hardware question compressors preamps and mics..mostly..let me hear your ideas

[beatkid]

very n00b and long question but a pretty simple answer or opinion is required...i am very new to the hardware world ...let me know if this is something i should post elsewhere if so

i am running ableton suite 8 with a focusrite scarlet 18i6, im tried of just mixing in the box and want to add a little beautifully old fashioned analog warmth but at times want to stay clean as well and i compiled a list of things i want. i have been researching like crazy for things in my price range and i really want all of it...but for one...i have no clue how to set it all up with my system...and at honestly i dont know exactly what to route through them. like the whole mix? or just a few tracks? and what cables i need...and how to connect them all together. but i know i want different options for vocal chains to suit as many different genres and types of vocalists and instruments as possible so here is my list please tell me what you can if you want. if im missing anything, have different opinions, or how to route it thanks


Preamps:
daking mic pre one
Chameleon labs 581 Microphine Preamplifier
Focusrite OctoPre MkII Dynamic (for drums though ADAT i guess)
Focusrite ISA One Analogue Microphone Preamp
Golden Age Project Pre-73 DLX Microphone Preamplifier

Compressors:

(not sure of the difference between these two chameleon labs compressors; one for singe tracks or before the interface or for after ?? actually that same question for all the compressors)

Chameleon Labs 7802 Stereo Opto Tube Compressor
Chameleon Labs 7720 stereo compressor
Golden Age Project comp54
FMR RNC (really nice compressor)

EQ:

same question for the eqs as well, dont know where they go)

7602 MKII Microphone Preamp / EQ
Speck ASC-T
Microphones:
Shure sm57 (like 3)
Shure sm7b
Shure sm58
Shure KSM44
AKG 414 xls
AKG 451
Chameleon labs TS-1 MKII
Audio Technica AT4050
Audio Technica AT 4041
Audio Technica ATM-25

and i think i need better a/d converters right?? where would they go...sorry for all of this at once. i know its a "hold my hand" type of question..i just feel i need a push in the right direction. there is a lot of music in me, i just need to figure out how to get it out...thanks for reading all of this...
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Every piece of music, no matter the genre, was made artistically by human creativity and therefore, is beautiful…but that is just my opinion...

 

[Bristol Posse]

Okay so I think you'll need to get yourself a patchbay
here is how I am set up and i have some of the gear that you mention. I got all of it via eBay, Craigslist, local consignment stores etc and I was able to get this entire set up for under $3400. so keep your eyes open there is a lot of good stuff out there for reasonable prices


This will allow you a lot of flexibility without having to crawl around plugging and unplugging your gear just patch in and out of the bay. I didn't want to deal with all of the "Normal & Half normal" stuff and so got a patch bay that allows to just pass a signal straight through (Samson S patch)

I'm not going to tell you what to get, obviously I like what I have or I wouldn't have it but do not have first hand A/B comparison experience with all of your choices. But I do like an SSL vibe so the Speck EQs and 7720 bus comp were a good affordable choice for me

As far as converters go I don't know that I buy into the "Only the greatest converters are worth the round trip to use hardware in your mix" nonsense

If your converters are adequate to record tracking through and adequate to monitor through then there is no reason why you cannot send a track out and back without any serious damage to the sound. If they were really that awful you'd hear it when recording tracks
It's easy enough to test for yourself. Import a professionally done song into a track on your DAW send it out and back through your interface with nothing else in the chain (just two line outs to two line ins) and record the result to a new track, listen to the recorded track and see if it sounds any different to the original
If you want to get really anal you can even line them up and flip the phase and see how close to nulling the two tracks are. Even using a cheap a$$ m-audio converter I was able to get a single round trip of a full stereo mix to null down to less than -65 dB so any difference was basically inaudible

This gives me a few scenarios

1) tracking:
Mic > External Pre > VLA Compressor (via patchbay) > EQ (Via patchbay) > Interface line in (Via patchbay)

2) As an insert on a recorded track during a mix:
route track to output on interface. Line out (via patchbay) > EQ or compressor or both (via patchbay) > Line in on interface (Via patchbay)

3) Full mix for outboard summing and FX:
mix to 8 outputs in the DAW
2 mono outs (Bass & Vox for example) > 2 Channels VLA comp> 2 channels of EQ > 2 inputs on D Box
3 stereo stems 6 outs) > 6 inputs on DBox
2 outs on D Box > Chameleon Labs 7720 > 2 inputs on interface to a new stereo track in DAW
2 SPDIF channels sent interface to D Box to monitor the returned stereo mix post conversion in the DAW

With the patch set up you have a ton of flexibility in terms of ease of integration with your hardware and interface during tracking and mixing and mixdown

this will also keep you warm in the winter and look really cool when you mix with the lights out

 

[c7sus]

You have a nice budget.

All of that stuff is pretty good quality. I haven't used a single piece of anything you listed there but you should be able to find at least some user comments about everything listed.

Mic pres would be line inputs into the Scarlet. Compressors and eq could either be chained after the pres and before the Scarlet or used as inserts if the pre has one.

You could also use the compressors and eq in post outputting from the Scarlet, through the processing, and back into the Scarlet to a new "wet" track.

Any of those mics could be found in any number of studios. The AKG 40-series are pretty popular among bluegrass/string music players. A lot of folks on this BBS have SM7B's and love them.

I'd stick with the Scarlet for now unless there is something about it you don't like.

Craigslist and Ebay are good sources for used stuff, CL especially if you live near a big city. Buying used mics can be sketchy, but with that said the most expensive mic I own was bought used via Ebay and escrow.com. Most folks that own gear of Chameleon quality are gonna take good care of it. I live outside Seattle and there are literally tons of used studio gear offered every day.

Good luck!