SP828 sample recording for "remco"

[Gilliland]

Remco, you asked for a recording that was made using the Studio Projects SP828 mic pre. Here's a rough mix that I did this evening, based on a set of tracks that I recorded at a sound check a couple of weeks ago. Most of the inputs to this track were actual microphones - only the mandolin and guitar are DI'd. Unfortunately, I don't have good notes on the actual mics that were used - I suspect that the vocals are SM58s. The instrument mics are likely SM81s for the most part. All vocals and instruments went through the 828(s).

(It was actually quite an awkward evening. The sound crew and the band set up everything, and I just dashed in at the last minute to patch into my split from the stage box.)

As an MP3, it's not going to carry every detail, but I encoded it at 256K, so there shouldn't be much loss. The track is about 3 minutes long. Make sure you download it and listen to it on a good set of monitors. Sorry that I don't have enough server space to put up the actual wav file. I hope it helps.

http://users.adelphia.net/~gilliland/Gone.mp3

[remco]

Gilliland

Tnx a lot, checking it out right now.
Pretty cool band

[Gilliland]

Originally Posted by remco

Pretty cool band

They are pretty cool. Frankly, I'm surprised that there hasn't been more interest in this example. It seemed like there were a lot of people who wanted to hear of some real world usage of the SP828.

I've only had mine for a month or so now, but I'm happy enough with them that I decided to buy a third. So now I've got 24 channels of the 828 in the rack with my HD24XR.

I'll be using them again at a gig this Friday.

[johnsuitcase]

So, are you still using the 828s?

I'm looking at a few options, I have a Yamaha GF 16/12 mixer, and an ATI M880-2 8 channel pre, but I'd really like something that is smooth and preserves transients well.

How do the tracks stack up during mixdown? And have you tracked any drums?

Thanks!

[Gilliland]

Yes, I'm still using them - probably will be for a long time. I'm adding some other pres to my collection, though - some tube pres that I can use along side the 828s.

All of my work with them has been in live concert settings. Only one of those recordings has included drums, and frankly I think the drums sucked on that recording - but I don't think the 828s are the reason for that. <g> It's hard to get a good drum sound from a stage setup - the overheads pick up too much of everything else in the room, so you have to depend too much on the individual drum mics. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Of course, I'm assuming that you mean a standard drum kit when you ask about drums. I've recorded plenty of bodhrans and other kinds of drums and percussion through the 828 (and even a washboard!), and all have turned out just fine.

I've been mixing a bunch of shows over the past month or so, and I'm quite happy with the results. Still, I'll be glad when I have a couple of other pres to choose from. At the moment, everything goes through the 828s, so I could use a bit more flexibility.

I realize that data-compressed audio doesn't really tell you much about the character of a mic pre, but here is a sample from a recent show that I recorded: http://users.adelphia.net/~gilliland/TristanSwing.mp3

The problem of course is that the issues of the live setting and the data compression tend to overwhelm any subtleties of the mic pre. So I'm not sure that this tells you much.

I may be tracking some drums next week.

I've got a couple of complete concerts up online, but I'm not sure that a web fed recording will be useful. Let me know if you'd like a link.

[Gilliland]

Originally Posted by johnsuitcase

So, are you still using the 828s?

And have you tracked any drums?

Here's a sample track that features drums that were tracked with the SP828. However, it's not a standard drum kit by any means.

http://users.adelphia.net/~gilliland/Gray.mp3

Every instrument and vocal came through my SP828s. Though it may not be obvious from this excerpt, this was recorded live on stage.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by Gilliland

Here's a sample track that features drums that were tracked with the SP828. However, it's not a standard drum kit by any means.

http://users.adelphia.net/~gilliland/Gray.mp3

Every instrument and vocal came through my SP828s. Though it may not be obvious from this excerpt, this was recorded live on stage.

This song has been endorsed by the American Academy of Dermatology.

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by Gilliland

Frankly, I'm surprised that there hasn't been more interest in this example. It seemed like there were a lot of people who wanted to hear of some real world usage of the SP828.

That's probably because it's really difficult to get a guage on the quality or usefulness of a mic pre, based on an audio sample. Unless it's set up in the context of a comparison ... and even then, variances from the different takes/performances can have a great influence on that as well.

I suppose if the sample sounds really good, it could tell you something ... but then there's still no easy way to determine how much of it was attributable to the mic pre. I know guys who've done stupendous recordings on Mackie and Behringer mixers, for example, and I know guys who've done horrendous recordings with Midas, Trident, Crest, etc.

.

[Gilliland]

Originally Posted by scrubs

This song has been endorsed by the American Academy of Dermatology.

Indeed! I didn't mention the fact that the core of the group was made up of banjo, fiddle, ukelele, and accordion. I figured that might give someone the wrong idea of what was in store. It sure isn't the usual usage of those instruments.

And Chessrock, I agree with you completely about the difficulty of using a sample like this to form a meaningful opinion of a mic pre. The only thing it accomplishes is to show that a quality result can be achieved. It certainly won't give anyone a clear indication of the "sound" of the unit. But then I've already made the point that the SP828 doesn't really have a "sound" of its own, per se. It's just a good quality, fairly transparent mic pre at a quality level that exceeds what you'd expect based on its cost.

[chessrock]

Originally Posted by Gilliland

The only thing it accomplishes is to show that a quality result can be achieved.

That is a point. But then again, in the right situation and in the right hands, etc. a quality result can be achieved with almost anything but the absolute suckiest of gear on the planet, or something that's just broken.

Heck, an INA217 opamp will sound at least halfway decent / acceptable, even if it's just on a free evaluation board with an under-spec'ed wallwart power supply and caps and resistors from Radioshack.

So I suppose, at best, one could determine from a sound sample that ... at least a given mic pre isn't "the suckiest piece of gear on the planet." And that's better than nothing.

.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by chessrock

...mic pre isn't "the suckiest piece of gear on the planet."

Studio Projects should totally put that in their ad copy.

[chessrock]

Come to think of it, I can't really think of anything on the market right now that just obviously flat-out sucks. Maybe some of the older Behringer mixers, but even Behringer have been stepping up to the plate recently with some of their offerings. Come to think of it, the Presonus Blue tube pretty much sounds like a pile of steamy crap. Yea, that one would definitely be a real challenge to get a good sound out of, come to think of it.

Everyone is such a copy-cat these days. Someone figured out they could get a decent sound out of a burr-brown instrument amp for cheap, and now everone and their brother are following suit.

.

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by Gilliland

Indeed! I didn't mention the fact that the core of the group was made up of banjo, fiddle, ukelele, and accordion. I figured that might give someone the wrong idea of what was in store. It sure isn't the usual usage of those instruments.

And Chessrock, I agree with you completely about the difficulty of using a sample like this to form a meaningful opinion of a mic pre. The only thing it accomplishes is to show that a quality result can be achieved. It certainly won't give anyone a clear indication of the "sound" of the unit. But then I've already made the point that the SP828 doesn't really have a "sound" of its own, per se. It's just a good quality, fairly transparent mic pre at a quality level that exceeds what you'd expect based on its cost.

well, i appreciate you posting this-- i'm thinking about this unit down the line if i need a bunch of channels at a decent price. i have a couple of good channels and decent ones on my onyx, but this definitely has me thinking of this unit for the future.