Fairchild advice

MechaGodzilla · Post by **MechaGodzilla** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:30 pm

Okay, so I've been engineering a project for the last month with a producer who isn't tech-savvy, but loves product names and spending money.

For the mix, he's hellbent on renting a Fairchild (the one in Vancouver, BC) and putting it over the stereo buss.

I've never used one of these beasts, or had a budget to justify it. what should I know about it? Are they truly worth the money they command? Because my instinct says no way.

seaneldon · Post by **seaneldon** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:43 pm

if you've got the dough to use it the entire time you're mixing, i'd say give it a shot. that'll allow you to build your mix around it.

if you've only got the money to use it for one day and you plan on just playing mixes into it, that might not be the best idea. that'd just be like playing a decent mix into a compressor, rather than using the compressor FOR the mix, and probably make you so nuts that you just start over. that would be bad.

MechaGodzilla · Post by **MechaGodzilla** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:42 pm

seaneldon wrote:if you've got the dough to use it the entire time you're mixing, i'd say give it a shot. that'll allow you to build your mix around it.

Yeah, I guess we have the cash for it. 5 days to mix 6 songs. Honestly, I've never worked directly on a session with this much money. He doesn't even bat an eye when I hand him studio invoices... Usually I'd be mixing 3 songs a day.

It's kind of rock and roll fantasy camp. Whatever, I'm just gonna keep on engineering...

MASSIVE Mastering · Post by **MASSIVE Mastering** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 5:49 pm

Call me crazy, but I was never all that whacked-out nuts about the Fairchild in the first place. Not that it sucks or anything, but I certainly wouldn't pay $30k for one -

I really don't think I'd spend $3k for one for that matter - Unless it was to turn around and sell it for $30k, of course... I've been happier with other variable-mu units - Manley, Pendulum, etc.

But in any case, it's definitely (as suggested) something you want to have across the buss before you start mixing - That's not exactly a "transparent" sounding unit...

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:11 pm

Have fun with it.
Remember that when the meters even move, you are already kind of digging in to the beast....

It will impart some niceness. Monitor through it and enjoy. Think SLOW with the attack and release, it will be your pal and that way you leave the mastering engineer some leading edge transients..... just my opinion. anyone that has ever used one has their way/////

MASSIVE Mastering · Post by **MASSIVE Mastering** » Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:47 pm

joel hamilton wrote:just my opinion.

And a perfectly sensible one at that.

seaneldon · Post by **seaneldon** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 12:50 am

MASSIVE Mastering wrote:
joel hamilton wrote:just my opinion.
And a perfectly sensible one at that.

yeah, you've probably heard more than ten times your share of mangled transients from a misused buss compressor in your line of work. i've only gotta hear one guy get pretty killer results from it...me!

talk about arrogant! who is this guy?! sean eldon? who the fuck is that!

MASSIVE Mastering · Post by **MASSIVE Mastering** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:13 pm

seaneldon wrote:who is this guy?! sean eldon? who the fuck is that!

He's that guy from http://seaneldon.blogspot.com

seaneldon · Post by **seaneldon** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 11:44 pm

MASSIVE Mastering wrote:
seaneldon wrote:who is this guy?! sean eldon? who the fuck is that!
He's that guy from http://seaneldon.blogspot.com

haha! updated that, by the way. will try to do so more often.

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