Stereo Vitalizer

[JamesBond]

Hi ALL, I am looking into purchasing a Stereo Vitalizer MK2-T I understand what the the function of the unit is but I'm not sure if I really need one??
Short List:
I am planning on purchasing a DPS16 or DPS24 digital recorder and Alesis MasterLink.

Opinions??

[snibbel]

Hello 007.

So you've got the license to record?
Well, I've got an AW 4116 and bought a 2nd hand but mint MK2-T after I had interned at a studio this summer. They had 2 of them and I was astonished by the results. Unfortunately I can't get to work mine completely alright, since the signal I get from it is always a bit lower (about 3-5 db I'd say) than the one without the effect addressed to it. If the reason for this are the unbalanced outs (but balanced ins) of the Yammie I wasn't able to find out yet.

What I really wanted to say is that you should really think about this twice, because by now think that it's always better to let your recordings master by a pro (if you've got the money). For a homerecorder it's better to invest in good mics and good preamps to get a good signal right from the start. Don't get me wrong, the MK2-T is one helluva piece of gear, but as I said: you should think about how to set your priorities. If you do let your material be mastered somewhere else, then you shouldn't use the Vitalizer one your stereo bus anyway. Many Pro-Studios do have one anyway.

[JamesBond]

Thanks for your reply Snibbel, I won't sending my material out for mastering, I'll be handling it myself.
Maybe I'll rent a unit for a month and see how it performs.

[snibbel]

Originally posted by JamesBond
Thanks for your reply Snibbel, I won't sending my material out for mastering, I'll be handling it myself.

That's what I thought as well when I bought my AW. Now I know doesn't only need loads of equipment, but also a vast amount of knowledge to do mastering the pro way. That's why if I've got stuff I want to publish on a CD (e.g. that I didn't just record for fun for myself) I will let it handle by a mastering engineer. Even if this means extra cost; I guess this is worth it.

Originally posted by JamesBond
Maybe I'll rent a unit for a month and see how it performs.

That's a good idea in any case. But i think if you rent one, you'll end up buying it. It's really cool and you'll be stoked...