LA610 returns a (special edition)

well... the LA610SE, LA610 non Mkii … is fully working and the signal to the DAW is a nice thick healthy full tone wave now.
that's the good news.

the bad news is my LDC and my totally back-slid room into noise, is a horrible match for LDC's (as in all the noises we cant hear with our ears are magnified 1000times with the compressor and LDC = dynamic needed here)

Test 2-
the Bass was plugged in, the large knobs are very fast & easy to use.. large knob on the LA610 are just cool in a vibe way, the comp works as it should, its a real tube design and this is what it sounds like. ..but...... again, hmmm...my single coil noisy antenna Squier Bass is waay too noisy.
I did some tracks with comp and no comp etc.... its what it is. The LA610 did its thing, unfortunately my noisy single coils did their thing too.

but then wtf...I plugged the bass into my interface instrument in and pulled up Gearbox PodFarm Suite.... 3seconds
click = tuner...tuned 10seconds
click = Hum reducer....select "Learn" and Hum is gone...5 seconds
click= BX Lux Ampeg sim and added the LA2A a bit.. 30seconds ..sounded nice and wet..
click on DAW and Recorded not only the fx track but could also do a clean dry track in parrell due to the UX8/podfarm software without moving a cable.

Selected Reaper T1 - dry and T2 with Gearbox Amp sim click....RECORD

the Line 6 Gearbox ITB was a nice clean silent great tone Bass track. imo

which tool would I use for a silent Bass track? the latter.

to be continued.:cool:
 

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I awoke the other morning to burning smell in the bedroom, it was the pc "studio" powersupply.

Testing and playing delayed.

Giving time to think about the Hardware vs Software gear.

Testing and comparing clean preamps and mics is more straight forward. The compression is such a color changer theres too much left to artistic preference imo.
I could understand a LA2A vs a LA on this unit, or even comparing a SE to the LA610 just to test the ears.

The LA610SE has credentials far above my skill level, like a Fender US STratocaster already proven a million times, that my negative inputs should be taken with a grain of salt.

As a bedroom hobbyist gearhead the beauty and human-interfacing of reaching for a Bakelite knob instead of a mouse, is a larger point to make and reason to buy outboard for tracking, right?

Then being gearhead we might want more than one option, so a HiEnd channel strip concept has been around a long time for the HR gang who dont need a SSL 4000g or 32 channel console...this still holds up. ( Hybrid )

The accountant business brain section is always looking for BANG for the BUCK.....where plugins seem to reign King.

Having tube vibe and some magical enjoyment of transformers and in general...hardware....is like some dude spending the cash on a Harley when there is more chrome to clean and possible expensive repairs but the ride is worth it...PLug-Ins will never get this, they are like cartoon versions of a Tube amp.

none of it has anything to do with writing a kick ass song or stumbling on some new chord.

as for my computer, I went all over dallas calling and driving for a power supply that would fit. when i bought one and drove home etc...the install was a big "wont fit!!" as I had assumed the salesdude checked the dimensions, he was doing so good at amps and wattage and connectors...
so I took that back.

in the end ordered on Amazon, the exact same part number, flown in free shipping and no tax...it works damn good sometimes.

next test is a dynamic mic.

so far my negatives in this test drive are all on me.
noisy bass, condensers picking up noisy room. .... Im not getting silky smooth Beatle EMI tracking sounds yet...lol
 
Today plugged in a 6 string electric. Humbucker and Single coil. Not bad, the compression doesn't muddy it up to much and fixes some heavy strokes now and then.
Nothing to do with the LA610...but the buzzing was worse today and turned out to be something else plugged in and on....turned that off and back to the Normal buzzing Single Coils.

