let me see your studio!

[miroslav]

Eh... not enough stuff.

My thoughts exactly when I went on my hardware buying binge the last few weeks.

Your keyboard and mouse shelves turned out nice.
You made those, right?? I seem to remember some talk of that.

Yeah...I made them.
I spent some time looking for something ready-made, like the clear acrylic ones I've seen for some real high-end consoles...but couldn't find anything that would fit or that didn't cost crazy.

The hard part with this Trident console was the narrow gaps between channels and between knobs/sections, it's a pretty compact layout...and it had to be something that fit perfectly without laying on top of the knobs/buttons. So a bit of measuring and considering how best to have a platform that would only touch the metal frames of the channels for maximum support. A trip to Home Depot, and it all worked out nicely. I even put felt strips in all the platform legs, so there's no chance of even the metal frames getting marred.

I actually have two more...one bigger one, which I usually keep in the right back corner of the console, for notepads and little crap that accumulates during a session that I can just drop there without hurting anything...and then I made one that has a double-thickness, and is sized exactly for my 2" reels of tape.
That one usually sits in the front right corner of the console, so that when I break out a reel in its box, I need a place to lay it down so I can open the box to get the reel out. These reels are 10 lbs. each, so didn't want to put them on top of the console knobs...so the platform takes care of that, and even if I should "thump" down the box w/tape...it's sturdy and can't damage the console...and it's right near my tape deck.

The other key consideration was to make them movable...so that they fit anywhere along the console, if I wanted to change their location, or when I need to lift them up to get at the faders. What's cool is that when I am mixing with the console, and want to leave the faders/knobs/buttons in their position...but then I maybe take a break and go back to doing something in the DAW...these platforms don't touch or disrupt any of that.

 

[RFR]

Cool, good job with that.

I may have to build something similar for my console.
Currently I have a slide out shelf for my mouse and keyboard underneath the console. It works pretty well. Except.......
It's kind of hard to see unless I have all the lighting on in rhe studio. Anytime ambiance lighting is used, I'm squinting to see which keys I'm hitting.

So either do an above console setup, or find a keyboard with lighted keys.
Then again, I could just put an led strip underneath. That might be cool. Rig up a switch, so as soon as I pull out the keyboard shelf, it lights up.

Anyway your studio looks good... but you're right. Need more gear.

 

[RFR]

I may put some up of my smokey room. Not so pretty tho.

Triple dare you! I want to see butts all over the place.
(Either cigarette or female, but no guy butts.)

 

[CrowsofFritz]

Good lord, miro......


Trident console (I think?) must have cost a pretty penny. I see you have two ART preamps. Those were cheap enough for me to buy one! I’m guessing you think they sound good enough to make the, worth your while? Or are you of the philosophy that the preamps is one of the lesser important stages of the signal chain? Or both?

 

[Bruthish]

Here's one pic. I had the shades up, so a bit bright light from the outside, plus I did it handheld without any flash, so I think there's a bit of blur.

I am not worthy.....teach me master

 

[miroslav]

Good lord, miro......


Trident console (I think?) must have cost a pretty penny. I see you have two ART preamps. Those were cheap enough for me to buy one! I’m guessing you think they sound good enough to make the, worth your while? Or are you of the philosophy that the preamps is one of the lesser important stages of the signal chain? Or both?

Those are not ART preamps...those are the VLA comps. They are actually really good optical comps for the money. That entire rack is all comps...most of the right side racks are EQs, with some outboard verbs up above.
All my outboard preamps are sitting in rack to the left of the console, which yes, is a Trident London 24.
It wasn't inexpensive, but I got it fairly cheap considering what they go for. The guy had to move it, I had cash-in-hand and told him I could come pick it up the next day...and he went for it, but he could have sold it for more if he wanted to wait, which he didn't. It was at his ex wife's house (well, what use to be their house)...so I think she was driving force to get it moved it out, and my offer to come get it right away is what I think clinched it.

I then turned around and dropped some more cash into to it, and I did a full recap and rechip, plus some mods, and brought it up to better-than new specs (there's a whole thread about that in the Analog forum somewhere...it was around the end of the summer in 2016 when I overhauled it).
It sounds really good now, dead quiet and has a nice fat low end with the new chips. I found that that stock chips gave it a bit of mild honk quality in the low mids, but some people like that. I wanted a clean, open top and fat bottom. I can work the mids any way I like.

Oh....and to answer your initial question...I feel that mics and preamps, and whatever you do up front is what counts the most, assuming you want a true, natural kind of sound. If you're going for that very processed thing, then it may not be as important. All depends on what you're after.

 

[miroslav]

Not so pretty tho.

I seem to recall a pics of you studio from a few years back...and it was pretty slick looking, not dirty/smoky like you're saying.
It was pretty sweet looking.

