avalon 737 or apogee ensemble

P

pistolgrip

New member
right now i am tracking pop/hiphop/r&b vocals through a [Shure SM7B or AT4040] into profire 610 into logic.

my 2 choices (both at around $2000) are

A) upgrade my pres with the Avalon 737sp and run it through the profire
having the avalon will be great because it is a piece i can hold onto without having to upgrade in the future,
but will not live to its full potential until better converters are purchased (another 2 grand...)

B) scrap the profire altogether for the Apogee Ensemble interface.
the ensemble will provide the most noticeable improvement with upgraded a/d d/a, clock, and pres,
but is a unit that will be have to be replaced in the future (for better pres/converters)
 
Last edited:
Massive Master said:
I'd go with "B" myself...
Click to expand...

ya, i feel id get the most immediate upgrade with the ensemble, but i hate to have to keep upgrading. the avalon is a piece of gear that i can hold on to for (hopefully) my entire recording career. but the ensemble will have to be upgraded (better pres/conversion) at some point.


ugghhhh decisions, decisions
 
As far as worrying about future upgrades, I doubt that with the Apogee that you'd have to worry about upgrading those converters anytime in the foreseeable future; before upgrading those converters becomes a worthwhile move, you'll have a whole lot of better and more effective places to spend your money.

And as far as upgrading preamps, I wouldn't "upgrade" either one of them, not in terms of "replace", anyway. One can not have too many different preamp types, especially as one's mic collection gets more varied. If you want to get something other than either the Avalon or the Apogee, unless money is tight, I wouldn't get rid of either one of them, but rather add another pre or two to the inventory along with them.

With all that in mind, I'd probably agree that the Apogee edges out the Avalon in this choice.

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
As far as worrying about future upgrades, I doubt that with the Apogee that you'd have to worry about upgrading those converters anytime in the foreseeable future; before upgrading those converters becomes a worthwhile move, you'll have a whole lot of better and more effective places to spend your money.

And as far as upgrading preamps, I wouldn't "upgrade" either one of them, not in terms of "replace", anyway. One can not have too many different preamp types, especially as one's mic collection gets more varied. If you want to get something other than either the Avalon or the Apogee, unless money is tight, I wouldn't get rid of either one of them, but rather add another pre or two to the inventory along with them.

With all that in mind, I'd probably agree that the Apogee edges out the Avalon in this choice.

G.
Click to expand...

thanks for the reply, ensemble sounds like a bet! :cool::D
 
I think preamps are more important that A/D conversion (some may disagree), but I think there are better values than the Avalon. I'd look at Great River or API. You can get a couple channels for the price of the Avalon. Less extra features yes, but pretty undeniably better sound.

If you want to save money, you can build your own preamps, like Hamptone or Seventh Circle Audio. I built some SCA preamps and they are buttery delicious.
 
Todzilla said:
I think preamps are more important that A/D conversion (some may disagree), but I think there are better values than the Avalon. I'd look at Great River or API. You can get a couple channels for the price of the Avalon. Less extra features yes, but pretty undeniably better sound.

If you want to save money, you can build your own preamps, like Hamptone or Seventh Circle Audio. I built some SCA preamps and they are buttery delicious.
Click to expand...

ive looked into both great river and api, but ive been leaning towards the avalon because the pres im using right now are soooooo sterile, im craving for a little warmth/tube sat to make my recordings more pleasant. thanks for the reply!
 
pistolgrip said:
ive looked into both great river and api, but ive been leaning towards the avalon because the pres im using right now are soooooo sterile, im craving for a little warmth/tube sat to make my recordings more pleasant. thanks for the reply!
Click to expand...

You're ruling out Great River, although you're looking for warmth?

Ummm... OK?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top