LA610, now past the "peemypants" I just bought something 1hr review...its a fine unit, hiend, quality made fun to use. with the cable fixed (thanks again arcaxis!)...theres a nice fat sound and large wave in the Reaper track. No plug ins needed for a fat wet bass, the rhythm guitar was ok as in cleanDI guitar, enough to use and lay down a fast idea.

for anyone who reads this wondering does it make everything else sound cheap and thin? no...not at all. my comparison today was with ITB stuff and of course my PodFarm has a million combinations for a guitar and bass from clean to pinball noises. the LA610 is what it is, and it doesn't make my playing any better.


Pros: easy to use, fast to the DAW, sounds great ...it'd be fun to do every track with it as in retro mode but its impossible not to use some plugins it seems, reverbs or whatever...especially on guitar where some chorus or flange is wanted. the PodFarm has that in abundance.
 
I didn't plan on making a blog of this thing.:guitar:..oh well.

a re-listen to the tracks after a days break and I tossed in some outboard ART TPS Bass.
Im growing some love for the smooth bass now through the LA610, its got deep end and the string clarity.
The ART TPS sounds similar with its hiZ and OPL set to bass. All the other tracks the dry sounded darker, the finger picking vs a nylon pick hitting the strings was huge tone change, the L6 Pod Farm can really do it all, but as many of us notice the outboard sometimes seems to have a clarity or fullness, in addition to the speed of just pulling up the DAW and going straight in which is probably the biggest positive for outboard imo.

Bass sounds very nice but you know, I read that a lot "bass sounds great through <enter unit name>!!"
The LA610 does have a finished tone though with the compression adding a light "2.3" to smooth out the playing... where as the DRY stuff did seem..er..dry.

for the 6 string electric, I don't know. The amp sims sound great and I never got around to plugging in the PoD Pro Rack unit yet to go straight in vs plugs. Theres not much going on for a 6 string here...I wouldn't buy this for that application alone.

I must say, Im really impressed with the ART TPS side by side, its got a very similar tone with light comp, and some tube-glow comp going on.
The ART TPS is a PreAmp + preset -ish compression. I don't know what the V3 is. If you want to hear something similr to the 610 the TPS might be close (its a discrete pre with some Tube in the circuit)….not sure the two operate the same, but other reviews like, in sweetwater, can mention the TPS/610 similarity thing too.


hhhm?: Bass can sound good through many things. So unless you got scratch, whose got $1500 for a bass DI. But the bass does sound great in the LA610 and it sounded great in the ART and the ISA One and the JDRadial and the and the and the DOD 825 was wet and comp'd over the years....the Pod Farm Plug could probably make a sim of all of the above.
 

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Ive been reading some disturbing posts about the faceplate decals come off incredibly easy on the UA stuff.
Ive read they have replaced them for free, but only one post on that.

For $1500 or $1000 used, I expect the decals to not rub off.

I have a cheap Line 6 that has the great decal faceplate and not one wear mark over 8yrs.
Other gear I have looks brand new on 20yr old stuff.
I think of Joe Meek the original brite green and how it was mint condtion and from 1994!

I find hi-end gear not so hi-end when it requires pampering. Maybe Im part junk yard dog and enjoy the Shure "tank tough" bang it and drop it and no problem stuff. Now that I think of it the Grace Design headphone amp I have can lose its decals, it was $$$ new....wtf?

What would be a good decal coating for a faceplate? clear coat? polycoat?
 
Ive been reading some disturbing posts about the faceplate decals come off incredibly easy on the UA stuff.
Ive read they have replaced them for free, but only one post on that.

For $1500 or $1000 used, I expect the decals to not rub off.

I have a cheap Line 6 that has the great decal faceplate and not one wear mark over 8yrs.
Other gear I have looks brand new on 20yr old stuff.
I think of Joe Meek the original brite green and how it was mint condtion and from 1994!

I find hi-end gear not so hi-end when it requires pampering. Maybe Im part junk yard dog and enjoy the Shure "tank tough" bang it and drop it and no problem stuff. Now that I think of it the Grace Design headphone amp I have can lose its decals, it was $$$ new....wtf?