I know you had that collapsing wall mess a year or so ago that forced you to redo things, so after all that...did you never got it back to how it was in those pics I remember seeing?

 

[RFR]

He's threatening, he was dared, we're waiting.

 

[cavedog101]

Here's one pic. I had the shades up, so a bit bright light from the outside, plus I did it handheld without any flash, so I think there's a bit of blur.

Nice room'O'crap.... I love this stuff! Nice 65. You have a Groove Tubes! I thought I was the only one. I looked very hard at a SuPre someone had for sale on Reverb a while back but didn't pull the trigger. I have a ViPre already but would have liked two channels for those drum overs and room mics. Nice comp collection too. I can't really tell whats below the VLA's. I also have an original made in USA. First year release. It's been modded by JJ Audio a couple of years back. Very great now! Anyway...nice. Ooops...Could have swore that was a 24 channel Trident 65.

 

[CrowsofFritz]

Those are not ART preamps...those are the VLA comps. They are actually really good optical comps for the money. That entire rack is all comps...most of the right side racks are EQs, with some outboard verbs up above.
All my outboard preamps are sitting in rack to the left of the console, which yes, is a Trident London 24.
It wasn't inexpensive, but I got it fairly cheap considering what they go for. The guy had to move it, I had cash-in-hand and told him I could come pick it up the next day...and he went for it, but he could have sold it for more if he wanted to wait, which he didn't. It was at his ex wife's house (well, what use to be their house)...so I think she was driving force to get it moved it out, and my offer to come get it right away is what I think clinched it.

I then turned around and dropped some more cash into to it, and I did a full recap and rechip, plus some mods, and brought it up to better-than new specs (there's a whole thread about that in the Analog forum somewhere...it was around the end of the summer in 2016 when I overhauled it).
It sounds really good now, dead quiet and has a nice fat low end with the new chips. I found that that stock chips gave it a bit of mild honk quality in the low mids, but some people like that. I wanted a clean, open top and fat bottom. I can work the mids any way I like.

Oh....and to answer your initial question...I feel that mics and preamps, and whatever you do up front is what counts the most, assuming you want a true, natural kind of sound. If you're going for that very processed thing, then it may not be as important. All depends on what you're after.

Ah, you know I should have assumed they were compressors given the 76s I saw above them.

My friend had the opportunity to buy a used 16 channel Toft ATB For $2000. He didn’t go for it. I thought he was crazy. Sure, it was used and even though Trident is likely better, both Ts are manufactured by the PMI audio...IDK, for 1/3 the price, it seemed like he missed out on a good buy.


Sooooooo........you’re going to earmark your will and put me in it, yeah?

 

[miroslav]

Nice room'O'crap.... I love this stuff! Nice 65. You have a Groove Tubes! I thought I was the only one. I looked very hard at a SuPre someone had for sale on Reverb a while back but didn't pull the trigger. I have a ViPre already but would have liked two channels for those drum overs and room mics. Nice comp collection too. I can't really tell whats below the VLA's. I also have an original made in USA. First year release. It's been modded by JJ Audio a couple of years back. Very great now! Anyway...nice. Ooops...Could have swore that was a 24 channel Trident 65.

I looked at the ViPre...pricey for a single channel, and I've always been hung-up on at least "2-channel" for everything I get... ...so much that with the single channel stuff (like my '76 comps and some other things)...if it came as a single channel box, I would end up buying two.
So when I saw the SuPre...it was the right fit...but every time I see a used ViPre pop-up, I still lookhard, same as with their Glory Comp. Great pieces.
It took me awhile to warm up to the SuPre. I was kinda thinking it was going to be a thick-n-hairy kind of tube pre...and it's actually quite hi-fi and pretty clean, but I then discovered its character the more I used it, and especially the impedance option on it...not quite as varied as the ViPre, but its got a nice sound to it.

The Trident is a 24 London, 28 channel. Main difference from the 65 is that the London came later, and has a more robust 24-channel return/monitor section...where the 65 had either 8 or 16...there might be a 24 too, but it's not the same as the London, which is like what you find on the Trident 75. The monitor PCB boards actually say "series 75" on them.

Ah, you know I should have assumed they were compressors given the 76s I saw above them.

My friend had the opportunity to buy a used 16 channel Toft ATB For $2000. He didn’t go for it. I thought he was crazy. Sure, it was used and even though Trident is likely better, both Ts are manufactured by the PMI audio...IDK, for 1/3 the price, it seemed like he missed out on a good buy.


Sooooooo........you’re going to earmark your will and put me in it, yeah?

That's not bad for a 16-channel ATB...I think people overprice them on the used market, but then I think they are overpriced even new.
I wouldn't trade my used Trident for a brand new 32-channel ATB...especially with the overhaul and mods/upgrades that were done to the Trident.


So I guess since I posted the one studio view picture...I might as well show a couple more.

