mbase 11

tone-def · Post by **tone-def** » Tue May 31, 2011 2:01 pm

just get a mackie.

::BLM:: · Post by **::BLM::** » Tue May 31, 2011 2:35 pm

I was looking at the soundcrafts.

deccard · Post by **deccard** » Tue May 31, 2011 3:23 pm

oblioblioblio wrote:the last thing i am is an expert on this topic, but my personal feeling is to get the character from sound generating machines.

Some people have got nice results from compressors, pro gain stage machines like preamps, but me personally, I think the synth should do that. The mixer should just be able to catch it.

I mean, there are clearly exceptions, overdriving a tube preamp or something, yeah I can't argue with that, but for me with my machines, all the character comes from a synergy between the oscillator and the filter. (tube overdrive is a different story), but for regular analogue synthesis, if the filter and the oscillator are well matched then that's all the character that I will ever need. Everything else further down the line just needs to be clean and be able to catch it.

If you've got hold of a dedicated overdriving or distorting gain type machine like a tube compressor, then I guess that could be an exception. And by all means, use that to add chracter, but as for using a medium expensive compressor or preamp, I don't think it's worth the bother. Use a better sound generating tool.

your right with having a good source is important but making a good source even better or giving a it more a certain character can be done with certain coloring devices. from tape saturation, tube saturation, transformer saturation and or the combination of all together. certain compressors can give you coloring like the ones i mentioned or more hi-end like an api 2500.
maybe consider that recording your signal also colors it . your ad/da, your daw etc (there is a audible difference using a focusrite saffire 24 or a apogee duet)...so in the end it´s just part of the soundcontrol.

Barfunkel · Post by **Barfunkel** » Tue May 31, 2011 4:20 pm

tone-def wrote:just get a mackie.

I wouldn't, at least not the low end Mackies. I got one (1642VLZ Pro), it's sound's not that great. Boosting the low EQ on kicks sounds nice, otherwise the EQ is unusable. The gain doesn't distort nicely either, if I remember correctly, my old Behringer had better distortion when you boosted the gain.

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Tue May 31, 2011 4:53 pm

::BLM:: wrote:I was looking at the soundcrafts.

i'v e got two soundcraft desks, theyre better than the newer mackies imo.

i find the mackies colder but they are a bit crisper.
depends what you're after really

the old pre-VLZ mackies distorted in a really nice way, i wish i still had mine just for that job, if you can pick one of those up on ebay that doesnt have scratchy pots i'd go for it, saying that the pots on them were just about indestructible.
the 'air' on them was spot on too.

oblioblioblio · Post by **oblioblioblio** » Tue May 31, 2011 7:53 pm

i like the mixer on my tascam 144. it has a gain stage per channel on it. Sounds clean and nice to my ears. I'm not an expert by any means. It also has a built in limiter. It only records 2 channels at a time though, so I'm looking at different options for recording. Gonna take the 144 to gigs tho (although it picks up mobile phone interference so might need to revise that strategy). I quite like the EQs onboard but I do all my eqing and mixing / panning with modules so just need the mixer to do good summing to single stereo output.

hydrogen · Post by **hydrogen** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:12 am

before you guys slash on using pre-amps on your signal... which pre-amps have you tried on your signals?

I bought the amp for my condenser mic and it made a world of difference there... especially compared to vocals. I've been experimenting with different inputs on my RME and everything... and personally i like what the pre-73 does to the sound of the mbase11. There is probably more too it though and I haven't done any real A/B stuff but just knowing what i'm recording i'm able to get the kick to set in the mix better when its through the pre. Cheers!

deccard · Post by **deccard** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 12:33 am

hydrogen wrote:before you guys slash on using pre-amps on your signal... which pre-amps have you tried on your signals?

I bought the amp for my condenser mic and it made a world of difference there... especially compared to vocals. I've been experimenting with different inputs on my RME and everything... and personally i like what the pre-73 does to the sound of the mbase11. There is probably more too it though and I haven't done any real A/B stuff but just knowing what i'm recording i'm able to get the kick to set in the mix better when its through the pre. Cheers!

are you reamping the signal or going into the instrument input of the pre-73? and how is the buildquality? i heard a lot good stuff about the sound of the gap.