tube plugin or tube channel strip

  • Thread starter Thread starter trifidmaster
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xstatic said:
If its because tubes make things warm, fat, smooth and pleasing.... Be prepared to spend a lot of money.
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The "tube" sound is a misconception from what I understand. It is really the transformers that are making things sound warm,fat...etc.
 
That was exactly the point I was trying to make. My statement still stands true in my opinion. It is pretty spendy to get a preamp that still does all of those characteristics and has a tube design. It is a little cheaper to get a soid state one though that does. In my opinion where the tubes actually change things the most and for the better is in the top end clarity and extension.
 
xstatic said:
That was exactly the point I was trying to make. My statement still stands true in my opinion.
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Yes, I wasn't disagreeing, I was just adding to what you said.
 
Today I will have a possibility to test the U5 DI from Avalon,
and next week the Uaudio 2-610 (this might be still in my budget)
and later the SOLO/610 Classic Vacuum Tube Mic Pre & DI Box.

I am just bit confused if I need a mono unit or stereo unit (eventually 2 mono units)
for my sound surces (ONLY!!! synths/samplers).
I do not really need a unit for mic.

Keiffer,
well, you have a point about learning mixing/spending budget on it.
(Unfortunately) my environment is so good that I can hear that a huge amount o commertially available CDs ar just not done well - and surprisingly more gens agrees with my observations.

By the way, Mr. Bob Katz had rather nice comment about one of my mix - sure, this does not mean that my mixing skill can not be improved. So, I am working on this too.

trif.
 
xstatic said:
Out of curiosity, how did you arrive at the conclusion that you needed some "tube" equipment. If its because tubes make things warm, fat, smooth and pleasing.... Be prepared to spend a lot of money. Also be aware that the majority of the equipment out there that generally fits those descriptions are not tubed at all;)
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I agree.
Many people look a "tube" shining (red, or orange,don´t rebember,with leds that do "the job") in presonus stuffs...)or behringer like 2200, and think "great, certainly will sound warm , hot", what is not true.
The truth is that great solid state pres will sounds much better than this cheap "toobs" ,that uses a tube to produce a kind of distortion that(in my opinion) have no practical use(maybe in minimal ,almost "off" knob control, or as a "special effect"), nothing that will help a voice to sounds better.
 
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If you are using this for synths and samplers you need two channels. So, a stereo preamp or two mono preamps.

A stereo preamp is just two mono preamps in one box anyway, so it doesn't matter which way you go with that other than size and convenience considerations.
 
SonicAlbert,
Thanks.
trif.

note: BTW, in my professional life I have 2 very high pro-elctronic design guys sitting next tome. Both are designing very complex electronics - all silicon. Funnily enough one of them is a big believer in tubes another just does not like the tubes at all...
I like to discusse with both of them...:)
 
Actually, it's not tubes that make things sound warm and fat.

It's actually a function of the resistors. The more resistors used in a particular circuit, the warmer and fatter the sound.

Believe me ... I know. I read an artical on it somewhere, and this guy said that it was true. Really.

.
 
chessrock,
interesting comment - I like to read that article.

One day we had a discussion about resistors used in amps with my pro guys, and many interesting aspects came up, but they did not really mention anything about the correlation between number of resistors/warm sound of an amp.

I know, SSL makes units withouth capacitors, and they sound fantastic.

In fact I could build a line amp/simple channel strip with tubes (2 tubes 4 caps and 10 resistors per channel with 0.1 dB loss at 20 kHz), but this would require a few months of work - therefore I prefer to go for the "pro" units. I do not need an EQ, either a mic input, and neither a compressor - just a "simple" tube line amp.

trif.
 
trifidmaster said:
One day we had a discussion about resistors used in amps with my pro guys, and many interesting aspects came up, but they did not really mention anything about the correlation between number of resistors/warm sound of an amp.
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You have to use tube resistors.

.
 
You should also look at changing your recording medium. Pretty much anything you record into digital will sound--to varying degrees--cold, harsh, and sterile. Tape on the other hand will give you a much warmer sound; or my favorite, wire recording, will give you the warmest sound of all. There are a few fairly inexpensive multitrack wire recorders on the market, but I can't think of the model numbers.
 
Magnetic stuff, like tape or wire. Hm! :D
This reminds me part of my scientific works when I was working on magnetic mateials with giant magnetism.

I have just found an old tube tape recorder - but this is a bit of nostalgy for me.
I will stick to my DAW.

trif.
 
Reggie said:
Pretty much anything you record into digital will sound--to varying degrees--cold, harsh, and sterile.
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This is what bad to mediocre converters sound like. Those problems disappear when using high quality converters. There is no longer any need for digital conversion to sound cold, harsh, and sterile, but you *do* have to spend the money to do it right.
 
Reggie said:
Pretty much anything you record into digital will sound--to varying degrees--cold, harsh, and sterile.
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Considering the converters and software available these days, I can't agree with you, granted tape has it's own flavor. If you use what's become available for recording digital in the last few years and your sound is still cold, harsh, and sterile then you might want to look into your engineering skills.
 
Denseness abounds

Gawd, you guys are a terrible audience for a comedian.
:rolleyes: Multitrack wire recorder?
 
As we say in my family: "It's not funny if the other person doesn't laugh". :D
 
Is that anything like that saying about bears not making a sound when they $*** in the woods if no one is around to hear it? Or wait....how does that go? :confused:
 
Reggie said:
Is that anything like that saying about bears not making a sound when they $*** in the woods if no one is around to hear it? Or wait....how does that go? :confused:
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I think it's something like, "If a bear uses 16-bit converters in the woods but there's no one there to hear them, will they still sound cold and brittle?" Or was it the pope?...

G.
 
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