High End Time!

[TragikRemix]

Ok friends, the time is almost here..

i've decided to take a step into the big boys world of recording and to get a high end mic and pre.

i'm really not sure what i want to get though...

I'm looking to spend about $2000 between a single channel (strip or otherwise) and a mic.

I'm definitley overwhelmed with possibilities. I dont want to joke around with the mid range junk. i want to get stuff that people will hate me for using.

This being said, here's some of my thoughts;

-UA LA-610 (new or used)
-Vintech X73i
-Great River MP-1NV
-Avalon M5 (??)

im kinda leaning towards the LA610 for some reason.. i've used the GR MP1NV and i liked it, but i already know two people with it and i could always use theirs. i'm not really into the whole avalon craze, and im not so sure about it. the Vintech looks really good, ive never heard it so i'm just going on specs.

mics are a whole different story. i dont know where to begin! i want to get a mic that will be versitile for pretty much any voice. i dont sing so i couldnt even test it.. it would probably be used on male vocals mostly, but you never know.

i'm really not sure about the mic. i was thinking maybe a BLUE Baby Bottle or something but i have no clue. i want to get an SM7 anyway besides this purchase, (because i know everyone was going to mention it!)

can i get some opinions? $2000, new, used whatever, a bit under or over, no big deal..

i hope this thread works becaues ive been having problems making new threads all day!

[TragikRemix]

or i was thinking, maybe just get a Grace 101 and a BLUE Baby Bottle... maybe i don't have to spend thousands and thousands??

[kojdogg]

LA-610 is supposedly great for vocals and bass (probably kick too), but just know that unlike the 6176, you can't separate the pre from the compressor section and use them independently.
Otherwise I love my 610 (would love the LA-610)-- especially pared with my Blue Blueberry. I just got a Safe Sound P1, which I will be using mostly just for the compressor and limiter sections with that combo (plus with my Oktavamod 219 and Uber-Nady-- whenever the hell that gets here).
Vintech is supposedly a very good 1073 clone. I have a Chameleon Labs 7602, which is supposedly a less accurate, but still excellent sounding (both IMHO and from the press it's gotten) and much cheaper alternative. The 1073 lineage pres are excellent for vocals, bass, guitars, drums, (basically everything from what I can tell), and while they don't have the compressor, they do have an excellent eq section.
Can't offer any observations of the others, other than I'm sure they would rock!

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by TragikRemix

or i was thinking, maybe just get a Grace 101 and a BLUE Baby Bottle... maybe i don't have to spend thousands and thousands??

Those choices would represent good value.
However, personally, I'm finding these days that if I'm buying something-- especially on the analog side and especially mics and pres, that I'm going to get the best thing I possibly can with the hope that I will be using it for years (maybe decades) to come, or that it will hold its value well for when I want to trade it or sell it (presumably for something comparable or better). YMMV
Edit: Also, how often are you going to be in a situation where you have 2 grand (present day value) to spend on gear in the future? It gets a little harder to do it as you get older, have rent/mortgage bills and other living expenses. You can do it with credit, but that is a big risk, especially once you have all of those other expenses. Again YMMV.

[kojdogg]

Incidentally, please don't read this as you need expensive stuff to get good results. I am far from having anything really high end. Obviously, many people can get great awesome results with some combination of great performance, inspiration, creativity and luck.

[ozraves]

What are you wanting to do?

[bigwillz24]

Okay it might not be ideal for you but if I had around 2000 to spend. I'd probably end up with a Peluso Mic 2247, or 251, and a Seventh Circle Neve Clone kit and if you got it yes I would hate you for it!

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by bigwillz24

Okay it might not be ideal for you but if I had around 2000 to spend. I'd probably end up with a Peluso Mic 2247, or 251, and a Seventh Circle Neve Clone kit and if you got it yes I would hate you for it!

yeah right. problem is that the 2247 le is supposed to be way better than the 2247, but that would be the 2k right there.
i want one of those friggin things!

[bigwillz24]

Originally Posted by kojdogg

yeah right. problem is that the 2247 le is supposed to be way better than the 2247, but that would be the 2k right there.
i want one of those friggin things!

I've seen them go for less more like 1,500 to 1,600 then with the rest I'd spend that on the neve kit.

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by bigwillz24

I've seen them go for less more like 1,500 to 1,600 then with the rest I'd spend that on the neve kit.

yeah, but you'd need the chassis and power supply to house the pre...
gearlust is a kick in the pants.

[bigwillz24]

Yeah I don't think I would buy there chassis, I'd get one from Middle Atlactic for about 50 bucks and stuff it with the pre and power supply.

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by bigwillz24

Yeah I don't think I would buy there chassis, I'd get one from Middle Atlactic for about 50 bucks and stuff it with the pre and power supply.

geez-- if that works will you let us (or me) know? I would totally do that.
i was thinking of getting some api lunchbox stuff, but if i could get some seventh circle stuff and find somebody (they seem to be out there) to make the kits for me, i would totally do that instead!

[cannabis]

don't take this as any kind of put down

or slur on your knowledge or abilities

because it's not meant that way

(and i have no idea what they are)



in most professions, when you need to upgrade

your equipment or tools

it's because you've learned enough

that you need better stuff

to do a better job

(or a technology breakthrough

has made an upgrade possible

where none existed before)



you know what you need, why you need it

and how it's going to improve your results



i think it's the same in recording

(but i'm no pro, so i sure could be wrong)

if you know the sound or result you want

you should know what you need to get there

and then buy what you need (if you can afford it )

if you don't know, then you need to educate yourself

until you do



just buying something expensive

or envied by others

isn't going to get you there

(it would be like the lady with the humvee

that drives the kids to school

and down to the mall

but has no clue how to use it

for its intended job)



again, i just think you need to have a goal

as to what you want to do with your upgrade

and how it's going to improve your results

these are tools and the most important thing

is your knowledge of how to use them

[bigwillz24]

Originally Posted by kojdogg

geez-- if that works will you let us (or me) know? I would totally do that.
i was thinking of getting some api lunchbox stuff, but if i could get some seventh circle stuff and find somebody (they seem to be out there) to make the kits for me, i would totally do that instead!

