Proper Lava Lamp for Analog Sound

[Chip Hitchens]

I have a lava lamp in my studio that's clear with purple goo and I've been told that this is too new-fangled, akin to using a [gasp!] solid-state guitar amp for blues.

Is it true that I need to have old-school amber liquid with red lava or blue with whitish lava to really bring out the warmth in my recordings?

Also, where can I find a tube driven lava lamp? And I'm not talking about one of those bogus starved-plate designs.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[Son of Mixerman]

What?????

I have the blue liquid with white goo. Its all good... The Mo..Da Bettah


SoMm

[Simman]

Blue with white goo here. Don't know what it is but it definitely works.

[ChristopherDawn]

FUCK! This is why my mixes suck!

[jskillz89]

yup thats why

[regebro]

Originally posted by Chip Hitchens
I have a lava lamp in my studio that's clear with purple goo and I've been told that this is too new-fangled, akin to using a [gasp!] solid-state guitar amp for blues.

Is it true that I need to have old-school amber liquid with red lava or blue with whitish lava to really bring out the warmth in my recordings?

Well, what color to use is mostly a matter of taste, like what mic you want. It must suit you, and your music and fit well with your other equipment. Both the mic and the preamp make a difference, right? The laval lamp too.

A bigger influence is the brand, though. It's like choosing between Behringer or Neve mixers, it's a matter of getting the most bang for your budget. If you don't wanna shrimp on the lava, go with the original, Mathmos. They still rule.

Also, where can I find a tube driven lava lamp? And I'm not talking about one of those bogus starved-plate designs.

They are ALL tube driven. Check it out for yourself. At the bottom below the glass container there is a unode vacuum bulb (as opposed to triodes that are typically found in amps).

Watch out for those rocket shaped lava lamps however (the Lunars, Mathmos calls them). Though they are the bomb in hi-tech designs, they work better for electronic experimental music, than for good time rock'n roll, which I guess is what you are doing since you want a warm sound. Also, the Matmos "Jet" is primarily designed for mainstream pop/disco/dance. As I understand it, that's what Kylie has been using the last years.

But yes, all things considered, if you feel a lack of warmth, maybe you should go with something that doesn't have a clear liquid.

Myself, I have clear liquid (it's water you know, just plain old water) with red wax. It suits me perfect since my recording is analog, I like the clearness in the highs and like the red warm eroticism it gives in the bass. But if this give harshess for you, by all means the red/yellow (or amber as you say) lava lamp is a classic warm beaty.

For the real connaisseur you can make your own, and get just the right hue to fit your equipment. But in my opinion, that is for pro studios only. I however have changed the water on mine, since it got opaque after some time.

Good luck!

[Tonio]

So whats the description for the amber and red wax?

[omtayslick]

Red is best. If yours is not red, it seems I remember reading about a mod for those. But I don't remember if you change the water, the goo, or both. ..........Or maybe it was the power cord, or glass housing......

[Rimshot]

Mine is blue water with red(magenta) goo. It's obnoxious....I love it.

Now if you're recording traditional acoustic blues, you really have to make your own out of an old bourbon bottle....amber of course. Just keep it on top of the old pot bellied stove.

For the real techno electric guys, I think it should be the glitter ones.

For the classical musicians....just light a candle.

I'm a drummer, I got a really nice one. I just stole my ex-girlfriends one when we broke up. It's only fair, afterall, she kept the house.

[memriloc]

Regebro, I'm with youabout the shape...Though I don't care what brand it is, it's gotta be THE shape and pregerably black base and cop not silver...Reason, I just think a black base'n'cap highlights the actual lamp itself, sorta under-overstating.....

[musikman316]

Rimshot -

Yeah those techno guys LOVE the glitter, but just to be fair you should toss up a strobe light and hand out some glow sticks

I've been looking for a brown "lamp", I feel that it's the true color of funk!