 

[cavedog101]

My ViPre is the main pre in the vocal signal chain in my room. There's NOTHING better. A few in the same league but different sounding. You are right about the "hi-fi" of these pieces. The ViPre has a couple more bells and whistles than the SuPre and they are very usable. I used to look for the 'colored' pres to get that 'thing' from the vocal but now I have learned it's all about the mic and a preamp with massive headroom (no noise kids!!) and a sound field a block wide and a mile deep. I bought mine simply because I had engineered some sessions at a studio that had a couple and I was never the same afterwards. I have not been able to find a Glory Comp. I don't think very many were built. And as I said I wanted the SuPre for the drums. At this point I'm resigned to a Phoenix Audio DRS-Q4......It's a shame......(kidding)

As for the differences in the Trident as opposed to the Tofts and regarding the PMI connection...I'm not exactly sure, but PMI had not acquired Trident when Miroslav's desk was built. Even though they are op-amp based, the architecture is somewhat different in the ATB series as compared to the TS series which what I think the London is part of. The TS consoles are a couple of steps above the ATB stuff. I just sold my ATB 08 sidecar and kept the Hill Multimix I'm using now. The Hill isn't as fancy as the ATB but it packs a better cleaner punch and has more headroom.

Oh and one more thing...Miroslav.....IF (heh heh) you get in the mood for a new compressor I can completely recommend the Retro stuff. Especially the Sta-Level. I'm thinking you don't have anything like this circuit in your coloring book. My 500 series Double Wide is the child of this comp. It's pretty damn brilliant in what it does. It took me a while to really "get" what it does but now I will choose it over optical comps going in in a lot of cases. Especially if the singer is a loud sumbitch

 

[CrowsofFritz]

Definitely in the top 5 studios posted here for sure. Also, your screen saver reminded me that I needed to produce one myself, so thanks for that.

 

[miroslav]

...it's all about the mic and a preamp with massive headroom (no noise kids!!) and a sound field a block wide and a mile deep.

Yup...make it happen up front, and the rest falls into place.
So right underneath the SuPre is one of the new Warm Audio preamps...the WA273-EQ, which is their Neve clone. I've yet to use it, as I haven't had any tracking to do lately...but supposedly there was a lot of design effort toward making this a top-notch clone...not just "another clone". Its got custom wound trannies, plus the EQ section was closely copied ...which they claim all goes into making it "silky smooth".
I'm keeping my finger crossed.

As for the differences in the Trident as opposed to the Tofts and regarding the PMI connection...I'm not exactly sure, but PMI had not acquired Trident when Miroslav's desk was built.

Oh yeah...the original Trident was gone for awhile before PMI acquired the name and intellectual rights. The ATB was designed by Toft, who was part of the original Trident bunch, but PMI still didn't own the actual Trident designs or name, so Toft built his ATB with a nod to the Trident designs, but it wasn't a clone.
Now PMI owns the whole Trident package, and they make Trident consoles which are a substantial step up from the ATB stuff...and so is the price.
The reviews are quite good for the new Trident consoles...but it's way out of my price range. I'm most likely going to be set with my London for the long haul...unless I hit the lottery.

Oh and one more thing...Miroslav.....IF (heh heh) you get in the mood for a new compressor I can completely recommend the Retro stuff.

I've looked at the Retro stuff many times, and would love to have some of their gear. Right now I'm not really hurting for anymore comps. Besides what's easily seen in the picture...at the top are 3 Overstayer stereo comps, which are excellent. Two half-rack units, and the big one which is often on my console mix bus.
There is also and AD&R Superdynamic Limiter sitting above them...plus in my preamp rack, the DVC is really two units in one...the preamp, and the ELOP limiter which is sweet, and I can use them together or individually.
I'm also waiting on a pair of LA2A clones, which should be coming by the summer, and they will complete my outboard comp/limiter group...so I'm looking forward to adding them.

The recent pieces that I'm most excited about are the Kush Audio EQs I acquired. I've had all their plugins for awhile now, but decided to get the hardware versions of their Clariphonic MS and Electra equalizers. I've got a couple of the Electra 2-channel EQs...but the Clariphonic MS is their newest model, which is a revamped version of the original Clariphonic, but with Mid/Side capabilities. The Clariphonic is exclusively for the upper-mids & highs, while the Electra is a 5-band, low-to-high EQ. These are without a doubt phenomenal EQs...unique design and incredible sound.
You can check out the video demos on the Kush Audio website.

They're not meant to be surgical EQs...rather more for creating a tonal vibe, if that makes any sense. So it's not about finding that one spot on the EQ where it's the right spot for the given source...but instead you can dial into multiple spots, each altering the tonal attitude to create a different overall vibe, without sounding weird or out of place...so if you like put it on a snare track, you can use the EQ to basically give you a choice of several snare sounds, as though you're choosing from several different recorded snares.
I am very eager to get these on a mix.

