let's talk....

  • Thread starter Thread starter slidey
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slidey

slidey

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pre-amp

hmmmmm I posted here as I never got much responseroonie in the rack

I just recently got my 1st preamp. Chandler germanium beastie with a gain knob, feedback knob, pad button, thick button, phantom button & a phase buttom

dead simple but so unbelievably effective it freaked me out. I had a shot of a focusrite ?thingummy-do-da platinum pro? & it had everything on it, EQ, comp, limiters, coffee makers & gumball machines blah blah & it took me about 3 hours pissing around to get a sound that in the end I wasn't happy with. To many options was the problem & the chandler is sweet, just turn those 2 knobs untill it sounds good & I tried the pre out with a single mic whilst a band was rehearsing in the live room & I messed around with dialage & eventually pressed the "THICK" button & it pinned me to the wall. It was like turning the bass & kick up on a mixer

anyway anybody else ever dabbled with these???

ta-ra
slidey
 
Not that particular model, but my college use a Focusrite preamp and it kicks ass!
 
The Focusrite does have alot of things on it. But I don't use anything but the compressor 90% of the time. I would have preffered less features.
 
I was not aware of Chandler - (I do have a Focustite pre, silver series) but after reading you post I googled Chandler.

I've always considered the silver Focusrite to be relatively low end gear - I'm not convinced comparing a Chandler with a Focusrite is apples to aplles.

The Chandler sound like some serious gear - if you don't minnd me asking - How much did you pay (it looks like they go for abut $1600 list.
 
mikeh said:
I was not aware of Chandler - (I do have a Focustite pre, silver series) but after reading you post I googled Chandler.

I've always considered the silver Focusrite to be relatively low end gear - I'm not convinced comparing a Chandler with a Focusrite is apples to aplles.

The Chandler sound like some serious gear - if you don't minnd me asking - How much did you pay (it looks like they go for abut $1600 list.
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agreed. Chandler products are a few steps up from the Focusrite Platinum line. Far superior build quality, far better sounding, and far more versatile. The TG series sound amazing. Haven't tried the zener but would LOVE to.

I think the Platinum line of focusrite sound like shit personally. sterile and boring.
 
brendandwyer said:
I think the Platinum line of focusrite sound like shit personally. sterile and boring.
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Yeah but...Isn't "sterile and boring" exactly what you want sometimes??? I interpret that as meaning it's simply not coloring the sound.

(though, I realise that might not be what you mean)
 
RAMI said:
Yeah but...Isn't "sterile and boring" exactly what you want sometimes??? I interpret that as meaning it's simply not coloring the sound.

(though, I realise that might not be what you mean)
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well, sterile and boring is a loaded term.

I've never really wanted a preamp or mic combination to be sterile and boring. I'm making music, not foley or sound effect stuff for post.

I had the voicemaster platinum pro and i thought it was useless for me. Now maybe there are folks out there that have a desire for a colorless, transparent mic pre, but for me, that's boring. i want character and life.

i couldn't find any source i LIKED the voicemaster on so i sold it.

But, i think that there are some people that want a pre like that, so i diff'n strokes fer'n diff'n folks.
 
brendandwyer said:
But, i think that there are some people that want a pre like that, so i diff'n strokes fer'n diff'n folks.
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Yeah, that's what it comes down to. I try to get my character and life from my source and tracks as much as possible and want my pre-amp to be quiet and AMPlify.
If a pre-amp makes a source sound MORE colorless and boring, then that's no good obviously. But if "colorless and boring" simply means it's hardly changing the sound that 's going into it, then that's usually what I want.

Having said that, I'm not saying the Focusrite is anything special either way. I've had problems with it and often don't use it at all.

I guess it comes down to how one hears it. What you hear as colorless I hear as transparent.
 
RAMI said:
Yeah, that's what it comes down to. I try to get my character and life from my source and tracks as much as possible and want my pre-amp to be quiet and AMPlify.
If a pre-amp makes a source sound MORE colorless and boring, then that's no good obviously. But if "colorless and boring" simply means it's hardly changing the sound that 's going into it, then that's usually what I want.

Having said that, I'm not saying the Focusrite is anything special either way. I've had problems with it and often don't use it at all.

I guess it comes down to how one hears it. What you hear as colorless I hear as transparent.
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yeah, i think it's all in what you want to hear. When i set up mic's on a drum set. I want to hear everything clearly. But "clear" doesn't necessarily mean "without coloration by the mic and pre, and rest of the signal path". Let's face it, every mm of circuitry that you pass audio through colors it in one way or another, some less some more, but all different.

What i heard from the voicemaster was what i described as sterile and boring. I think Rami that when you are looking for clear and transparent, you mean that you don't want the signal chain to impart anything that is colors the sound BADLY. And i guess i thought that the sound of the voicemaster was kinda crappy. Pretty brittle, not a good match with any mic in my cabinet, and i had trouble feeling satisfied with any track i cut with it sitting in my mixes.

We probably agree but it's fun to discuss anyway :)
 
brendandwyer said:
We probably agree but it's fun to discuss anyway :)
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Totally!

I wish I had a really great pre. Maybe my opinion on coloring would change......But then I'd want a better mic...then a better voice...

Nah, that's too much pressure.:eek:
 
brendandwyer said:
Let's face it, every mm of circuitry that you pass audio through colors it in one way or another, some less some more, but all different.
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Not if ya get those sweet cables they've been discussing over in the mic forum. For 15,000 dollars, that cable had better put out exatly what I send into it :D
 
RAMI said:
Totally!

I wish I had a really great pre. Maybe my opinion on coloring would change......But then I'd want a better mic...then a better voice...

Nah, that's too much pressure.:eek:
Click to expand...

pretty soon you'd be grinding up vintage neumanns and cooking them in a spoon, borrowing any belt you could find and shooting that shit...

nasty habit this audio recording
 
RAMI said:
Yeah but...Isn't "sterile and boring" exactly what you want sometimes??? I interpret that as meaning it's simply not coloring the sound.

(though, I realise that might not be what you mean)
Click to expand...

The advice I get from some of the more matured and seasoned pros I've dealt with suggests that some times it's the effects that you don't directly hear that matter the most.
 
WOW I forgot I started this thread

I paid £500 for the Chandler in this ere country & it does make my sounds "come to life"

I'll be back to continue this thread shortly as I got things to do--------------------------------------------------------->>>> later people

& I'm glad the to hear that Chandler is a few steps up on Focusrite. I'm new to the whole pre amp thing & the focusrite sort of killed the want for a preamp because of to many options

back soon
 
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