Chip Hitchens said:
I have a lava lamp in my studio that's clear with purple goo and I've been told that this is too new-fangled, akin to using a [gasp!] solid-state guitar amp for blues.
Is it true that I need to have old-school amber liquid with red lava or blue with whitish lava to really bring out the warmth in my recordings?
Well, what color to use is mostly a matter of taste, like what mic you want. It must suit you, and your music and fit well with your other equipment. Both the mic and the preamp make a difference, right? The laval lamp too.
A bigger influence is the brand, though. It's like choosing between Behringer or Neve mixers, it's a matter of getting the most bang for your budget. If you don't wanna shrimp on the lava, go with the original, Mathmos. They still rule.
Also, where can I find a tube driven lava lamp? And I'm not talking about one of those bogus starved-plate designs.
They are ALL tube driven. Check it out for yourself. At the bottom below the glass container there is a unode vacuum bulb (as opposed to triodes that are typically found in amps).
Watch out for those rocket shaped lava lamps however (the Lunars, Mathmos calls them). Though they are the bomb in hi-tech designs, they work better for electronic experimental music, than for good time rock'n roll, which I guess is what you are doing since you want a warm sound. Also, the Matmos "Jet" is primarily designed for mainstream pop/disco/dance. As I understand it, that's what Kylie has been using the last years.
But yes, all things considered, if you feel a lack of warmth, maybe you should go with something that doesn't have a clear liquid.
Myself, I have clear liquid (it's water you know, just plain old water) with red wax. It suits me perfect since my recording is analog, I like the clearness in the highs and like the red warm eroticism it gives in the bass. But if this give harshess for you, by all means the red/yellow (or amber as you say) lava lamp is a classic warm beaty.
For the real connaisseur you can make your own, and get just the right hue to fit your equipment. But in my opinion, that is for pro studios only. I however have changed the water on mine, since it got opaque after some time.
Good luck!
