Most disappointing purchase for your studio?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bulls Hit
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Taylor Big Baby. I've decided that Taylor's famous / signature "Airy Mid-Range" isn't for me. Sounds like new-age. I just picked up a Takamine Jasmine for 100 bucks that I like better (seriously). I just use acoustic guitar for strumming. Nothing fancy needed.

Mackie VLZ 1202 board - 4 channel. When I first got into recording, I never thought it through that all I really needed was one good channel for my purposes.

There's lots more stuff that I regret having SOLD though!
 
I don't have much gear, but I would have to say it was the $30 PC speakers I bought. I wanted speakers to use as reference monitors, but wanted to save up to buy good monitors, and I didn't want to be stuck with headphones. So I bought them. Unfortunately, I couldn't interface them with my DAW without buying a bunch of adaptors that would have been expensive anyway, so I had to plug them straight into the computer and I could only listen to mixdown wave files, making it inefficient and only useful for showing people my songs.

I'd also have to say my Audix i5 mic has been my least used mic thus far, because I haven't actually used it for anything save for some self demos I made where I played all the instruments and overdubbed. But for actually serious stuff with other groups, never used it. Good mic though.
 
Pioneer CD recorder, 400 bucks and I have never used it, what was I thinking...SALE!! normally 800, buy now for 400...save 400, wow!! Sometimes we learn the hard way that saving 50% on something you dont need is actually wasting...only half as bad as full price for something you dont need....so I guess I was only half stupid! Amazingly, that was four times as stupid at the scuzzy drive I paid 100 bucks for....normally 800...wow....what a deal!
 
Mxl 990..wish i knew some info before jumping to this..would've loved to start with a studio projects b1 or something..and also, this wasnt really disapointing but, i bought a mixer that came with a like 20 dollar usb cord thing as my interface...i wish i would've bought like a tascam FW1804 or something, since it was around that price.
 
Benyah said:
A Behringer Ultramizer (Digital Multiband Loudness Maximizer), it really sucked but when I sold it, I got more than I payed for it when I bought it, so it was worth it after all...!!!
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That &^&*%!! Ultramizer that I bought from Benyah :D (just kidding). Thanks to this board, primarily, I've been pretty happy with all the stuff I've picked up in the last few years. In the late 80's I got a bottom-of-the-line alesis digital effects unit, and some other digital reverb rack unit (both for use with my electric guitar setup) that trashed the sound due to poor quality signal conversion - couldn't use them at all.
 
Behringer B2031A monitors. They were more like hi-fi speakers than monitors and we're flat at all.
 
This is a hard one for me because my worst peices of gear either were dirt cheap, or i knew they weren't going to be great so i bought used and sold for the same or new

1. Behringer ub802. What can you expect for $50 though. Plus, if i didn't buy that and bought something nicer, i would have had a mixer way nicer that was way too small for what i need now. Good learning experience, terrible piece.

2. Krk rp5. Again, what do you expect for $300. These actually made some great hi fi speakers for parties and i could have 50+ people over on one set of speakers. However, my mixes translated horribly. I wouldn't complain then, it took an upgrade to realize that it wasn't so much lack of knowledge than lack of good play back.
 
I actually had some use for my Behringer Virtualizer Pro - when I was recording over Tascam ADAT decks and mixing on a 24-channel desk, I had the Virtualizer Pro on an aux send, and one reverb setting worked well for light reverb.

As for gear I was disappointed with... I'll get stoned for this, but the MoreMe headphones. They did exactly what they themselves were advertised as doing - isolating sound, and giving decent playback, especially for the cost. I was disappointed because there's been so much hype here at hr over the years about them, that I bought them hoping to use them as tracking/extremely accurate phones.

They are great for tracking, but not for getting that even, full sound I was looking for. Might be the shitty headphone amp on the Firepod, but I bit the bullet, bought another set of Sony MDR7506's, and I love em. They buzz when my explosive acoustic's bottom end comes in during mic placement, but are otherwise great.