Definitely in the top 5 studios posted here for sure.

Mmm..don't know about that, I've seen some great studios posted here, but thanks for saying so.
I think I can cover the gear department...but I've seen some great, big spaces here that make me drool.

 

[CrowsofFritz]

I can’t wait to get all the gear I need. I wanted to see how this will look, so I made a little mock-up. I have an interview on Monday for another job. My current job is awesome but not enough hours. I already have one iPad that I use as a control surface for Reason. I plan on getting another. So, for $620, I will have a better, more efficient control surface than something like a universal Mackie, which costs more—AND at the end of the day, they’re iPads that can do iPad stuff.....like making this very picture and posting it here.

The soft tube console 1 looks like it’s absolutely perfect for the SSL mixer within Reason. This will be my dream setup! Minimalist and very efficient for my workflow.

I’m reducing the number of preamps on my interface by half, but it’s still expandable for the future. Hopefully I get this job!

 

[cavedog101]

Yup...make it happen up front, and the rest falls into place.
So right underneath the SuPre is one of the new Warm Audio preamps...the WA273-EQ, which is their Neve clone. I've yet to use it, as I haven't had any tracking to do lately...but supposedly there was a lot of design effort toward making this a top-notch clone...not just "another clone". Its got custom wound trannies, plus the EQ section was closely copied ...which they claim all goes into making it "silky smooth".
I'm keeping my finger crossed.



Oh yeah...the original Trident was gone for awhile before PMI acquired the name and intellectual rights. The ATB was designed by Toft, who was part of the original Trident bunch, but PMI still didn't own the actual Trident designs or name, so Toft built his ATB with a nod to the Trident designs, but it wasn't a clone.
Now PMI owns the whole Trident package, and they make Trident consoles which are a substantial step up from the ATB stuff...and so is the price.
The reviews are quite good for the new Trident consoles...but it's way out of my price range. I'm most likely going to be set with my London for the long haul...unless I hit the lottery.



I've looked at the Retro stuff many times, and would love to have some of their gear. Right now I'm not really hurting for anymore comps. Besides what's easily seen in the picture...at the top are 3 Overstayer stereo comps, which are excellent. Two half-rack units, and the big one which is often on my console mix bus.
There is also and AD&R Superdynamic Limiter sitting above them...plus in my preamp rack, the DVC is really two units in one...the preamp, and the ELOP limiter which is sweet, and I can use them together or individually.
I'm also waiting on a pair of LA2A clones, which should be coming by the summer, and they will complete my outboard comp/limiter group...so I'm looking forward to adding them.

The recent pieces that I'm most excited about are the Kush Audio EQs I acquired. I've had all their plugins for awhile now, but decided to get the hardware versions of their Clariphonic MS and Electra equalizers. I've got a couple of the Electra 2-channel EQs...but the Clariphonic MS is their newest model, which is a revamped version of the original Clariphonic, but with Mid/Side capabilities. The Clariphonic is exclusively for the upper-mids & highs, while the Electra is a 5-band, low-to-high EQ. These are without a doubt phenomenal EQs...unique design and incredible sound.
You can check out the video demos on the Kush Audio website.

They're not meant to be surgical EQs...rather more for creating a tonal vibe, if that makes any sense. So it's not about finding that one spot on the EQ where it's the right spot for the given source...but instead you can dial into multiple spots, each altering the tonal attitude to create a different overall vibe, without sounding weird or out of place...so if you like put it on a snare track, you can use the EQ to basically give you a choice of several snare sounds, as though you're choosing from several different recorded snares.
I am very eager to get these on a mix.





Mmm..don't know about that, I've seen some great studios posted here, but thanks for saying so.
I think I can cover the gear department...but I've seen some great, big spaces here that make me drool.

I've heard good things about the WA273-EQ. They seem like a good company. I've talked to them on the phone a couple of times and I own a WA76 which is pretty good as long as you're not expecting it to be a real 1176. Like everything, all the clones and copies can do a job and most do it well.

I LOVED my DVC........Ask me why I sold it..........in short....I dunno.......idiocy I suppose.....Actually I needed a guitar amp and at the time you could buy a new DVC for a bit over a grand if you looked around. There was that period when they discontinued making them that the stores were moving out the leftover stock. So I sold mine and bought a VHT PittBull 45. I have neither of them and DVC's do not come cheap any more....Ah well.....

 

[RFR]

[MENTION=94267]miroslav[/MENTION].

I know what you need, don't see it in your pics.....a pair of distressors.

Or maybe im just projecting my own desires.

 

[tomlombardini]

Great Desk!

I have this exact same desk. Every time I think about replacing it I just can't bring myself to. And besides, I'm cheap! ;-)

 

[warpdriveprod]

Studio Tour

 

[zzzms]

My Sordid Little Grief Hole: