Studio projects VTB1 mic pre-amp
- Thread starter jbenishek
- Start date
Recording Engineer
Moderator
chessrock said:
Now THAT right there is NOTHING more than COMPLETE bullshit!
chessparov
New member
Jordan (jslator), of course you're right about learning to trust your own ears. Relatively speaking (or singing!), my level of competence is higher with various microphones rather than mic pre's. Even so, my personal observations mirror some of the
comments in these "reviews".
Chessrock, I truly believe that Harvey comes as close as humanly possible to being an objective tester of professional audio equipment. It's entirely conceivable that he was given the VTB-1,
after his review, without his foreknowledge.
Even if Harvey knew in advance, he still has the courage of his convictions, and would give the same review whether or not he'd be getting a VTB-1. Although Harvey and Alan are friends they've
agreed/disagreed plenty on various topics. Harvey can make much more money doing other things than graciously spending his time here helping us the way he does!
As as Tape Op, aren't they partly funded by Larry Crane?
The tenor of their reviews look to be pretty reasonable.
Although I don't know Dan (Dot) personally, he seems to be a bright young AE who has a lot of enthusiasm and strong opinions.
Not always the most politically correct combination for BBS's
like this one, but might become an excellent producer someday with those qualities.
Guess I'm an "innocent until proven guilty" kinda guy.
Chris
comments in these "reviews".
Chessrock, I truly believe that Harvey comes as close as humanly possible to being an objective tester of professional audio equipment. It's entirely conceivable that he was given the VTB-1,
after his review, without his foreknowledge.
Even if Harvey knew in advance, he still has the courage of his convictions, and would give the same review whether or not he'd be getting a VTB-1. Although Harvey and Alan are friends they've
agreed/disagreed plenty on various topics. Harvey can make much more money doing other things than graciously spending his time here helping us the way he does!
As as Tape Op, aren't they partly funded by Larry Crane?
The tenor of their reviews look to be pretty reasonable.
Although I don't know Dan (Dot) personally, he seems to be a bright young AE who has a lot of enthusiasm and strong opinions.
Not always the most politically correct combination for BBS's
like this one, but might become an excellent producer someday with those qualities.
Guess I'm an "innocent until proven guilty" kinda guy.
Chris
Interesting thread...
As my review was mentioned, I'd like to say something. I like the VTB1. If you want a bass DI, then look elsewhere. If you want a significant upgrade from the Mackie/Audio Buddy/Behringer crowd then look elsewhere. Are you going to record a lot of tracks and want a tight sound? If so, then look elsewhere.
BTW, I like Dot and Harvey. Dot has an agenda. I have an agenda. I don't think Harvey has an agenda. I don't know much about TapeOp's agenda.
I think you guys misread Harvey's review of the VTB1. In the end, he makes it clear that the VTB1 is no RNP, which he loved. Still, as he states, that doesn't prevent it from being a pretty nice piece of gear for the price that you might want to consider.
Steve
www.piemusic.com
As my review was mentioned, I'd like to say something. I like the VTB1. If you want a bass DI, then look elsewhere. If you want a significant upgrade from the Mackie/Audio Buddy/Behringer crowd then look elsewhere. Are you going to record a lot of tracks and want a tight sound? If so, then look elsewhere.
BTW, I like Dot and Harvey. Dot has an agenda. I have an agenda. I don't think Harvey has an agenda. I don't know much about TapeOp's agenda.
I think you guys misread Harvey's review of the VTB1. In the end, he makes it clear that the VTB1 is no RNP, which he loved. Still, as he states, that doesn't prevent it from being a pretty nice piece of gear for the price that you might want to consider.
Steve
www.piemusic.com
Last edited:
Recording Engineer
Moderator
chessrock said:Dan "Dot" Richards-Digital Pro Sound? -- Says some pretty strange things most of the time; usually in regards to Studio Projects gear. Wouldn't consider him a Pro Engineer, nor would I consider his publication a very credible resource, although there is some definite entertainment factor going on.
Funny... That coming from you... Who says some pretty strange things most of the time...
Look, I'm sorry for robbing some of you guys of your innocence, here. Harvey has agendas, but they're not nearly as clear-cut as you'd think. Yes, he's a great guy, and yes he's about the closest thing to objective as you'll get on this board. Yes, he's a legend, and I am in debt to him for the knowlege he has so unselfishly shared.
However, he does come from a very tight knit, close group of old-school engineers, designers and manufacturers. They are friends, and they help one another out when they can. Alan has sort of been on the outskirts of this group and has his ties.
Harvey himself has admitted to the difficulty of being objective in his comments because of the amount of free gear that is offered to him. Both on this board, and to myself in personal conversations.
