S
Sonic Idiot
New member
If you can't make a great record with a Tube MP and so on, there's no hope for you. Seriously.
S
Sonic Idiot
New member
I've posted this a few times, but I recorded a solo CD three years ago by myself with just an MK-319, and ART MP, an ECHO MIA soundcard and computer that would only handle about 10 tracks.
It's called Apartment and can be downloaded here:
http://www.dullum.net/electro_lacuna/
At the time, I had a commercial studio with a protools digi 001 rig and better converters and a few neumann mics -- higher quality stuff -- but I liked the vibe of the home brew, simple gear system. I think it sounds good - and I've since then learned much more, so I could likely do a better job with the same kit these days.
It's called Apartment and can be downloaded here:
http://www.dullum.net/electro_lacuna/
At the time, I had a commercial studio with a protools digi 001 rig and better converters and a few neumann mics -- higher quality stuff -- but I liked the vibe of the home brew, simple gear system. I think it sounds good - and I've since then learned much more, so I could likely do a better job with the same kit these days.
R
Robert D
New member
Rodger Hartlett said:
That's true, though for some people there's no such thing as "just a few hundred more".
When the Tube MP was introduced, which was quite a while ago now, the alternatives were few, and it was a price breakthrough for a servicable preamp/DI. There are other options now that offer cleaner gain at entry level prices, but the MP still, in my opinion, is a handy little box that can do a few tricks for a song (for a song).
If someone can tell me where to post the clips, I'll put up a poor mans preamp comparison - Tube MP / DMP-3 / Focusrite Trakmaster.
-RD
J
jonnyc
New member
Sonic Idiot said:
Seriously? For the type of recordings I do the mp would eventually add a shit load of muddiness. I quadruple track guitars, and vox, with all those tracks you'll surely hear how terrible the tube mp is, and don't get me wrong I've dealt with the worst. I've owned the Tube MP, TubePre, Behringer pre's, cheap yamaha mixer pre's, joe meek 3q, maudio dmp3 and when you layer all those tracks with those bad pre's your sound is going to be less than desirable. Now some of them are ok, I really like the dmp3, figures I bought it last out of the group. But the cheap toob pre's like the mp and tubepre just eventually add too much noise to make a "great" recording. To say "Great" recording is just too much to ask, yes I could see being able to make a good recording but great, no.
S
Sonic Idiot
New member
Somebody gave me massive negative rep points for this thread. They wrote:
Why do I have a hard time believing that you ever owned a commercial studio? Oh, I see. A "commercial studio" with a Digi001. That explains it. Tin ear. No other excuse. By the way, the song sounds like shit. Good going, asswipe.
To Whomever Wrote tThat: Music is subjective. Your lack of balls is not--you are a coward, a spineless cockroach that has no other outlet in their pitiful, meaningless, void of a life other than to be mean anonymously on a message board. Does that get you off? I pity you, truly. PM if you don't want to publicly admit you're a pussy, but you owe me an apology and if you had any balls - even the tiny-tiniest little penis in the world - then you will at least have the guts to PM me and let me know who you are.
Otherwise, I stand by my MP claims. Music is Art. There are no rules.
Why do I have a hard time believing that you ever owned a commercial studio? Oh, I see. A "commercial studio" with a Digi001. That explains it. Tin ear. No other excuse. By the way, the song sounds like shit. Good going, asswipe.
To Whomever Wrote tThat: Music is subjective. Your lack of balls is not--you are a coward, a spineless cockroach that has no other outlet in their pitiful, meaningless, void of a life other than to be mean anonymously on a message board. Does that get you off? I pity you, truly. PM if you don't want to publicly admit you're a pussy, but you owe me an apology and if you had any balls - even the tiny-tiniest little penis in the world - then you will at least have the guts to PM me and let me know who you are.