Not to say that any of my gear is top-end, but I had realistic expectations of what I've bought most of the time. I don't like the MXL 990 for much, but it works well for my brother's voice, and they also work great as room mics when I record live.
 
cusebassman said:
. I'll get stoned for this, but the MoreMe headphones. They did exactly what they themselves were advertised as doing - isolating sound, and giving decent playback, especially for the cost. I was disappointed because there's been so much hype here at hr over the years about them, that I bought them hoping to use them as tracking/extremely accurate phones.
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I all fairness, that is ALL that they claim, and he even warns that "I wouldn't recommend using either of them for final mixes or mastering "
 
altitude909 said:
I all fairness, that is ALL that they claim, and he even warns that "I wouldn't recommend using either of them for final mixes or mastering "
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As I said, they do what Harvey said they would, but then reading everything here made me think they were much more than that. Much in the way that mshilarious' site says his MSH-1's are excellent for acoustic instruments, they get high praise here, and they were everything I could want and more. The MoreMe's simply live up to Harvey's description, not how much they are hyped here. So, while I suspected they would do only what he said, I was also overexcited that they might be more than that, and they weren't. Hence, I was disappointed - doesn't mean the MoreMe's aren't still useful (I hung onto them, after all) :D
 
Interestingly enough, sweetwater has dropped Behringer altogether..
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they haven't carried the Big B for at least a year now, if ever...
 
As I posted when I first got the idea of offering them for sale, my problems in finding tracking headphones were very costly. I spent hundreds of dollars on tracking phones for two studios, only to see them mangled and destroyed over a short period.

That's when I realized, you don't need hi-fi headphones for tracking; in fact, they can be fatiguing. I started searching for headphones that would give me the range that most musicians need, with decent isolation, and capable of lasting more than a couple of sessions. That's how the MoreMe's came into being. In order to get them at a decent price, I had to buy in quantity, and that's why I offered the MoreMe's to other people.

They're terrible for mixing, and I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy for mixing. They don't have a lot of bottom end; they don't have an extended top end, but they do have everything you need to hear yourself clearly in a tracking session. They're loud; they have decent isolation, and most important, they don't break easily, and they're inexpensive.

I'm getting less and less surprised that some really big name engineers and groups used MoreMe's as tracking phones. When I hear somebody trashing them, I sometimes wonder if maybe I shouldn't be selling them, but then I think, "Hey, Terry Manning, Bruce Swedien, George Massenburg, Bob Olhsson, Southern Tracks, Widespread Panic, and Joss Stone love them." I know of two or three symphony orchestras using a bunch of them.
 
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Harvey Gerst said:
As I posted when I first got the idea of offering them for sale, my problems in finding tracking headphones were very costly. I spent hundreds of dollars on tracking phones for two studios, only to see them mangled and destroyed over a short period.

That's when I realized, you don't need hi-fi headphones for tracking; in fact, they can be fatiguing. I started searching for headphones that would give me the range that most musicians need, with decent isolation, and capable of lasting more than a couple of sessions. That's how the MoreMe's came into being. In order to get them at a decent price, I had to buy in quantity, and that's why I offered the MoreMe's to other people.

They're terrible for mixing, and I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy for mixing. They don't have a lot of bottom end; they don't have an extended top end, but they do have everything you need to hear yourself clearly in a tracking session. They're loud; they have decent isolation, and most important, they don't break easily, and they're inexpensive.

I'm getting less and less surprised that some really big name engineers and groups used MoreMe's as tracking phones. When I hear somebody trashing them, I sometimes wonder if maybe I shouldn't be selling them, but then I think, "Hey, Terry Manning, Bruce Swedien, George Massenburg, Bob Olhsson, Southern Tracks, Widespread Panic, and Joss Stone love them." I know of two or three symphony orchestras using a bunch of them.
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I keep meaning to get a couple of these but since I virtually always record by myself, I usually just use my Sennheiser 580's.
But I want some MoreMe's because I hate stepping on the cord on those semi-expensive phones.
I don't have any real dissappointing purchases when it comes to studio gear. I can find a use for almost anything.
Live wise, I'm a little disappointed with my Fender Blues Jr, (a little blah sounding) and I absolutely loath my Shecter C-1 Plus.
 
cusebassman said:
I actually had some use for my Behringer Virtualizer Pro - when I was recording over Tascam ADAT decks and mixing on a 24-channel desk, I had the Virtualizer Pro on an aux send, and one reverb setting worked well for light reverb.

As for gear I was disappointed with... I'll get stoned for this, but the MoreMe headphones. They did exactly what they themselves were advertised as doing - isolating sound, and giving decent playback, especially for the cost. I was disappointed because there's been so much hype here at hr over the years about them, that I bought them hoping to use them as tracking/extremely accurate phones.

They are great for tracking, but not for getting that even, full sound I was looking for. Might be the shitty headphone amp on the Firepod, but I bit the bullet, bought another set of Sony MDR7506's, and I love em. They buzz when my explosive acoustic's bottom end comes in during mic placement, but are otherwise great.

Not to say that any of my gear is top-end, but I had realistic expectations of what I've bought most of the time. I don't like the MXL 990 for much, but it works well for my brother's voice, and they also work great as room mics when I record live.
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No need to stone ya...a moderate flogging maybe since we reserve the stoning for the very worst offenders.

I think your review was accurate and honest. For me, the "More-me's" are like you said. They're great work-horse headphones and when the teenies show up, I don't sweat it. The warranty is rediculous in that you wonder how he can stay in business giving it up like that but you're right. They're not particularly flattering but there isn't the "boom-box" bottom or the iPod hyped upper end either.

You're guilty of giddy purchasing and window shop dreaming...you want more, you'll pay more. For what it's worth, if that's the most disappointing purchase you ever made, you've got to get out more or, I need you to be my purchasing agent :D
 
punkin said:
I think your review was accurate and honest. For me, the "MoreMe's" are like you said. They're great work-horse headphones and when the teenies show up, I don't sweat it. The warranty is ridiculous in that you wonder how he can stay in business giving it up like that but you're right. They're not particularly flattering but there isn't the "boom-box" bottom or the iPod hyped upper end either.
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Wait!! This is supposed to be a business, and I'm supposed to make money on it? Whoops!

Actually, the replacement rate is very low on the MoreMe's and I'd rather have people remember them for being workhorses rather than problems they might have. For me, the answer was pretty simple; eliminate all the bullshit involved with warranty repairs.

That means if a customer has a problem with my product, first eliminate the problem. I don't wait for RMA numbers, or returns, or make you wait till I see what's wrong with them. The second I hear of a problem, new phones are on their way via priority mail; we'll sort out the details later.

If something I own breaks, I want it repaired or replaced fast. So that was my business model.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
That means if a customer has a problem with my product, first eliminate the problem. I don't wait for RMA numbers, or returns, or make you wait till I see what's wrong with them. The second I hear of a problem, new phones are on their way via priority mail; we'll sort out the details later.

If something I own breaks, I want it repaired or replaced fast. So that was my business model.
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Which is exactly the reason I ordered a few pair. They probably see more use than anything else I have (minus guitar/amp).
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Wait!! This is supposed to be a business, and I'm supposed to make money on it? Whoops!

Actually, the replacement rate is very low on the MoreMe's and I'd rather have people remember them for being workhorses rather than problems they might have. For me, the answer was pretty simple; eliminate all the bullshit involved with warranty repairs.

That means if a customer has a problem with my product, first eliminate the problem. I don't wait for RMA numbers, or returns, or make you wait till I see what's wrong with them. The second I hear of a problem, new phones are on their way via priority mail; we'll sort out the details later.

If something I own breaks, I want it repaired or replaced fast. So that was my business model.
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Well, that's refeshing! Customer and service first, red tape last. You're never gonna make it Harvey. You'd better get your off-shore sweat shops opened up if you're planning to stay in business!

Thanks man, I know what you're selling. It works for me and the price is right. Piss on the rest. Say, are you thinking of opening a botique guitar amp shop anytime soon?:D
 
Harvey Gerst said:
As I posted when I first got the idea of offering them for sale, my problems in finding tracking headphones were very costly. I spent hundreds of dollars on tracking phones for two studios, only to see them mangled and destroyed over a short period.

That's when I realized, you don't need hi-fi headphones for tracking; in fact, they can be fatiguing. I started searching for headphones that would give me the range that most musicians need, with decent isolation, and capable of lasting more than a couple of sessions. That's how the MoreMe's came into being. In order to get them at a decent price, I had to buy in quantity, and that's why I offered the MoreMe's to other people.

They're terrible for mixing, and I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy for mixing. They don't have a lot of bottom end; they don't have an extended top end, but they do have everything you need to hear yourself clearly in a tracking session. They're loud; they have decent isolation, and most important, they don't break easily, and they're inexpensive.

I'm getting less and less surprised that some really big name engineers and groups used MoreMe's as tracking phones. When I hear somebody trashing them, I sometimes wonder if maybe I shouldn't be selling them, but then I think, "Hey, Terry Manning, Bruce Swedien, George Massenburg, Bob Olhsson, Southern Tracks, Widespread Panic, and Joss Stone love them." I know of two or three symphony orchestras using a bunch of them.
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This may be a general post, but I hope you don't think I was trashing those 'phones - like I say, they work great for tracking, and especially for my brother, who doesn't really pay attention to caring for things like headphones. He tosses em on the floor... I nearly had a heart attack last time he did that with the 7506s, which, for how great they sound, aren't very durable. The MoreMe's, on the other hand, are more than sufficient for tracking playback, and are sturdy as all Hell. Hence, I held on to them :)
 
punkin said:
Say, are you thinking of opening a boutique guitar amp shop anytime soon?:D
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No, but I've heard that several people are bringing back a lot of my old designs from the 60's and 70's.
 
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