bypass mixer, to tape through ART Tube?/position in signal path

kristian

kristian

New member
question one Using Art Dual Tubes as a pre amp for all applications, getting maybe 3 or 4 boxes and running staright to tape through those. Do you think you would get better results then going through the mixer to tape, or ART then mixer then tape? see because i was looking at the behringer multicomp and multigate, and one Dual Tube, but now im wondering if i should get the gates and/or compressor later and get more ARTs for better pres.


question twowhats the best signal path if there is going to be a compressor, gate, and an ART Tube in the path?
 
If no outboard FX are used I'd run preamp to tape and bypass everything else.
I am guessing on this one but with the FX you mentioned I'd go preamp/compressor/gate but I don't use noise gates so I dont know...
 
Gating to tape is a iffy thing. It should be avoided unless you are 100% certain that you will like the effect of the gate.

Running the ART unit directly to tape is by and far the best signal you will get. Any connection, box, or whatever that goes in between will only degrade the signal somewhat. Only use maybe a compressor/limiter after the mic pre if it is totally needed to get better more consistant recording levels.

You should never run the output of the ART to a mixer then to tape. You are totally defeating the purpose. Even if you were just running it to a line input, the line inputs on most mixers still run through the mic pre amp on the mixer.

If you are going to run all three things, you should run mic pre, gate, then compressor.

First, you have to run to the mic pre because the gate and compressor cannot work with a microphone level. The purpose of a mic preamp is to convert the mic level signal to a line level signal that other processing gear as well as the recording machine can deal with.

The reason that you should run the gate next as opposed to the compressor is that a compressor will boost up the lower levels of the signal. This would make setting a threshold on the gate all but impossible.
 
ok so now we have recorded to tape through the ART Tubes without anything else, and i want to bring it back through the board for a final mix. Should i run the Gate, then compression before i eve get to the Mixing board? or else if i use Aux sends there wont be enough outboard channels.
 
I ran my guitar amp out to an adapter and into the "sub ins" on my 414 and heard it through the headphones. I didn't record yet but I did get sound.

Anyone else have any experiance with this? Will it be cleaner?
 
using your guitar amp as a DI is a bad idea, it will sound like one of those guitars with the built in speaker that people used to get at the end of the 80's.... a.k.a.-crap.
tried it before with my 4 track.
 
I have a Tascam 414 portastudio. If I got the ART tube mp, could I run it out to a 1/4 to rca adapater and plug that into my sub ins to bypass the mixer?

If not, is there ANY way to bypass the mixer?
 
Sounds like you need a patch bay. But yes, run that stuff on the way back in to the mixer. At that point you can also use the channel inserts for processing. Using aux sends won't work unless you unassign the channel that is being processed from feeding the master section. Then of course you have to have a channel to bring it back too. You may need another mixer. Since I don't know what your setup is, I can't advise.

Paney Detters,

If you can't bypass the preamp you will have to live with the results, or buy a machine that is only a recorder, and not a all-in-one unit.

Ed
 
are the XLRs on 1604 bal/unbalanced? if not, do the XDR preamps exist on the Line input, or since that is Line level does not need a preamp?
 
All XLR's are balanced, if all three wires are used. There are cases where XLR's are used simply for the security they provide in connection, but this is usually for speaker applications.

On the 1604 I believe the line in's are still running through the preamp. You can test this by plugging something into the line in and increasing the preamp gain. If it turns up, well there you go. If not, it is a OP amp, which while not offering the same color a preamp will, it still colors the sound somewhat. On a Mackie, that color is usually in the upper mid region, as most solid state preamps/OP amps do.
 
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