Later,
musik

[regebro]

Originally posted by Rimshot
For the real techno electric guys, I think it should be the glitter ones.

That's not technically a lava lamp. You can have the glitter ones as well, as an extra effect to throw on, but they can't replace the lava lamp. And as you well know, a studio without a lava lamp is not a studio at all.

[Track Rat]

I have the amber colored goo and my mixes just seem to translate better. That golden glow just says "warm", ya know what I mean? (Athough I have read that the green ones will make your CDs play better).

[Richard Monroe]

Blue liquid with white goo- perfect for jazz and neopsychedelic. And get a real original, not one of these trendy copies.-Richie

P.S.- It's a perfect timer, because it responds to room temperature. Plug in your NTK or other tube mic, and turn on the Lava Lamp. By the time the wax is flowing properly, your tube mic will be warmed up.

[Middleman]

So what's the best lava lamp in the under $20 price range? I am not ready to step up to the real thing quite yet. I am just learning and don't want to lock a lot of money into something when I can use the cash for other lights, like maybe a blacklight or some colored bulbs, maybe even some candles.

Any thoughts?

[Richard Monroe]

It's like an SM57. There is no cheaper substitute for the real thing. Just fork over the $40, piker.-Ruichie

[ChristopherM]

I got lucky and got mine for free (yellow with red goo) from an old girlfriend who quit doing X and didn't need it anymore. Problem is, I think the goo might be worn out. It just stays in one big melted column when it's hot. This is really making my mixes muddy. Anyone know where I can get a new capsule?

[omtayslick]

Don't forget the importance of using a quality cable.

[Rimshot]

Originally posted by ChristopherM
I got lucky and got mine for free (yellow with red goo) from an old girlfriend who quit doing X and didn't need it anymore. Problem is, I think the goo might be worn out. It just stays in one big melted column when it's hot. This is really making my mixes muddy. Anyone know where I can get a new capsule?

Uh oh! It sounds like maybe you have one of the "wormhole" ones. Better be careful that you don't get too close to it or you could get sucked in and wind up in San Francisco in 1967......well, maybe that wouldn't be so bad, but homerecording was a whole lot more expensive then.

[Howdy]

I can see it now.... the next step in stand alone digital recorders........ built-in lava lamps.... comes with white goo.... for colors... add $20.00.

Motorized faders, 64-track simultaneous recording, 48 bit/192kHz,
800G Hard-drive, cd burner @ lightspeed... none of that matters anymore.... it's all about the lava and at what speed it becomes fluid.

Units will be returned to the factory for on-board lava lamps developing a 60 cycle hum.... schools will open for lava lamp technician training.... there will be lava lamp frequency meters... lava lamp polarity testers... lava lamp compressors and filters.... lava lamp plug-ins.... I can see it all now.

[Richard Monroe]

What about digital Lava Lamp modelers?-Richie

[regebro]

Originally posted by Richard Monroe
What about digital Lava Lamp modelers?-Richie

That exists, yes. I think I saw a Java applet once.

But built-in-lava lamp in the digital recorders.... Hmmm. Hard to do, because they rely on height to work, and the recorders are kinda flat. Probably that's why nobody have picked up on it, while putting tubes onto beat boxes and whatnots are the hottest thing.

[guitar junkie]

i have a lava lamp now and i find that my mixes sound so much warmer now and so much more vibe to them! it has a kind of a yello grean lava with blue water that really makes the thing bring out the tone and my creative studio playing has really shot through the roof now as well. lava lamps rule the studio with out one we could not do a thing with our mixes. although getting a pair of studiophile monitors helped a little bit but that lava lamp really made some cool stuff come out of my guitar.

[Spaztic]

Thats funny I just hooked up my lava lamp in the studio the other day. I have a blue with green gel. Works wonders for my tracks!

[guitar junkie]

yeah i had a candle in there but it smelled funky and was not all that fun to watch and it did not have that tube sound in the mix! lava lamps rule!