No, it never ends ! ! !
More on the VTB-1 . . .
Again, I didn't find anything wrong with it, per se. It does the job -- but no better really, but no worse either than a lot of others at it's price point. There's actually a few good, workable pres in that price range, too, which is good. So anyway, when I hear people rave about them as being somehow "special," I have to assume that they are either biased, or simply haven't compared them to what I've compared them to -- which I think is the most likely scenario.
The m-audio and mindprint stuff really stand out to me, in fact. Each has something it does well. I would recommend to anyone who hasn't had the opportunity . . . please try recording an accoustic guitar or hand percussion track using your favorite small diaphragm condenser through
a Mindprint DI port. As long as you don't have cotton in your ears, I think you'll see what I mean about this. I'm always on the lookout for one or two more channels of something to compliment that.
I'm picky about this stuff, and I'm always on that magical quest to find the ultimate sleeper gear. Sometimes that involves tinkering with stuff and looking for the less obvious. For example, I was lucky enought to hook up with NWSoundman not too long ago, who did some modifications on an el-cheapo
Bellari RP220. I can honestly say there are applications where that thing sounds very cool. It brings something much different to the table than a starved-plate deal like the VTB1, ART Tube MP, or similar -- which I happen to like a lot on bass guitar, but not much else.
It's a sound that reminds me of old records I used to listen to through my 1977 JVC DC-Integrated Receiver (with SEA Graphic EQ) -- which still works great, by the way. Particularly when I think of the 70's drum sound -- Pink Floyd, The Band, the Eagles, etc. That, to me, is what I think of as vintage, and I just don't hear it with any of the starved plate mic pres I've played with.
So anyway, if I want an extra clean channel, I'd at least like it to be something tweakable in the same way the Bellari is. So my next project is a used Rane MS-1B I scored off ebay for $75. It's built around a very highly-regarded opamp -- the Burr Brown INA-103. And since Rane posts full schematics online, it shouldn't be too difficult to have moded in the future should I wish to upgrade the sound -- I know people in Chicago who do this sort of thing.
If I try it and it sounds like ass, then I'll dump it and get something else.
If you think this is a closed-minded attitude, then that's cool with me.
But please, by all means, question what I'm saying -- because I don't have all the answers or the purest of motives either. I'm not trying to feed some out-of-control ego . . . and I'm not trying to tackle giants . . . stir up shit for my own amusement. But if you think I am, then by all means take that in to account when I say something, as I'm sure you do anyway.
I like challenging some of the commonly-held beliefs around here, and help people to look at other possibilities and think about things from different angles; rather than simply accepting them at face value. I undertstand that's not going to be popular with a lot of people, and I think I've done a decent job of accepting that. I've certainly endured more flame fests around here over the past year or so than anyone else on this board -- including Alan. And so far, I don't harbor any ill-will towards any of them. If anything, it helps me get more honest opinions when I post stuff in the mp3 clinic, which is what I really want.
That's my spin on it, at least.