I'm with Halfler
HaflerAmp said:
Really, you won't know if you are in the same boat UNTIL you get a new mic. What you probably don't know about mic/preamp combinations is that seldomly is it either component that is at fault, rather, how the mic and preamp pair together. I swear, I hate the way a SM-57 sound via Focusrite Red preamps. But via a ART, the SM-57 sounds very good! So, which peice is at fault here? Which one do I get rid of? The ART? The Focusrite Red? The SM-57? I can just take those two preamps and talk a long time about how different mics sound between those two preamps. Some mics sound MUCH better on the Focusrite while others sound MUCH better on the ART. Then in some cases, depending upon WHAT you are recording, the whole thing can change. For instance, I think the AT 4033 sounds great on vocals via the ART. It sounds horrible on vocals via the Focusrite. But, the 4033 sound great on acoustic guitars via the Focusrite while it isn't that great on acoustics via the ART. So, again, which peice of gear do I dump?
The 414 is a good mic. It is versatile. As a vocal mic though, it has very limited uses. In many years of recording, I have only found a few vocalists where it won out over various other mics. While it never sounds "bad", it seldom sounds "great" on many vocalists. It lacks a "round" sound. On many voices, it can downright be cold and stiff sounding. Unless you have a very plain, sort of bassy voice, I doubt it will please you regardless of which preamp you run it through.
Again, I am betting that if you tried a variety of mics between that ART and any of those other preamps you are considering, you will get varied results on which pre sounds better. I think you really need to settle on a mic that is suitable for your voice first, then worry about the electronics later. I have yet to hear anything via those other preamps that I thought was stellar compared to many "lesser" preamps. Microphones are where it is at! Have many, and try them all out for what you are doing.
I will commonly line up all my LD's and run them all via a very average preamp and try them all out first on a vocalist. When we find the one mic that suits their voice best, we try different preamps. Here, the changes in sound are VERY subtle, and often the artist can't really tell the difference. At this point, I am usually picking the one that just sort of "feels" right at the moment. I will tell you though, I have had many times where ART's and Mackie preamps have done quite well against "better" preamps with the same mic.
Preamps are overrated.
Good luck.
I had a 737Sp ordered cause I thought I was missing out and they just couldn't deliver before 60 days. A studio friend loaned me a UA 6176 strip and it failed to make an improvement on recording bass or vocals. There was an everso subtle hi-eq defussion( tiny) in the vox over my mackie Onyx and
BlueTube DP ( clean mode no tube engaged). Sure the 1176 compressor will
let you sound big in the tracking phones but, the Waves Renn. Channel sounded better with the Onyx. All DAW's have about 5ms delay and my Wave native plugs don't add anything to that. Testing the three pre's side by side
was so subtle and after they got compression you couldn't really tell.
Really, you would buy a strip and accept its long channel path through marginal EQ, ok opto compressor, and make up gain over a great plugin with look ahead limiting, excellent D-essing, excellent gating, very good charator to transparent compression and silent make up gain.
There's no wrong way to do it but, going to a $1700 strip didn't make
a noticable diff if you have a good DAW and plugs. It feels good to click the buttons and move the big nobs but, it didn't sound better ( OK, yeah it does blow away a Beringher followed by a Composer 2100 compressor).
Rip Rowan has an article that all software compressors tested where better than any hardware copressor under $2000 and that an RNC is the only thing in the running. If you buy a strip, you locking yourself into the some of its parts ( mediocre) like buying that combo stereo with an 8 track in it.
BTW the $4500 Manely reference Gold mic I've been loaned made me see
what a smooth non- harsh over 1K mic can do.
A mixer friend has also raved about the 4050 and 4060 AT mic's.
If your gonna blow your money get more mics and a UAD card.
The difference between getting a better convertor ( Mackie 400F over a M-audio 24/96 Audio phile) made a subtle yet worth the money difference.
The shade a diff. between the pre-amps was far less and I wouldn't have heard it without better convertors.
Buy a noisey box and commit to tracking with inferior EQ, an Oky Doky opto compressor, average de-esser, and non discrete make-up gain just to have a
shinny box with meter and nobs that makes you feel good.
Who tracks with EQ anymore. And commit to attack and release times on your compressor while your playing bass....I can't make those choices untill after I've tracked. Then I can call up my mix, set compression, find EQ placement for all the items in the mix, keep the vox transparent or inflate it to meet that track and de-ess, find a place for the kick,snare....on and on.
learn how to use that DAW and its 24 bit advantage first.
Maybe spent a grand on the Great River and put the argument to rest in your mind so you can get on with finding the right mic. But, if you by a $500 channel, your commiting to the sum of its parts and as well as limiting your chane to put
a LA2A, 1176 or C1 compressor and maybe Pultec EQ model on your vox..
Oh, and most articles you read say that pre's have very little diff on Condensor mics; its something that is going to help out dynamic mic's because of the wild changes in load on the pre.
Do me a favor and buy the Waves Renn. bundle. Keep your mic.
Insert the Channel plug on your tracking channel. Call up a vox pre-set.
put the threshold @ about 15 or so and add up 8db of make until the limit light just flick yellow. Don't use your stock DAW plugs ( latency and lame EQ).
The Waves stuff is 64 samples so it doesn't even add a full ms returning from the card. You will stuff the Art in a trash can after that.
The help section and manual on the Waves Renn EQ is even written by "Hutch" from Manely Labs explaining the EQ models and condoning the design.
Go to the Universal Web site and play the mp3 of the dry verses wet
LA2A UAD plug ( note that the track is recorded through an At4050 and Mackie 1604) ...is that what you want to happen to your vocals?
