what it the weakest link in my setup? help me upgrade.

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maskedman72

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i have been upgrading now and i would like to keep upgrading. this is what i currently have.
mackie 24.8
2 tascam da-38's
1 dbx 166 comp.
1 digitech vtp-1 mic pre/eq.
1 great river mp2nv (just got this 2 days ago and it is amazing!)
1 at 4033
1 audix d1(snare)
4 sm 57's
2 mc 012's(overheads)
1 d112.
what would you upgrade to from here?

i am thinking of mabyee a mackie mdr 24 since i am recording in 16 bit that would put me at 24 bit.
thanks!!!
 
The digitech vtp-1 mic pre/eq is questionable to me. As far as replacing the DA-38s, I'm biased for the Alesis HD24 as a recorder.
Lots of bang for your buck there.
 
Well, for starters, it looks like you've got a pretty serious piece of gear in your mic pre selection (mp2nv).

Personally, though, I don't see a whole lot of use in having a 24-channel mixer but only 16-tracks worth of recorder. Add to it the fact that your recorders are discontinued, I believe, and becoming more and more obsolete, nonetheless (making them harder to service, etc)

. . . and my guess is the recorder should be the first place you look at upgrading.

Everything else in your arsenal, particularly the mic pre, would be anywhere from acceptable to very good, were you to get a nicer compressor to round it all out.
 
yes i have a friend that is selling a mdr 24 with 2 drives,all cables and a patch bay for around $1800.( is that a good deal?)
i think that moving into a 24 bit medium would be the best thing to do.
i have only had the great river for 2 days now and it made everything much thicker and fuller sounding. i now feel that the mp2nv is so far above the rest of my gear i need to upgrade something in order for it to shine to its full potential.
i am glad that both chessrock and trackrat had responded to this thread. i value both of your opinions. in fact i think both you guys(along with some others) helped steer me into the mp2nv in my previous threads. anyhow i was expecting to hear people tell me i needed to upgrade my mic's.
 
OK, here I am. I think you need at least one more good LD mic to complement the 4033. Maybe a tuber like the T-3, Marshal V77, or NTK. That is, of course, if you plan on doing very many vocals.
 
With that pre, I think I would get some better mics. THe 4033 isn't anything special. You might consider some high-end brands, Neumann, AKG, Royer, Earthworks...and the like.

--MIKE

Oh and when you sell those 38s, post em here, cause I have a friend who might be interested.
 
You seem short on compressors and noise gates, to my mind. A PreSonus ACP 88 is reasonable priced, and it sounds pretty good.

I also would want to know what you have for reverbs and other effects. I think you could use one or two delay lines (I would want them). If it was my system, I would look for a couple of Roland SDE-3000s and a Lexicon reverb (PCM-70, 80, 81, 90, or 91).

The other thing I would want is a better mic selection. For myself, I would want some hyper accurate omnis (Earthworks TC30Ks, or if you have some serious money, DPA 4006). I would also want a pair of multi-pattern mics, U-87s would be ideal, but AKG 414s would also be good.

That is what I would recommend.

Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
i have been looking at the tlm 103 for a new ldc.
for effects i have a lexicon alex and a alesis quadraverb( i know these suck) i am not big on effects though.
my compressor is actually a dbx project 1 262. is it shit?
i tried the rnc and sent it back cause i didnt like it.
 
I think the fact that you don't have any monitors or headphones is a real issue if you wanna hear what you've been recording.
 
Well, for me, and many others, recording drums (which it sounds like you are doing) is a compressor heavy task. I like to have a minimum of eight channels of compression and gates when doing drums. If I am tracking other things at the same time, that number will go up. You frequently want, perhaps even usually want, to have separate compressors for each channel. This is why I recommend an ACP 88. It has 8 good, though not great, quality compressors for less than a thousand bucks. You may even be able to get it for around $500, though I do not know.