Otherwise, I stand by my MP claims. Music is Art. There are no rules.
fraserhutch
Flypaper for freaks
Sonic Idiot said:
Music *is* subjective. Recording quality is not.
giraffe
i love negative rep
see, at first i wasn't going to listen to that song, but after that last post i was....
and now the page is down........
woe is me
and now the page is down........
woe is me
S
Sonic Idiot
New member
It's completely subjective...one person might really like what you would call "noise" etc.
The link should work fine...can't explain why it didn't. In the past, I have had to refresh the url several times--the host is iffy.
The link should work fine...can't explain why it didn't. In the past, I have had to refresh the url several times--the host is iffy.
mshilarious
Banned
You can objectively measure preamp quality at least in terms of THD. If you dial the tube out of the MP, it has a couple of opamp stages (TL072s) that are substantially identical to many inexpensive pres. Heck, even the pres on my A&H had the same basic components (until I changed them 
).
But then you dial in the tube, and the THD goes up as high as 30%. Whether that distortion is good, bad, or indifferent is up to you.
).But then you dial in the tube, and the THD goes up as high as 30%. Whether that distortion is good, bad, or indifferent is up to you.
R
Robert D
New member
fraserhutch said:
There have been plenty of vocals, tracked in major studios, commercially released and put into rotation, that were deliberately distorted. So I kind of have to disagree on this. This parallels deliberate grain in photos for effect. When you see one of those photos in a gallery, or listen to a deliberately distorted vocal done to good effect, you don't say "what a shitty photographer", or "what a shitty engineer". So I have to reject the notion that recording quality is strictly measured in THD, or any other measurement. A great recording is one that serves the song, not the specs.
-RD
fraserhutch
Flypaper for freaks
Sonic Idiot said:
True, but then you are recording noise, and the aim is to be true to the capture of that noise. If your gear is artifically introducing noise, then you are either using it as an effect, which is kewl, or you are not faitfully reproducing the source.
Thus, it is NOT subjective.
fraserhutch
Flypaper for freaks
If that is what you INTEND to do, that is what thing. Hence the use of all types of effects. However, if it is artifically introduced and NOT intended to be part of the original source, then that is another. If you are handicapped because your gear introduces noise and artifacts, then that, to me, is a totally other thing.Robert D said:
So, if my source is distorted because my gear cannot faithfully reproduce the original signal, then that is what I was referring to.
There is a HUGE difference.
S
Sonic Idiot
New member
fraserhutch said:
If that is the aim, yes. But that's one scenario in which a perfectly clean kit is desirable - if you always want to record perfectly clean and perfectly accurate and perfectly neutral. What if I want to dirty up a violin? Then running it hot through an ART MP will yeild a certain effect that will fit the bill and if that sound is used well will achieve a pleasing sonic result.
And while I don't agree with you exactly, Fraserhutch, neither you nor I are right or wrong because, hey, it's art and it's all subjective - what you think is right IS right.
N
nkjanssen
New member
Sonic Idiot said:
This can also be applied to a Radio Shack dictaphone, or to a "Mr. Microphone" or to a toilet paper tube. That doesn't mean that any of those are "stellar" pieces of gear or "fine tools" or equivalent to $1,000 preamps. A good pre can give you clarity or dirt (i.e. options). A bad pre can only give you dirt.
R
Robert D
New member
Well, I think we wandered off into the ditch here. On a more practical note, I wouldn't advise anyone to try to record a whole album through a toob MP, but if you had a DMP3 and a toob MP, or behri or even mackie mixer pres and an MP, you might find that the MP might suit the vocal better, especially with a cheap chineese made, strident upper mids microphone.
-RD
-RD
N
notCardio
I walk the line
do you think I could tell the difference
between Charmin toilet paper tubes and the store brand, given my less than stellar bathroom?
Just tryin' to be the tow truck, here.
between Charmin toilet paper tubes and the store brand, given my less than stellar bathroom?
Just tryin' to be the tow truck, here.