What Outboard Gear is a MUST??

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borntoplease

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okay... so i've settled on my board... a midas venice 320... ordering it in the next couple days WOOHOO!! i think i am going to be recording to an Alesis HD24... i dont want anything on the computer right now... i can learn all that later, i really want to master "the board", if you will. so, here is my question: what out board gear is a must for my newly developing home studio? im talking along the lines of effects, compressors, gates... that kind of stuff. im not really wanting to spend TOO much money here, probably about 1200-1500... but i think if i am patient and i go for used stuff i can stretch that out. if anyone has suggestions for brands that are good quality at a good price, that would be cool too. im thinking about getting RNC1773 compressor, ive worked with them in class and i like them... plus, one of the ex-teachers at my school actually "invented" it... the 1773 was his class number... kinda fun... anyway... shoot me some ideas... i cant wait to hear what you guys have to say...!!
 
c'mon, i know everyone has that work horse they couldnt live without...
 
For doing 16 to 24 track work..

8 to 12 channels of compressor/gates

4 to 8 pairs of headphones

4 to 8 channels of headphone amps

1 Lexicon MPX-1

1 Lexicon MPX-550

1 or 2 patchbays

1 mic snake, 4 sends minimum for headphone sends, 12 to 16 XLR channels, if that's enough for your needs.

If you go with some pretty cheap gear, 25 hundred to 3 grand should cover everything above.

You will also need more cables cords and connectors than you can shake a stick at, including several multipair recording snakes for connecting the stuff to/from the patchbays, insert cables, also some headphone extention cables, and patch cables, 6 hundred to a grand should cover the basic cabling.

I won't go into detail here, because I'm assuming that you either already have, or have allowed a seperate budget for..

Mics

Mic stands

Mic cables

Monitors, either active, or passive with a seperate..

Monitor amp

Monitor stands

Racks

Desk/table/stand for the console

That should be enough to get you up and running with a 12 to 16 track capability for tracking, and a 16 to 24 track capability for mixing.
 
I'm sure you'll get plenty of suggestions for the standard gear, so I'm going to point out something you probably won't hear about - the Little Labs IBP - http://www.mercenary.com/litlabibpanp.html .
In addition to being a stellar direct box and re-amp driver, it does something nothing else does; adjusts the relative phase (NOT just inverting polarity) between 2 mics, or a mic and DI. The AEs I know who have one all wonder how they got along without one.
 
I think a good verb unit would be first on your agenda, along with an outboard compressor!
 
Brett, can you recomend a good reverb for a good price used? i know there are plenty of digital reverb units, but is there such thing as an analog reveb? something with big knobs and stuff, im just not really a fan of digital read outs and platic knobs...
thanks
 
When talking analog reverb, you can use spring verbs, but that's abou tit:). When you want to verb, you have to go digital if you don't want to use echo chambers:).

You can never go wrong with the Lexicon ones, or with the Yamaha SPX
 
You can pick up an Alesis midiverb 4 for about $100--it's decent enough, versatile and you can adjust it down to a milisecond. ART makes a pretty good tube/hybrid compressor (the ProVLA) that you can buy used for around $200. Keep an eye on ebay--witha little patience you can get some great deals on outboard gear.
 
borntoplease said:
Brett, can you recomend a good reverb for a good price used? i know there are plenty of digital reverb units, but is there such thing as an analog reveb? something with big knobs and stuff, im just not really a fan of digital read outs and platic knobs...
thanks
Click to expand...

good quality isn't cheap,

Kurzweil Rumour ~ 500 is probably the best reverb in its price categary it also has additional efx but rever is its main purpose

or

Kurzweil Mangler, same sonic quality just less reverbs and more other types of efx flangers, delay etc.
 
The Kurzweil Rumour is an excellent reverb. Especially given it's price point. For now, you might want to look into a pair of the four channel Behringer multigate pro. Normally I wouldn't touch Behringer gear, but thats one of the exceptions to the rule. 4 channels of RNC is another "price conscious" buy that will be able to stick around after you have picked up a bunch of other nice stuff. You may want to also look into the Toft ATC-2. With all of that above you are looking right around $2000 ish. That would give you 6 channels of compression, 8 channels of gates, and two more channels of EQ and preamp for a little added flavor. The nice thing is that even if you later end up with some sweet outboard units, all of those that I listed will still be able to have a place in your studio. Thats especially nice since resale values on under $1000 pieces of gear are so low. Of course this is also assuming that somewhere in there you have also managed to pick up a nice set of monitors (I reccomend Dynaudio, they will do your Midas some justice:D ), and have also picked up some mics and cables etc.... Good luck:)
 
a gate?

any more suggestions? so far i hear that i must have compression and reverb... as far as compression goes i think i am going with RNC and the reverb is kurzweil rumor... so... how about a gate... is that something i NEED? let me know what you think... thanks for all the replies
 
If you're recording to a DAW, hardware compressors are envaluable. I like the RNC for tracking but there are others. The pres on you Venice are sweet, so don't skimp when it comes to outboard. Buy good quality pieces. Ones that will do you for more than a year, till you figure out that you can't use your Alesis 3630 anymore. Then you have to buy again.