If you are happy with your processors, then great. I do not believe I would be, but I am quite picky about reverbs and such. I would say a delay line (Lexicon used to make some nice ones too, but the Roland SDE-3000 is my favorite, though it to is out of production) is something which I, personally, would never want to be without. A simple delay line is one of the most useful tools you can have for creating a spacious, but not muddy, mix. I almost always am using one or two delay lines when I mix.

I would also suggest a multi-pattern mic over the tlm 103 (which is only cardioid, right?). Learning to use multi-pattern mics is an extremely useful skill. Omni directional mics, in particularly, are key to MY recording.

You asked what I would do to upgrade your system. I told you what I would want. You will, of course, have different priorities. Get what you feel you need.

Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
i have event 20/20 monitors.
thanks for the info light!
the tlm 103 is single pattern. for multi pattern i have been looking at the studio projects b3.
i have never put a delay on anything other than vocal cause i would have no clue on putting it on anything other than that.
i have heard people saying to put it on a guitar and pan the dry signal one side and the wet to another.
i am not big on compression either.(as you can tell by my list)
the only effect i use is a little gate and or verb on snare and verb on vocal. other than that its stright forward.
what is a good multi patter mic in the tlm 103 price range?
 
maskedman72 said:
i have only had the great river for 2 days now and it made everything much thicker and fuller sounding.
Click to expand...

hehehe I knew you would love it. :)

And yes to 24 bit would help your setup but be careful. After you do that then you will find out some thing else is lacking. :D

As far as the MDR. I would be very nervous about buying the MDR or the SDR for that matter. The way they have been changing products, lowering prices etc. I wouldn't be surprised if the MDR is dropped entirely from the product line.

Masked the most important issue with any digital recorder is the converters. It's the quality of the A/D's that separate the prosumer stuff from pro and will make the biggest difference in quality. The problem is quality converters co$t and there is no way around that.

Most pro quality A/D converters cost more than most prosumer's entire recorder so that should tell you some thing about the quality of their converters. Now is the hdr stuff "good enough", well that will be up to you.

My guess is any of the suggestions made would be a step up from the DA-38 but just understand that your MP-2NV cost more than a entire Alesis or SDR recorder. The Alesis and other machines were developed and priced to target the ADAT upgrade market so there are some limitations there and you need to go into this with your eyes open.

Enjoy the MP-2NV and wait till you have lived with it for awhile. You will find it is like buying all new mics and even your sm-57's will sound like a better investment. :p

Don't forget to give the DI a try, that will be a pleasant surprise that isn't mentioned that often.

Lee

20db.com
"Providing Passionate Artist with Inspiring Tools"
 
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ahh hello lee!
yes i have been pondering the mdr vs alesis hdr thing now for a while. the reason i was thinking of the mdr is cause a friend is selling his and im not ready to go to pro tools yet( but in the future i will). i know what you are saying about converters and it is all about $$$$$$$!!!! i think the mdr would be the next step up from my current recorder and the last step before pro tools. where else can i go? i need money!!! allright i vow right here right now that if i ever win the lotto i will buy everyone posting here 1 thing for their studio. but only one. choose wisely.

also 20db i plan on doing a seperate post on my thoughts of the mp2nv after i use it a little more. as of right now i havent put it through its paces fully. i will say that everything sounds much bigger and fuller right off the bat. do you own one?
 
Good multipattern mic in the range of TLM103, you say? For most folks I'd say Studio Projects C-3 or T-3, but they are more overall useful as vox mics. You seem to do drums, mostly. Consider AKG C414B-ULS, or better C414TL II. With 2 stage pads and bass rolloffs, thes mics are killer for toms, and also make good overheads, remote location stereo mics, all-purpose instrument mics, and hell, some people (not me) can actually sing through them!-Richie
 
maskedman72 said:
ok now im looking at the alesis hd 24.
any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Sounds good...easy to use..Media is cheap..
For large D multi pattern mics that are good for drums..I like the KSM44's and for less expensive the single pattern AT4033's can get nice results..So I'd pair off the one you have..{I know they are not technicly large but "tweeners"}


Don
 
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