What would be a good decal coating for a faceplate? clear coat? polycoat?

I just saw that too. Odd too that how often do we even touch the face plates?
 
its nothing new apparently?...but I wonder what could they do to protect it better?
 

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I just saw that too. Odd too that how often do we even touch the face plates?

in my world maybe never, im more worried about the long jazz neck bass hitting it... I hope they dont just rot off though over time?
 
its nothing new apparently?...but I wonder what could they do to protect it better?

Many years ago when I worked in an R&D electronics place we used a dry transfer type of lettering on prototype gear. It wasn't very durable on its own so we sprayed a clearcoat of something like clear Krylon over it to seal it. Probably there are better similar methods.
 
I wonder if UA has done anything new. I want to call them and see. If they sell faceplates for a reasonable cost its fine.
Its good to read, so Ill be extra careful with the dialing in and touching and wiping down the faceplate on this thing.

I wouldnt mind popping this one off and having someone spray it, like a guitar paint shop or high end car paint shop.
But it'd be a roll of the dice and no going back.
 
I found this, some dude that does Lambroghini decals....
4) Wax it.
If you have a gloss vinyl stripe or wrap, you can and should wax it! I recommend waxing over cut vinyl areas by hand so you don’t snag an edge with a buffer. For a wrap, you can use your favorite car wax. For stripes and cut graphics, you should stick with a liquid wax that won’t give you that ugly white build up on the edges. Either way, both your paint and your graphics will thank you for a little extra protection.


Its funny my Line 6 UX8 has the best decal approach, not sure what or how they did it.
The ART and Rane seem to have the same. The UA LA610 causes me some worry and its the most expensive? lol

Ive sent in a UA request to confirm they clear coat the faceplates and if they sell new ones.
This one is mint condition but still Im curious....an email should answer the question by next week.
Wax would be easy enough to help protect the faceplate, imo.
 
Ive been reading some disturbing posts about the faceplate decals come off incredibly easy on the UA stuff.
Ive read they have replaced them for free, but only one post on that.

For $1500 or $1000 used, I expect the decals to not rub off.

They are intentionally designed to rub off like that so people can quickly get that 30-40 year-old relic'd look. :p
 
relic! lol

my boss bought a $100k Porsche, he wanted some little piece of plastic and said it was $500.
so in a small range, the faceplates are probably not cheap on these...and the one I have is a Special Edition which is Black but its not a MKII and its not Silver as a V1.....

the faceplate looks easy enough to remove to coat it with something really durable. Im hoping UA has addressed this and explains the problem was taken care of a long time ago.

Theres three plates. The Preamp 610, the compLA...and the 19" rack that has very few markings and would be the easiest to "clear coat", possible without removing anything.


or go relic.... hmmm?
 
ok. Blog like post....but its been quiet on the RACK thread...so what the heck..:guitar:

Months gone by and a few home grown sessions with the LA610.

Top thing positive is the ergo- simplicity. You'll read that a lot on reviews of these units, I agree. Its part of the beauty.
I really don't do anything but turn the 3 large main knobs. All the other is flat and not moved.

So where am I with this unit? I run the LA610 straight to my interface Line In, then a Reaper track. No real time-plugins. Simple. Love that...hardware can be very cool. No mouse work required. I like the simplicity and not needing to pullup software to record. Its like Analog Vibe world. Reaper is only a Reel to Reel machine per se, arm hit record and playback...at least until mixdown and editing.:listeningmusic:

TECHGEEK: The vocal is alright, the 15mv/pa (-36db) works well and I have no issue with headroom or anything. Ive read that a lot and someone said the original 610 was designed in the day of the low output Ribbon so High output new U87 at 28mv/ps (-31bd) might overload it with loud sources or something....I don't have any of that problem. Im a folk/vocal/acoustic mainly with some days doing any type noise. Im not Kurt Cobain screaming, that might overlaod a 28mv/pa mic..
The Bass guitar is easy keeping it clean with a small touch of comp seems the best. The Acoustic is fine, full and the mic and LA610 do it well. (The room and my playing the weaker link for sure.):cool:

Its been kind of a split-test drive with a tube mic and the LA610 unit, together. But Ive grown to really like it. If it was paid off I would like it more. I think I have a few months at 0%. Im selling my other mics though, the Rode NTV mic is decided to be the keeper. It was $276 so flipping my KSM27 and AKG200b will recoup that cost. I only need 1qty mic.