That's not to say that he doesn't do his best. And I'm not saying the guy is going to make bogus claims about something in order to help someone else out. Not at all. He is far above that kind of nonsense. What I am saying is that, in some way, his judgement can't help but be at least a tiny bit affected. We all want to see our friends and acquaintances succeed, so we might look past some of their faults without even knowing it.
Lastly, how many budget pres do you even think this guy has worked with and compared it to? Do you honestly think Harvey has any interest at all in taking his VTB-1 and pitting it head-to-head with an ART Toob MP, a Joemeek, a Mackie board, a DMP3, etc. etc. Don't you think he has better things to do and bigger toys to spend his money on?
Wake up. Harvey's admittedly never even so much as seen a DMP3 or just about any of the budget pres that the VTB1 is competing with. How the heck can you honestly say something is at the head of a pack of products, when it's the only one of it's type you've even bothered to use?
I don't have anywhere near the reputation or skills that Harvey has. Same goes for Steve at Mojo Pie. Yet I'd say we're both one up on him in terms of knowlege on budget pres, because guys like us have actually used just about every one of them.
Honestly, some of you guys are so damn happy being naive, that the truth can be sitting right in front of you with a spotlight, wearing hunter's orange eating your leftovers and tongue-kissing your wives and daughters, and you still refuse to see it.
And note to Recording Engineer: perhaps reality does seem rather odd and foreign to someone who's never bothered to look at it.
However, he does come from a very tight knit, close group of old-school engineers, designers and manufacturers. They are friends, and they help one another out when they can. Alan has sort of been on the outskirts of this group and has his ties.
Harvey himself has admitted to the difficulty of being objective in his comments because of the amount of free gear that is offered to him. Both on this board, and to myself in personal conversations.
That's not to say that he doesn't do his best. And I'm not saying the guy is going to make bogus claims about something in order to help someone else out. Not at all. He is far above that kind of nonsense. What I am saying is that, in some way, his judgement can't help but be at least a tiny bit affected. We all want to see our friends and acquaintances succeed, so we might look past some of their faults without even knowing it.
Lastly, how many budget pres do you even think this guy has worked with and compared it to? Do you honestly think Harvey has any interest at all in taking his VTB-1 and pitting it head-to-head with an ART Toob MP, a Joemeek, a Mackie board, a DMP3, etc. etc. Don't you think he has better things to do and bigger toys to spend his money on?
Wake up. Harvey's admittedly never even so much as seen a DMP3 or just about any of the budget pres that the VTB1 is competing with. How the heck can you honestly say something is at the head of a pack of products, when it's the only one of it's type you've even bothered to use?
I don't have anywhere near the reputation or skills that Harvey has. Same goes for Steve at Mojo Pie. Yet I'd say we're both one up on him in terms of knowlege on budget pres, because guys like us have actually used just about every one of them.
Honestly, some of you guys are so damn happy being naive, that the truth can be sitting right in front of you with a spotlight, wearing hunter's orange eating your leftovers and tongue-kissing your wives and daughters, and you still refuse to see it.
And note to Recording Engineer: perhaps reality does seem rather odd and foreign to someone who's never bothered to look at it.
OK, Chessrock, I'll get you into the "brotherhood." 
Your very passionate about gear and I love reading your opinions. I think you do make a legitimate point about bias.
Steve
www.piemusic.com
Your very passionate about gear and I love reading your opinions. I think you do make a legitimate point about bias.
Steve
www.piemusic.com
As far as I know, Studio Projects does not give gear away. I believe they offer "accomodation pricing" to reviewers.
I won't speak for their exact practice but give you a general overview. If a reviewer wants an item, then he'll get a special price on it. Usually, it's somewhere over manufacturer's cost and may even be over dealer's cost in some instances. It depends on the specific practice of the manufacturer.
Steve
www.piemusic.com
I won't speak for their exact practice but give you a general overview. If a reviewer wants an item, then he'll get a special price on it. Usually, it's somewhere over manufacturer's cost and may even be over dealer's cost in some instances. It depends on the specific practice of the manufacturer.
Steve
www.piemusic.com
Harvey Gerst
New member
Just to keep the record straight, the only piece I have listed on my web site from Studio Projects is the VTB-1, which I intend to purchase from Alan (and I don't know what the final price will be). If I can't get a good price from Alan, I'll buy it somewhere else because I need it. I should probably take it off my page till I officially own it, or one like it.
I currently have in my possession all three of the B, and the first three in the C series mics and I'm still trying to find my damn evaluation notes on those mics. I had three of the C series before, which I then sent to Stephen Paul, after checking with Alan.
I don't know which of the 6 mics I'm gonna buy, or what the price will be, and that's why I don't have any SP mics on my equipment list. The ones I don't buy will be returned to Alan.