I'm in the process of building 2 API clones. Well I'm waiting on the PCB's so I can build my own I have all the other parts. And depending on if I get this one to work or not will pretty much decide if I should just buy my pres or build them myself.

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by bigwillz24

I'm in the process of building 2 API clones. Well I'm waiting on the PCB's so I can build my own I have all the other parts. And depending on if I get this one to work or not will pretty much decide if I should just buy my pres or build them myself.

that is awesome-- are they for api lunchbox/racks or could they be used with a power supply and connector pigtail or something? if they work, would you sell some to gearlusty fellow home recorders?

[bigwillz24]

The ones I'm making are going to be stuffed in a 1U rack chassis with the power supply in the same chassis.
I probably won't be selling any though. There are people that already do it and I just don't see myself with that kind of time. Pretty much I'm following the work of others over at Prodigy-Pro. Great bunch of guys/gals that have cloned pretty much every piece of high-end gear you can dream of. They pretty much gave me all the info I needed to do it myself.

[kojdogg]

yeargh i figured as much. i need to get to honing my soldering skills then. i figure with the little time i have for music as is, if i try to add another pursuit, i won't even have that time for music. ah well-- thanks for the tip.

[TragikRemix]

thanks for the input.

cannibis, i hear you. i do feel i need the upgrade, for vocals now, i'm using an Oktava MK319 with the Digi 002 preamps.. it's OK at best. at first it was like Whoa! but slowly it started to expose itself as just 'ok'. my thought was that i was getting better at it

i considered the SCA stuff. coincidentally, i know someone with the peluso 2247, the cheaper one of the two, and it is definitley an excellent mic.

heres another thought; do i want both a tube mic and a tube pre? is that just overkill in the 'warmth' category?

[kojdogg]

Tragik-- the Mojave Audio (Dave Royer's tube mic company) MA-200 has gotten a lot of good press and user reviews. That comes in at just under a grand and may be worth considering. Also if you have a MK-319 you might want to check out Oktavamod (www.oktavamod.com). There has also been a lot of good press and positive user buzz on Michael Joly's mods. I bought a MK-219 a few weeks ago just to have it modded and it should be here in the next couple of days.

I haven't given it a good testing yet, but the Safe Sound P1 might be a good alternative to the Grace you're considering as clean, accurate pre. It has compressor, limiter and expander sections too. It's a bit more expensive than the Grace new, but I got a mint one used for under $500.

[orksnork]

pacifica!!! germanium!

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by orksnork

pacifica!!! germanium!

Definitely. I've seen a lot of people selling those two units on Gearslutz lately, which makes me wonder if the initial buzz just wore off on them. What I've read about them (no first hand experience with either), is that they are both very charactered/colored, which is both good and bad. Supposedly the Pacifica is an awesome all around pre (seen them used from $1400+) and the Germanium is especially great for electric guitar (new or used they are around $1000-$1100 plus a power supply for around $100).

[MessianicDreams]

Millenia Media STT-1?


I've heard it and....WOW.

[Randy5235]

If you purchase a chassis kit , power supply and a preamp kit all at once from seventh circle you get the power supply for free. 625 for all three. the N72 sounds great. I compared it to the 1272's we have at work and I ( and 5 other engineers ) all believe it is close enough. And the great thing about it is that the chassis and power supply will supply 8 pre's total so you still have 7 empty slots with which you can fill with an assortment of the seventh circle stuff. they have the a12 ( api clone) the j99 which if you shell out the extra $$ and get some john hardy 990c 's for it ,I hear sound fantastic and the c84 ( i think going from memory) which have been compared to the millenia stuff. All in all I think they are quality products and alot of fun to put together. They aren't that difficult to assemble. That would leave you with around 1300 left ( I assume based on what i have read in this thread) that you are looking for a higher end LDC for Vocals? with 1300 you could get into some of the soundelux line maybe a u195 or a lawson l47fet ( neumann 47 fet knockoff I hear good stuff about). Just some ideas

Just my 2¢

Randy

[chessrock]

First off, I hate to be negative ... but 2 grand probably isn't going to get you in to the stuff people are going to hate you for using.

It could get you some nice stuff though, for sure.

But I'm going to have to agree with Cannabis on this one. You're not going to get where you want to go by simply saying to yourself: "I want better stuff, and I can spend X amount" and then just going out and finding something that will fit that budget range and qualify as higher end.

This can't be looked at as a "practical" purchase. You need to buy something you lust after. It has to be the Red Rider BB gun in the Christmas Story movie. Otherwise, it's no fun. And that's the whole point of it.
.

[kojdogg]

Originally Posted by chessrock

First off, I hate to be negative ... but 2 grand probably isn't going to get you in to the stuff people are going to hate you for using.

Definitely, but everything is relative. 2 grand on a mic and pre is probably more than many/most people have in their entire setup-- instruments included. Those people will probably at least envy you.
I'd say it's probably similar to the richest 1% pattern in terms of wealth/income.

Originally Posted by chessrock

It could get you some nice stuff though, for sure...
This can't be looked at as a "practical" purchase. You need to buy something you lust after. It has to be the Red Rider BB gun in the Christmas Story movie. Otherwise, it's no fun. And that's the whole point of it.
.

Agree 100%, except to say that it could be practical if you get something that's high quality that you're going to use for years to come.