BTW, the RNC is only about $175 so I'd get two. As a matter of fact, I did.
 
Decent quality cables and a pair of decent active monitors will easily eat up $1500.

Save the compressors and gates for later.

Incidentally in the same price range as the SPX-90, and with a better set of verbs IMHO, is the Roland DEP-5. Roughly $100. But the SPX-90 does have the advantage of builtin compressor, gate, etc.

Also I don't know the Venice ins and outs. But balanced and unbalanced and -10/+4 connections have always been, and probably always will be, the biggest pain in the arse for me. For example, the RNC is -10 and unbalanced, but most of the gear I use is +4 and balanced. It's not as sexy as an RNC or a Rumour, but depending on the gear you end up assembling, keep a line-level shifter in the back of your mind...

Cheers,

Johann
 
Dinamic processors are the MOST IMPORTANT UNITS IN A MIX!
The are alots of material on the market but i´ll give you my opinion about some of the brands the i´ve worked in.
Behringer
Good:
- precise metters and have a good respond
- Cheap
- + or - easu to use
Bad:
- The most important thing of all- SOUND. The processor actualy destroy the sound...just plug-it and unplug-it on a channel, and you will hear the diference.
Art stereo tube compressor
Good:
One of my favorite cheap peaces.
Good sounding machine, good compressing and good led VU meter.
Excelent for analog mastering
Bad:
Because this is a valve machine, it gives a warmth to the mix or to the channel.
Not recomended to some instruments.
Bad analog Vu meter
Doesn´t have attack and release manual seting botton bur for the prive, what can we ask more

Tla audio stereo compressor
Good
Also a great good sounding machine, good compressing and good VU meter.
You can put in almoust every chanel
Neutral
Bad
Not so excelent for mastering...Sounds to neutral

Drwammer stereo compressor
Good
You can put in every where, but my favorite choice is the snare.Try it and you´ll not want anything more
Good Led Vu and all the knobs you´ll need
Bad
Neutral

Bss quad compressor:

Sounds interesting but the Vu is a disgrace...eats to mucht life and puntch of your instrument ar mix.
Knobs to little and it doesn´t have attack and release knob either...
VERY BAD CHOICE

Dbx 160(i think) single channel:
Also a hammer for almost every job

Imperical labs
Excellent for guitar, voices and snares.
One of the most wanted compressors for live and studio aplications
Excelent buy but you´ll need to know how to use it, or alse you may have a bad quick mix
Be geantle
Summit and Urei(universal audio)
Those compressors made the sound as we no it...best choices
Those are some of material i can speak.
There are alot more but those are the ones that cross my mine now, for the good and bad.
If you need more information about some material that you have in mind, just ask.

Cheers

Marcio Silva
(Portugal Rullez)
 
Please don´t use digital compression on a analog mix...If your using a Daw, thats ok...use behringer before using a compressor from a digital outboard mix.Only if is a TcEletronic Finalizer.
Good sounding reverbs:
Tc electronics(good clean reverb...sometimes to clean)
Yamaha( Excelent dirty snare plate)
Lexicon just the models after Mpx1( also good clean reverbs) and is owner of the most wanted reverb machines on the market.
Gates:
Behringer...Only if you don´t have money for anything else...
Drawmer:excelent!!
Bss: does the job
But a gate should be the last thing on your head.
 
Marciano said:
Dinamic processors are the MOST IMPORTANT UNITS IN A MIX!
Click to expand...

Nonsense!

I'll agree with advocating Empirical Labs and Urei though. They make / made lovely machines. The Distressor is a tad grainy, but incredibly versatile. The 1176LN took me a while to get used to, but after receiving a few tips on how to get the most of it, I now love that beast on damned near any track.

But still, you'd blow the entire $1200-$1500 budget on one single channel compressor. Why not buy some cables and other basics instead? Many semipro mixing engineers don't use compression at all. But nobody can live without cables.

$0.02,

Johann
 
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