Studio Projects VTB1?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dune5233
  • Start date Start date
D

dune5233

New member
Anybody try this thing out yet? I read Fletcher thoughs on it but I want to know what the little people think of it.

Somebody shoot me some info.
 
Id listen to Fletchers opinions before us "little people"....any day of the week.......
 
Well I've learn to listen to everyones opinions then make my own. If enough people like this thing I want to try it out. I know Fletcher hated the VTB-1 but how do we know his review was bias or not? Remember he is a FMR dealer, which from what I heard they have something against Studio Projects
 
It's a good solid pro mic pre IMHO.
Harvey Gerst, one of our "resident pros" concurs with this assessment BTW.

Even the "pros" like Harvey, Fletcher, (& Alan Hyatt!) can disagree on the viability of different audio gear.
So much is subjective rather than necessarily objective.
Fletcher just speaks his mind, in no way is he a "sales weasel".
In fact he seemed like a good-hearted guy when I met him
briefly last week, who can definitely be the life of the party!

Chris
 
dune5233 said:
Well I've learn to listen to everyones opinions then make my own. If enough people like this thing I want to try it out. I know Fletcher hated the VTB-1 but how do we know his review was bias or not? Remember he is a FMR dealer, which from what I heard they have something against Studio Projects
Click to expand...

Well Gidge would probably follow Fletcher to the slaughter house, but that is just Gidge and no reflection on him personally. I just think he is in awe of Fletcher, but should listen to one himself because I think his opinion would be valued... :D

Fletcher is great guy, and I consider him a personal friend. We had dinner last week, but he is not the only one on this planet that knows audio. Not only that, Fletcher works in a very different environment than 95% of the people on this group.

I have no problem with Fletchers opinion, I just disagree with him. Weather his opinion is based on his relationship with FMR and that he will be one of only two dealers selling them, or even if he does feel that way about the VTB-1, it really does not matter.

The VTB-1 is not a Neve; it is not a Manley Vox Box. Hell the VTB-1 is $179.00!!! If you read the threads, 99% of all the users have said very good things about. There are so much more positive comments on this thing to at least make one think, maybe you should try it out. My guess is Gidge has not used one.

It is worth way more than the price you will pay for it. It is very flexible and offers features found on boxes 10 times its price. I am not saying it equals boxes 10 times its price, but I am saying that in a blind listening test using the same mics and two other mic amps along with the VTB-1, it would be pretty darn hard to pick them out.

Our new B Series Sessions CD is out, and the VTB-1 is one of the preamps used. We can send you that disc, but it is only using the Studio Projects B Series Mics. Go to the following page:

http://www.studioprojectsusa.com/spnews.html

This will give you all the information on what we did and how we did it. You can hear the same mic on a Neve 1089, Focusrite Red 1, API 312, and the VTB-1, both is Solid State mode, and tube blend mode.

Look at the Sessions information, and if you want one, let me know. You can also buy one for yourself and if you are not happy, return it. Many of our dealers offer this policy and if you can't find one, call me and I will tell you who does it.

If I sound a bit defensive I am sorry. People just have to remember, that Fletcher works with products costing thousands of dollars. The VTB-1 costs less than most of those products power supply. You can't judge the VTB-1 by what 1 person says, especially when many other respected people have said such nice things. So find out for yourself and trust your ears...That is the best way. :)
 
I much prefer something like an M-audio DMP-3.

2-channels . . . sounds great . . . no toob gimmics. AND if you don't like it, you can tell the whole world you think it sucks without fear of hurting anyone's feelings! ;)
 
The "tube blend" (or toob blend) is an interesting effects
device on the VTB-1 that in similar fashion to a "Meek" compressor,
can be used for creative recording and/or tone enhancement.
I suspect it would be particularly useful as a bass DI in addition to
being a good mic pre-although I'm not a bass player!

The VTB-1 in "pure" solid state mode offers greater sonic detail than
the DMP3, and the Presonus MP20 I tried out .
(The MP20 in question above didn't have the better Jensen transformer
BTW)

Chris

P.S. Fletcher doesn't care very much for ADAT's, and that still didn't
stop "Jagged Little Pill" from selling 15+ million copies!
 
Thanks everyone.

I like to listen to everyones opinion but I know my own is the most important when it comes to my recordings. When I have bought gear on "Audio Pros" opinions I have been burned.

Here are just some of the gear I bought on "Pros" opinions and lived to regret it.

Presonus Blue Tube: A friend who works at one of the fancy recording studios in NYC told me this preamp was great and I should run out and get one fast. After I tried the blue tube I wanted to break this fucking piece of shit over his head.

Mackie Boards: I don't care what anybody says these mixers suck!
I would buy a Behringer mixer over a Mackie anyday do to the fact if I want a mixer that sounds like crap why should I pay an extra 300-500 bucks to do so when Behringer will do it for 1/4 of the price. Again a Pro told me I should get one

and thats just the tip of the iceberg.
 
chessparov said:
The VTB-1 in "pure" solid state mode offers greater sonic detail than the DMP3, and the Presonus MP20 I tried out .
Click to expand...

Cool. So you got a chance to try them out head-to-head? How long did you have all three in your studio, and what did you test them on (How many different mics / monitors)? I'm really curious as to what you thought.
 