Small things:confused:: Im still a little cautious with not touching the decals or faceplate, but 95% of the time all I touch is the large 3 knobs and Im very cautious and aware not to touch the faceplate.

When time allows, the next thing is to compare the LA610 with the Interface/PodFarm and the ART TPS again.
Im pretty comfortable with the LA610 now and the newbie brain buzz is dissipated so I can get a sober listen to the three.
 

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This weekend a few hours spent on the Bass comparing the LA610 vs Gearbox(PlugIns).

LA610 takes my top choice for smooth and simple ease of plugging in and hitting record. How beautiful is that?
The sounds are up to what we make them, preference and subjectivity...and I admit the vibe of a tube, old school, pro piece has a lot of brain buzz. Its a gorgeous piece to see, what fabulous engineering and design.


The Gearbox Plugin approach was awesome too, in a different way of "versatility".
First noticed was the guitar tuner is right there, a click away, a quick tune without doing anything.
Second noticed was the super cool Line6 Hum "learn" function that takes out Single Coil well, its not a noise gate, that can be added too. It works well.
Third note was the many many many choices, too many, but there they are a whole bunch of choices. the "save as" function allows saving Dirty-distortion CoolCat Bass or the Clean CoolCat Bass. Simply put an amazing array in a desktop interface without adding a single pedal or cable. Im reminded its not 1979 with a cassette recorder and session ended to find a 9volt battery for a pedal. This world is truly a cup running over with a Free sound library of too much to write here.

The top choice for cost is Gearbox as it comes free with the UX8 I have.

Copy Cat...the LA610 clarity, full and professional sounding unit with super ease of laying down a track while the brain buzz is hot cant be underrated. The LA610 sound was copied/simulated a bit with the software and Saved. That was thing about buying some hi-end gear for myself and to hear it first hand and compare to the HR stuff.

that's the Bass. yeah, Im sitting on the fence, one doesn't suck and the other isnt perfect. that's why gearheads like it all? I guess?
 

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Ok.... last little gear comparison for me on this (maybe?)…

ART TPSII and the LA610...the input section, the preamp and impedance and misc.

I had the MPA and other stuff, its all good and fun gear but the ART TPS was mentioned and I had heard an album locally someone used this unit and I was really impressed. The LA610 already has the UA site with artists like Coldplay, and others...

I want that tube thing, I also wanted to to be able to get a lot of "dirt" or tube distortion, color whatever its chosen to be called. ala Im the Walrus or Tomorrow Never Knows distortion realm. Hearing 21 Pilots big hit the vocals was great and the 610 overdriven per the engineer was that sound.

The ART TPS held up well, imo, as a hobbyist ear in a closet room to the LA610. Looking closer theres a lot of similarities in the PreAmp/Gain stage. Whats noticed on the ART is the non linearrange in the nearly max'd out Gain you get the OD...the LA flips a switch and the distortion can be seen or heard on youtubes. Same effect, within the realm of overdriven preamp stuff. This is the area of dirt and nice effect on some tones. The impedance is really noticeable and a nice knob to have even when going Clean too.
Clean is Clean but theres a "soft" clean to it in relate to the Technical Clean of a RANE or INTERFACE CLEAN....Im not interested in that for these pieces.


I didn't include the LA EQ section, the ART doesn't have that, and the Compressor /Limit section yet.
 

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