was the guy who mixed the bulk of it and he did his usual lightning fast 1.5 songs a day, pro mix which I think took Joe a little by surprise. I remember rendezvousing with Joe in the mornings at the 7 eleven near the studio handing him a DAT of Jims mixes and then promptly getting grilled about how I thought things were going. Hilarious! It was one of Jim's last great SSL mixes as he is almost exclusively a Neve and stays locked up in that Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' room over at Cello. Oh, the joys of assisting when you are whipping boy, tea boy, tapeop, assistant, 2nd set of ears, therapist and getting paid a meager wage of $9 per hour...lol.

[vvv]

Yeah, but you have great stories many of us would kill to have been present for.

Well, maybe just maim a little.