Gear That's Made A Marked Difference

[sonikbliss]

SCA N72! Brilliant!

Oh yeah, and actually using a DI instead of just running a guitar straight into a pre. Ahh to be young and naive again. Brilliant!

[linus]

a pair of Coles. Perfect on some things fabulous on everything else.

[nacho459]

ADAM P11 monitors

Ampex AG440b

Octava ML52's

DIY LA2a

[Meriphew]

Soundelux Elux 251
GT Vipre
API pres
Elektron Machinedrum

[Knights Who Say Neve]

Pabst Blue Ribbon. Makes everything sound better.

[Leopold]

Soundtracs Topaz, finally I can hear how things on tape really sound. And my Soldano.

[joelpatterson]

Sytek pre. All of a sudden everything that's down near silence is crisp, clean, defined. Moving up in the ADAT chain from 16 to 20 to 24 bit, I got the same feeling-- there's a halo of realism surrounding the primary sound that gives it all an added sense of true-to-lifeness.

Tube mic. In my case the CAD M9, specifically tracking guitars. Suddenly--I hear myself saying "suddenly" alot this post--the mids are biting, snarling, almost hanging right there in the air. Compare it to guitars on an LDC, those mids seem somehow washy and hard to really get a fix on.

Nice monitors. Tannoy Reveals. Need I say more? Sure I do. My girlfriend wandered in and she was "Ow! This is creepy! It's all in surround or something!" Nothing like the unbiased impressions of the layperson.

[cgarges]

My girlfriend wandered in and she was "Ow! This is creepy! It's all in surround or something!" Nothing like the unbiased impressions of the layperson.

You don't have them wired out-of-phase, do you?

New monitors? I know what you mean. heh heh heh.

Great answers, guys! Keep 'em coming.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[marqueemoon]

Isolation headphones

Yes! I went for the Studio Kans instead of the Extreme Isolations, so the sound quality could be better, but since I record only myself 95% of the time it's made a huge difference. My drum tracks are tighter, my ears don't get fatigued as easily, I can get in the ballpark with micing things more quickly, my vocals are in better tune, and I don't have stuff bleeding into my quiet overdubs anymore.

I've also become a better drummer since these make it a lot easier to practice along with a prerecorded track or click as a reasonable level and hear more of the track and less of my own playing.

I think these are great because they have helped me improve the performance aspect of my recordings, and that has made everything better.

[inhumentor]

It's not gear really, but having a better space, and more time to mix and really get to know the gear I do have. I'm a bum at the moment, and I've found alot out about my speakers tendencies lately.

So yeah, a rift in time and space is handy. Or a rift in money, and social life is more like it. I don't get out much since I moved back to Portland, cept to look for work.

[aurelialuz]

telefunken 676s.

[dynomike]

Hate to say it..

Behringer ada-8000.
SUCH a dramatic improvement over the crappy board I was using its kind of ridiculous. I can't wait to find out what lies in the next range of preamps.

Also... 12 gauge (and 100%ofc) speaker cable. Didn't cost much, but the difference was unbelievable to the 18 gauge lamp-cord looking stuff I had.

Oh yeah and my nad 2200 power amp replacing my dad's JVC integrated amp... haha. That was ridiculous. Some people talk about preamp "haze" or even a "veil".. believe me, this sounded like I lifted off a wool blanket.

Mike

[biasvoltage]

Studio: API 312 preamp

Guitar: replacing the crappy stock pickups in my Japanese strat with Seymour Duncan Vintage Staggered pickups.

Home Audio: Audiolab integrated amp.


cv

[frank]

HOMEMADE ISO-CAB!!! serious. building one of these was one of the best(and least expensive) decisions I've ever made.

Celestion12"-$20 used.
plywood and foam rubber-found in dumpster
mic goose neck/misc. hardware-$6 radioshack

the sound of a real mic on a cranked speaker, at 12:30 at night in my apartment...priceless

[chetatkinsdiet]

Since I'm computer based, and have pretty decent instruments to start with, I'd have to say upgrading to the MOTU 1224 interfaces was pretty nice. As were the OSA pres, Vintech pres and the Royer 121 was a nice little addition as well.
later,
m

Although, (you'll dig this chris), I just got in my new Tama Starclassic Maples in Green Sparkle. 8x10, 8x12 rack toms, 11x14 and 13x16 mounted floor toms and a 17x20 kick....sounds amazing at my house. I can't wait to get them in the studio and mic em up.

later,
m