Color me bad! Real Bad.

  • Thread starter Thread starter CyanJaguar
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CyanJaguar

New member
hi guys,

Ok, I have listened to three professional CDs. Boyz II men(cooleyhighharmony), Andrea Bocelli(Romanza), and another lady who I don't remember... right alongside a recording I made through my Joemeek vc6q.

Now EVERYBODY says that the joemeek is very colored, but when I compare, they sound the same. I.e ALL those other recordings, the pro ones, have that kind of color.

My question is : If these pro recordings, in three different styles have this warm color to them, why would anyone want a transparent or pristine preamp, ESPecially in digital recording, where there is already a lot of coldness.

I am wondering if pros only use transparent pres for instruments, to make the instruments sound different from the vocals.

I listened through a pair of headphones, computer speakers and another speaker

Finally, I read RAVE RAVE reviews about a $4000 preamp( manley Voxbox)that pros use for vocals that does exactly this: color the sound.


[Edited by CyanJaguar on 09-28-2000 at 19:04]
 
I don't think those pro guys are using digital

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think the warmth you are speaking of is coming from analog tape, and the big pros still use the big ole 24 track reals for initial tracking.
Just a thought.
Ben
 
I believe it's all of the above. Some gear with lots of color, some with none, printed to 2" tape, then into the DAW.
 
At a certain level, it really is just a matter of taste. If you like a particular type of color, then that really is better (to you).
I think that instruments and vocals are very different situations. Everyone has a voice, so an unusual color to a voice is a desirable trait. Also the human voice has very limited frequency content.
Instruments sometimes have very complex timbres that are much wider in frequency content.
All this is generalities. Some human voices have unusual characteristics and exceptionally wide frequency capability naturally. I read that one of the most widely acclaimed opera singers records with Earthworks mikes exclusively (dead-nuts flat). My guitar sounds horrible through an NT2, which is otherwise considered a very good mike for vocals. Same type of comments apply to preamps, effects, monitors, etc.
Peace,
Rick
 
Ok, so they use 2" tape to do their recordings, and that adds warmth to it. Wow.

So, can we generally say that for a non tape work environment( ie direct to pc) it would be better if we had mic pres' and boxes that color the sound so that we can get that desirable sound of tape?
 
MMMmmm

Not nessicarily.

Have you heard a Millennia Media HV-3C/24, 4Q00 directly to digital? I have; only because they're located just up the road. I can't imagine it gets much colorless than that.

And that's not a bad thing.
 
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