Gold channel complete!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Richard Monroe
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Richard Monroe

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Well, I considered Davisound TB-10 and Toft ATC-2, but neither firm could ship in time for me to get the tracking done on schedule. We plan to start overdubs in about a week, with most of it being done in March through June. I needed a preamp now, so we broke the bank and bought an Avalon AD2022. The bitch is, I got it home and realized I don't have the fucking XLR to TRS cables I need to patch it up! Ain't life a bitch? Well, I'll pick up the cables tomorrow, and we'll find out what a B.L.U.E. KIWI sounds like through this puppy. I am just dying to find out. I guess I'm not a real gear junkie, though, or I would be cutting up Monster cables and soldering Neutrik connectors right now.-Richie

P.S.- Chessrock, you lose the bet. You bet I'd buy the Davisound, but 6-8 weeks turnaround time is not compatible with my production schedule. Too bad, though, I would've liked to have saved about a grand.
 
Thanks, but no thanks, Darrin. I don't lease cars, and I don't rent gear.-Richie
 
Im just saying that the ammount you spend on that preamp is cosiderable, just to make a problem go away. Renting the gear is a good option while waiting for stuff to ship. Im glad you dig the Avalon.
 
Frankly Darrin, for the amount of hours (days) I would need that pre for tracking, I'd spend the $1000 anyway, and then I'd have to rent it again for punch-ins. And every rental equals a drive through Boston traffic, deposits on credit cards, a monstrous pain in the ass. We're not talking about 1 day here, more like 100 tracking hours.-Richie
 
Richard,you useing it yet?How are you likeing it?What is your chain{comp,mics,medium..etc.}..What type of music you doin' mainly...Bet you are lovein' it!


Don
 
Actually, Henri, I'm doing a shitload of A-B testing right now. I'm waiting for my NTK to warm up. I'm recording mostly acoustic guit, both DI and mic'd, depending on the material, and vox. I call it perveted folk (think old Jefferson Airplane). I'm recording the guide tracks myself, then flying in assorted badasses for overdubs starting in March or April. Then mixing and mastering get outsourced. It looks like Littledog will probably get the contract for the mixing.
The signal chain is flat-out weird. It starts with B.L.U.E. KIWI or NTK on vox, depending on the material. For acoustic, I'm using an SM82 line level broadcast mic on the 12th fret, and AKG
C414B-ULS in omni over the shouder, or alternatively, the Fishman Prefix Plus DI, splitting the mic and the pickup. Then the line outs from the Avalon go to the line ins on a DBX386 with the RNC as an insert, or to a Joemeek twinQcs with digital out, using it's own compressor, then S/PDIF out to a Roland VS1824CD.
I know it's weird to use the Avalon as a front end for the DBX or Joemeek, but the digital outs on the 2 other pres allow me to bypass the not-so-hot A-D converter in the Roland. For clean, I use the DBX with its stupid front end drive disengaged, and for colored, I use NTK and Joemeek compression. This allows me to bypass the pres and the A-D converter on the Roland, and it works quite well. If you're interested in the project and studio pics, check the web site at www.bardwire.com.-Richie

P.S.- When I use the SM-82, which has 250 ohm output impedence (no shit), I have to either go line in to the DBX or twinQ, or set the variable impedence on the Avalon to 50 ohms and use the 20dB pad. Frankly, the twinQ seems to like the SM-82 just fine, so I usually use that. If I want that clean, I disengage the optocompressor on the twinQ and compress it with the RNC as an insert. I told you it was weird. Eventually, I'll just get a dedicated A-D converter or an Alesis HD24, etc., and use the Roland as a remote unit. But you will be surprised how good it sounds once you bypass all of its bullshit and send a clean, hot, digital signal to the recorder.
 
Looks like a really fun project!Does seem like a long way for the sig. to travel...Hey but if it works then its right!Results are all that matter!Try the AKG in fig 8{sometimes it will fattin' a 414} at the end pin for a change of pace..good if you are doubleing acoustic tracks{one "plucks" and one "blooms"}...I enjoyed your site..Good luck


Don
 
Well, Henri, you're right. In the forseeable future, I'll just get a dedicated A-D converter for the Avalon, but for some reason, I have no money right now! Desperate times make for desperate measures. I've run the Avalon straight into the board, and through the DBX, and there's *no* comparison.-Richie
 
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