Alan,

my statement wasnt that Fletchers opinion is the ultimate....i just meant that id trust what he says more than alot of the yahoos that go spouting off opinions with really nothing to base it on.....

now, i happen to have heard a high quality mp3 clip of a VTB-1 (nothing like hearing it for real, but it was good enuuff, and thanks to you know who you are ;) for doing it for me)....it sounded very good....better than my DMP3 and somewhat better than my Joe Meek VC3Q's.....now heres the problem...the BEST preamp ive ever heard is a Grace 101, and have only heard a limited amount of others, so i dont have alot to base it on like your Fletchers and Harvey Gersts and Alan Hyatts etc etc.....

so id much rather listen to the guys that know what they are talking about....

also, at the point i posted, i had no idea that Fletcher said anything bad about the VTB1...so please dont make it look like i was making any anti Studio Projects posts....i hope we are all past that:)

now that the search function is working, search and see that ive once mentioned Fletchers name before in any of my posts, as im not a fan of his.....matter of fact, i found the one post and heres the link.....im a RNC fan, not Fletcher....

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=28209&highlight=Fletcher

please also search my posts for Joe Meek, VTB-1, and C1 and see that i mention those alot....no room to post all those links;)

so wouldnt you say im more of an Alan Hyatt fan;) remember i was the Alan Hyatt fan club President:D

Ill accept your apology now:eek:
 
I revised my review of the VTB1 after reading Fletcher's comments. You can read it here:

http://www.piemusic.com/mp/vtb1.html

Harvey's review is posted there as well with his kind permission.

I revised my review to try to give some more perspective to what the VTB1 is and what it is not.
 
Did Harvey ever finish his review?

I remember Harvey said his was a "quickie" review, that he would post his further findings later. Did he ever finish it? I was really interested in hearing what he thought of how the VTB-1 matched up with the 57, V67, and sm-7.
 
I seem to recall Harvey saying that it wasn't in the same ballpark as the RNP on the sm57.
 
Gidge said:


Ill accept your apology now:eek:
Click to expand...

Well there really is no need for an apology, because the post paid you a compliment where it said "I think his opinion would be valued... "

Your opinion is as valid as Fletcher's. I guess I just don't get it. What makes Fletcher's opinion more valid than others. I mean I am sure I have done just as much if not more recording engineering than he has, so is my opinion less valid, just because I own the company?

Don't cut yourself short Gidge, I would prefer you actually use one, but if what you heard does it for you, then you have no need to put anyone above your own ears....

I never said you were saying anything anti SP, and I hope you and I are passed the old shit, but you need to trust as you say the "little people" opinions more than the Fletchers, the Harvey Gersts, or the Alan Hyatt's. We do not hear what you hear in the same manner that you hear it. That does not make us more valid than you.
 
chessrock said:
I seem to recall Harvey saying that it wasn't in the same ballpark as the RNP on the sm57.
Click to expand...

we couldn't find any of our sm57s when we were trying out the vtb1. the sm58 sounded great through the vtb1 to my mind.
 
chessrock said:
I seem to recall Harvey saying that it wasn't in the same ballpark as the RNP on the sm57.
Click to expand...

If you're referring to his quickie review, what he said was that it didn't have the high end detail of the RNP, but that the high end detail of the RNP was like nothing he'd ever heard before, and that the VTB-1 was no slouch in that area either.

What he didn't say, was how the VTB-1 reacted with each of the mics he tested, with the exception of his RCA 77DX. I was just curious as to which mics were a good match with the VTB-1, and which ones weren't, on a case by case basis.

I don't see where he mentioned the 57 specifically at all, other than to say it was included in the group of mics he tested.

If he said something elsewhere, I would be great if someone would point me to it.

Thanks
 
Cardioidpotent said:
I don't see where he mentioned the 57 specifically at all, other than to say it was included in the group of mics he tested.

If he said something elsewhere, I would be great if someone would point me to it.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Your welcome:

"I haven't finished my testing of the RNP or the VTB-1, but there are definite differences: The Shure SM-57 sounded far better on the RNP, as did the RCA 44BX."

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=60148&highlight=rnp+and+vtb1

He didn't just say it was somewhat better . . . or even noticeably better. Nope. He said far better as in this thing will eat the vtb1, roll-it-up, smoke it, and use it as an afterdinner mint better on the 57. :D
 
chessrock said:


Your welcome:

"I haven't finished my testing of the RNP or the VTB-1, but there are definite differences: The Shure SM-57 sounded far better on the RNP, as did the RCA 44BX."

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=60148&highlight=rnp+and+vtb1

He didn't just say it was somewhat better . . . or even noticeably better. Nope. He said far better as in this thing will eat the vtb1, roll-it-up, smoke it, and use it as an afterdinner mint better on the 57. :D
Click to expand...

Chessrock,

If Harvey thinks the RNP is better than the VTB-1, that is fine with me. If Fletcher hates it, that too is fine with me...It is just no big deal. The VTB-1 is selling very well, 99% of the public seems to give it two thumbs up. The VTB-1 is not an RNP. The VTB-2 will be another story, but the the VTB-1 is what it is, and it was designed to be just that. :D
 
Last edited:
Disclaimer: By the way, that quote I posted was Harvey's opinion. With my (colorful) embelishments. Not (necessarily) my opinion, though. Hurry up with that VTB-2 and the Small-diaphragm condensers. Thanks! - Chess
 
i'm not sure what the point is to focusing on the few negatives of a $179 mic pre. it's got a lot of positives. it should be judged by its strengths and its shortcomings.

in essence, harvey found one or two shortcomings which he opined about. i opined about a few more in my review. it's kind of like going to see "schindler's list" and complaining that it didn't make you laugh enough so...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top