Use all same pre-amps for recording "glue" or different pres for "flavor"

[Farview]

3k to 6k is a massive leap. That's a whole lotta problem. Any contemporary piece of equipment that's consistently whacked (in any way) between 3k and 6k is......broke

It's only an octave. I am sensitive to that range and it might not have been a boost that the mackies have there , but a lack of lows to balance. The EQ on that board is useless in the low end, it is really hard to make something 'thick' using just the board. I did some great work on that board but it was much more hassle than it needed to be because I was fighting the sound of the board. I can win the fight, I'm just too old and tired to waste time making a silk purse out of a sows ear. I'll just buy a silk purse.

So your suggesting that if I recorded 4 vastly different sources..say some type of stringed instrument, a bass instrument, a percussion instrument and a vocal, of course using the proper choice of mic's, proper gain stage and proper mic placement all in a stellar room you noticed a significant difference between the Mackie VLZ and a 9098? That there would be something bugging you between 3k and 6k?

I am suggesting that without corrective EQ, the mackie mix would be thinner.

Obviously I'm not promoting that anyone put themslves in a silly position.....except for that one girl I keep seeing at Starbucks. I'm pretty sure she'd look good in a silly position however....

I will be in the area next month, could you tell me which Starbucks that is?

I'd love to see those less experienced here grab onto and firmly embrace the concept that "they" are the genious that makes things sound fantastic not Rupert Neve. I'd like to see those same folks less inclined to RACE for the Sweetwater catalog everytime someone yells pre-amp or compressor or 96K or Soundblaster. Just for one year I'd like to throw away all the Mac vs PC et al wars and see what we can collectively create. After all it's about talent and experimentationa and sound and the wonderful creation there in...Not NEVE pre-amps

Agreed.

 

[Middleman]

Can anyone honestly say they have heard a recording where their first reaction was it sounds bad due to using entirely the same preamp? You would have to go back to the days of the Beatles or Led Zep to hear such a thing and I don't have a problem with any of those recordings.

However, I have a heard a lot of amateur recordings where problems were one of the following:

- The user did not understand EQ balance among the instruments.
-The user had no clue how to use a compressor.
- The tracks had the wrong mic, wrong distance and wrong placement for tracking the source.
- Basic understanding of reverbs and delay were lacking.
- Proper matching of the mic and the preamp for a desirable sound was not done.

Sonically, having all of the same preamp would be the least of my worries if I hadn't covered the other basics.

On a pro level, most R&B, Pop, Country rhythm tracks are cut on a single console with the same preamps. The vocal and other key focus tracks are done on external preamps. The bass may also get its own treatment. This is generally, not always. In metal and rock it might take a different bent, API preamps on the drums. In rock however, there are mulitple layers of guitars so here, yeah, some variation on the preamps would be in order so things don't turn to mush.

If you’re on a NEVE, API or Trident console you don’t need to worry about the preamps, worry about the performance. If you’re on GC discounted gear where a single instance of a low cost preamp sounds bad to begin with, then yeah, the whole recording may suffer.

 

[Joseph Hanna]

First, I agree that the repeated use of certain preamps especially can create a buildup which requires some sort of treatment. If I record every track in a song on Neve preamps, I will most likely be doing some eqing in my individual tracks between 100 and 400 hz. If I record them all on a Mackie I will probably have to go back and add a lot of high frequencies in order to counter the mic placement I had to use to keep the Mackie from reproducing any high frequencies to begin with. I do however find the 9098 to be a bad example of this phenomenon. It is one of the preamps that in general does not have this problem due to the fact that it is a fairly neutral sounding preamp. The problem discussed here seems to be if you are constantly using the same preamp that already has a dramatic sonic imprint.

UMMM......I.....I'm....ahhh... Jeez...okay I give up you guys are right. If you use the same pre-amp you'll get "Sonic Buildup"