I'm closer friends with Mark McQuilken than I am with Alan, but that didn't stop me from saying that the VTB-1 was better on my RCA 77DX than the RNP was, at 1/3 the cost of the the RNP.
If something sucks, it sucks, regardless of who makes it. Hell, I've trashed (in public) some of the stuff I've designed.
Yes, I hang out with a lot of the older big guys, but hell, I'm older than most of them anyway. My main home is at rec.audio.pro, and I've had a lot of people there question my defense of Alan's stuff, the MXL line, and the Behringers omnis.
While some of the pros still don't like them, many pros are finding them to be far more useful studio mics than some of their big name counterparts, or at least a lot closer in sound to the big names than their price would indicate.
But back to the question of "my agenda". Do I have one, hidden or otherwise? About the only agenda I have is trying to report what I hear as fairly as possible, and I try to help manufacturers make better products.
I'm NOT a reviewer - I run Indian Trail Recording Studio, period. I don't have a review forum, I don't write for magazines, and I don't get paid to do this stuff, either by the people who read what I write, or by the manufacturers that I write about.
If I can get a good deal on something by buying direct, I will. I've done that long before the Internet was even heard of. Mainly because I've worked for the company before, or I've known the owners of the companies for years.
I currently have in my possession all three of the B, and the first three in the C series mics and I'm still trying to find my damn evaluation notes on those mics. I had three of the C series before, which I then sent to Stephen Paul, after checking with Alan.
I don't know which of the 6 mics I'm gonna buy, or what the price will be, and that's why I don't have any SP mics on my equipment list. The ones I don't buy will be returned to Alan.
I'm closer friends with Mark McQuilken than I am with Alan, but that didn't stop me from saying that the VTB-1 was better on my RCA 77DX than the RNP was, at 1/3 the cost of the the RNP.
If something sucks, it sucks, regardless of who makes it. Hell, I've trashed (in public) some of the stuff I've designed.
Yes, I hang out with a lot of the older big guys, but hell, I'm older than most of them anyway. My main home is at rec.audio.pro, and I've had a lot of people there question my defense of Alan's stuff, the MXL line, and the Behringers omnis.
While some of the pros still don't like them, many pros are finding them to be far more useful studio mics than some of their big name counterparts, or at least a lot closer in sound to the big names than their price would indicate.
But back to the question of "my agenda". Do I have one, hidden or otherwise? About the only agenda I have is trying to report what I hear as fairly as possible, and I try to help manufacturers make better products.
I'm NOT a reviewer - I run Indian Trail Recording Studio, period. I don't have a review forum, I don't write for magazines, and I don't get paid to do this stuff, either by the people who read what I write, or by the manufacturers that I write about.
If I can get a good deal on something by buying direct, I will. I've done that long before the Internet was even heard of. Mainly because I've worked for the company before, or I've known the owners of the companies for years.
Well chessrock,
"Honestly, some of you guys are so damn happy being naive, that the truth can be sitting right in front of you with a spotlight, wearing hunter's orange eating your leftovers and tongue-kissing your wives and daughters, and you still refuse to see it."
You said Harvey gets free stuff from Alan for trying it out and reviewing it.
Harvey said that's not ture. Sorry chessrock, but I believe Harvey -- unless you can prove otherwise. Truth -- post the facts.
"Honestly, some of you guys are so damn happy being naive, that the truth can be sitting right in front of you with a spotlight, wearing hunter's orange eating your leftovers and tongue-kissing your wives and daughters, and you still refuse to see it."
You said Harvey gets free stuff from Alan for trying it out and reviewing it.
Harvey said that's not ture. Sorry chessrock, but I believe Harvey -- unless you can prove otherwise. Truth -- post the facts.
Last edited:
darrin_h2000
Banned
You want the truth...You cant handle the truth.
Sometime Chess you remind me of those right wing conspiracy theorists in the Cave.
I think that the VTB-1 is the Best colored pre in that price range. And with the tube modded it sounds even better.
Sometime Chess you remind me of those right wing conspiracy theorists in the Cave.
I think that the VTB-1 is the Best colored pre in that price range. And with the tube modded it sounds even better.
darrin_h2000
Banned
Thats fine if hes just recording instruments, but a colored pre wins out every time for vocals. The truth is you need both, preferably a clean 8 channel and a colored pre for vocals.
Recording Engineer
Moderator
Thank you for the indepth analysis on natural unconscious human bias, chessrock... You may be on to something there... And you're right, I never bothered to look at it from there... From YOUR "reality"! 
That's because your "reality" and points of view reminds me of the movie The Big Kahuna.
That's because your "reality" and points of view reminds me of the movie The Big Kahuna.Recording Engineer
Moderator
I agree, jslator... And I respectably disagree with darrin_h2000.