Focusrite greens, anyone?

[justinf]

Hey guys, I have a chance to pick up a Focusrite Green (Voicebox Mk 2 I believe) on a cheap trade (350-ish), and I'm just wondering if anyone is using this as a color box/etc. How would you describe the sound, and compare to the other common cheap pres/strips around (i.e., RNP/RNC, Sytek, Meek, Symetrix, etc.)

thanks, j

[joel hamilton]

I actually like the E.q. on those for distortion. Frequency concious distortion. cool.

The mic pre is okay as well. they have that same fairly open, boring focusright sound.

They are pretty cool all around i guess. I dont really like focusrite stuff, but the green range seems to be the best price/performance ratio.

Ther real focusright stuff is just expensive and boring in my humble opinion.

[soundguy]

I had used one of those focusrite green mic pre's, however I dont rremember them being budget at the time at all. It was the brightest up front pre I had ever used at the time and I remember thinking that it would be awesome on flutes. Unfortunately, I wasnt recording flutes and it didnt cut it for rock. I recall that box being mondo expensive though.

dave

[joel hamilton]

I laughed about the flute...

I think... Um I was recording violin, and that worked really well with an 87.

I recorded some "flut-Y" vocals with the same setup. pretty cool.

I hate the way they look. Aomeba/flinstones/ rave kid/ Alien movie looking. lame.

Just put it in a box, guys. jeez.

[justinf]

I got someone coming over to track flute tonight, he he

For 350 whopping us, I think I'll go for it. Just curious what the communal opine was, thx.

[AudioJunkie]

I bought the Green 1 dual mic pre off eBay a few months ago. Got it for just over $400, and so far i've been really happy with it. It's my main pre for stereo location recording (mainly student recitals at school). I don't have a lot of experience with the expensive pre's like Hardy, GR, Avalon, etc. But the Green will hold me until i can afford a more mainstream set-up.

[joel hamilton]

I shouldnt have sounded so non committal about this pre. I actually like it a lot.
If you have some entry level console, or a bunch of semi pro gear, the focusright green is absolutely a worthy box to own IMO.

If i found one for cheap i would get one, just to have around. (you never know when the next jethro tull is right around the corner...)

I remember I used it for a center ambient on drums in a medium sized wood room, and killed the pre, and the E.Q. section. it ruled for that. The toms just barked right out of the cymbal wash. I like the High and low pass filters on that little thing too.

[scotsman]

At the time people who had "real" Focusrite gear, like ISA115, ISA215, and even the early Red stuff, which all cost thousands of dollars, thought the Green was cheap and stupid. Not only did we think it sounded bad, but it looked like Frodo's Middle-Earth mic pre.

However, in retrospect and by today's even lower standards, it's not so bad. It certainly sounds better than the Focusrite Platinum. Ugh! Now that Digi owns the name, they can call cheap thing a "Focusrite" pre. Like the M-B*x for instance. Ha! The Green still looks silly, though.

Here's some original Focusrite stuff from the '80s. This stuff sounds great:

http://www.proaudiodesign.com/moreinfo. ... emID=I3532

http://www.proaudiodesign.com/moreinfo. ... emID=I3667

[justinf]

Yeah, as far as the looks, trying to be different without cause usually results in ballsac. But, it sounds like it might be a decent color/ occasional go-to for the right price.

thanks fellas

[JGriffin]

Noisy and they blow up really easily. I don't recommend 'em. Got 2 in my rack that I haven't used for years.