I've tried but don't understand

[Middleman]

Actually its slew rate and transient response characteristics. My bad.

Here are some details of the the preamp used on the latest album.

"Universal Audio’s new 2-1176 Twin Vintage Limiting Amplifier was used extensively on the new Norah Jones album, Feels Like Home.

Engineer and mixer Jay Newland worked with producer Arif Mardin on both Jones’ previous album and the new one and used one of the first 2-1176s on Feels Like Home. Newland owns two vintage 1176s and two LA-3As that he used on Jones’ first album. Before embarking on the second album, he acquired a UA 6176 and the 2-1176.

Pictured from left: Kirk Imamua, Tino Passante, Arif Mardin (producer), Norah Jones and Jay Newland (engineer)

“The 2-1176 was used on every song on Norah's new record. Recording and mixing, I would have to call it the perfect everyday, ‘go to’ piece of gear. From subtle to slamming, it sounds great on everything: overheads, room mics, acoustic guitars, vocals—really fantastic,” commented Newland.

“On Norah’s record, there are a lot of songs with two guitars: left and right. The 2-1176 pulls them out but somehow connects them together in a very cool way. At my home studio, it is the path for all the vocals: lead and background.”

Newland is planning to add the UA 2192 Master Audio Interface AD/DA to his arsenal."

So if you pick up a UAD-1 you got the compression sound covered rather cheaply however, your still gonna have to purchase something with a transformer and tubes, in this case, to get that sound.

She uses Neumanns and Sennheisers live and I think she used a Neumann U47 in the studio or maybe it was a C12, that's out there somewhere but I could not find it again.

 

[Middleman]

Ok, found it. Here is all the gear and the people on the first album

SINGLE PRODUCERS:
Arif Mardin, Norah Jones, Jay Newland
MASTERING ENGINEER:
Ted Jensen
STUDIO:
Sorcerer Sound, New York
INSTRUMENTS:
Piano, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar, drums
CONSOLE:
Home-made, custom-designed console that is known as the Acoustilog
RECORDER:
Studer A820
MONITORS:
Genelec 1031, Yamaha NS-10
MICROPHONES:
Neumann M49 for vocals, B&K 4011 on piano, Telefunken U47 and RCA 44 on acoustic bass, Neumann KM-84 on acoustic guitar, Telefunken U 47 on overhead drums, Shure SM57 on snare, AKG D112 on kick, Sennheiser 421 on toms, B&K ambient mic was also used.
MICROPHONE PREAMPS:
Neve preamps were hooked directly into the console. Also used Manley preamps.
PROCESSORS:
Teletronics LA-2A, Neve Compressors, Lexicon 480

Neumann M49 to NEVE PREAMP to LA2A - that's the sound boys. Your DMP3 and Behringer are not going to touch that. Minimal, if your Rodes mic is matched well to your voice, you could come close with a Great River (one of the better Neve clones), a UAD-1 card to emulate the compressor (around a $1800 dollar investment) or for the real thing get a UA 6176 $2,195.99. There may be some cheaper alternatives but not much.

 

[chessrock]

that's the sound boys. Your DMP3 and Behringer are not going to touch that. Minimal, if your Rodes mic is matched well to your voice, you could come close with a Great River (one of the better Neve clones), a UAD-1 card to emulate the compressor (around a $1800 dollar investment) or for the real thing get a UA 6176 $2,195.99. There may be some cheaper alternatives but not much.

You'd also want to kidnap Karif Mardin at gunpoint. Otherwise, all that other stuff ain't gonna' do you much good.

 

[apl]

HA, HA, HA!!!!

Here's what avatuar9 said about my song recorded with the equipment and technique listed in the second reply to his question. I added reverb with the cheesy Cubasis plug in and compression in Wavelab Lite. Around 100dB$ less than Nora's project!

...I got to say that I'm impressed. I would say it has the professional sound quality to it....

(I'm a silly old man.)

 

[Middleman]

"I got to say that I'm impressed. I would say it has the professional sound quality to it...."

The vocal sound, in the detail arena, is truncated and quick. The vocal is not held up by the electronics in the chain. If you have used high end gear you will know what I mean.

I can't say it's not pro sounding because we would have to agree on that term exactly. Does it work in the context of the song, yeah it does. Is it detailed, intimate on the the vocal, not even close. I think the Norah Jones sound was the original pursuit.

 

[chessrock]

It's a pretty good home recording.

I hope people don't take it personally when I say that. But keep in mind, the bar has been set from the onset to multiple-grammy award winning sound and I'm afraid it falls short of that. Most people's stuff is going to fall short of that, which is okay. Most basketball players aren't going to play at the same level as Michael Jordan either, but does that mean they're not good?

 

[apl]

Well said, Middleman.

It was done with a Rode NT3 through a Tascam US122. So, no, it's not really pro sounding. It seems to me, though, that there is some threshold, some knee in the curve of sound quality that defines acceptability, that for a guy like me or avatuar9 gets to that "pro" level. Maybe it's where you can tell it wasn't recorded on a cassette deck. I know I couldn't get it with the mobo soundcard and a dynamic mic.

 

[apl]

1. It's a pretty good home recording.

2. I hope people don't take it personally when I say that.

3. ...the bar has been set from the onset to multiple-grammy award winning sound...

Hey, Chess.

1. Thank you very much.

2. I don't take it personally because it is a home recording!

3. Are you sure that's the bar? I went back to post #5 and it sounded to me like he was asking about the efficacy of reverb for getting that sound. He was pointing out that Norah's didn't seem to have much reverb at all.

 

[chessrock]

I'm just going off this quote:

"They don't have that commercial quality to them. Even my friends demo sounds like commercial quality sound. I don't understand what I'm missing here."


Maybe I misunderstood the spirit of the question, though.