Members TonyCrazyMan Posted August 5, 2005 Members Share Posted August 5, 2005 Steve Marcantonio, Studio Engineer at Sound Kitchen/Ocean Way: "I love the old Neve [80-in 8078] at Ocean Way; it's one of the best sounding consoles I've ever worked on. When you lift up the fader to get a sound on something, it's almost as if you don't have to do anything to it. Old Neves can be like that. Sometimes your tracks sound better just running through them. I guess lately that's my console of choice." I would like to know more about this. Shouldn't a mixer be as transparent as possible? In what way is the sound becoming better? Is it warmer? Should one try to get a mixer with "good sound"? What is it in the consoles that makes the sound so beautiful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhythminmind Posted August 6, 2005 Members Share Posted August 6, 2005 most analog gear will have a sound to it... it can apply a EQ curve, phase, or delay... people get used to it and learn what different geat sounds like... thats why plugs like the URS EQ's and LA3A's are so popular. poeple know what to expect, and how they work.. i've really become addicted to the URS eq's and Bombfactory compressors.. there not just typical transparent effects.. i like things that color.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members doug osborne Posted August 6, 2005 Members Share Posted August 6, 2005 No big console is transparent. They all add their own sound that becomes a matter of choice for the engineer. Even the best P&G fader doesn't sound as good as the best rotary pot, which doesn't sound as good as the best stepped attenuator, which doesn't sound as good as a piece of wire. Imagine starting with this compromise, adding amplifier stages, eq stages, summing amps, etc., and you get some flavor of noise and distortion. Maybe the analog summing sounds better than DAW summing, maybe not. Both Sound Kitchen and Ocean Way have great sounding Neve consoles - [i}audio{/I] sounds like music when mixed through either one. They are both musical instruments, like two different Martins guitars - in the same family, but never exactly the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Originally posted by TonyCrazyMan Steve Marcantonio, Studio Engineer at Sound Kitchen/Ocean Way: "I love the old Neve [80-in 8078] at Ocean Way; it's one of the best sounding consoles I've ever worked on. When you lift up the fader to get a sound on something, it's almost as if you don't have to do anything to it. Old Neves can be like that. Sometimes your tracks sound better just running through them. I guess lately that's my console of choice." I would like to know more about this. Shouldn't a mixer be as transparent as possible? For some people, yes it should. For others, nope. It comes down to personal preferences and what you're after sonically. Some people love transparency and neutrality, while others look for gear that colors things in what they consider to be a "musical" way. Each approach is viable, and each has legions of dedicated fans. In what way is the sound becoming better? Is it warmer? Old Neves have a bit of magic to them IMO... I love their sound. They use Class A amplifiers and lots of "iron" (IOW, transformers) that definitely make a difference tonally. They're not dead on accurate, but they do sound cool. Should one try to get a mixer with "good sound"? What is it in the consoles that makes the sound so beautiful? Yes, you should get a mixer with "good sound", but good sound is extremely subjective. Some people prefer the "SSL sound", some prefer the "Neve sound", etc. etc. The only way you can really know the differences is by giving each a listen yourself. I could describe it to you for hours, but that's still not as good as 10 minutes of listening to them yourself. If you live in a town with a few different studios, with different mixing desks, see if you can't get in for a couple of hours and compare their sound. If the studios have any downtime, and you play your cards right, you might be able to do so at a very reduced rate - or even for free. Be honest and tell them upfront that you're learning and want to hear the differences between the different boards... engineers usually love to talk gear and demo their stuff for people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Funkwave Posted August 6, 2005 Members Share Posted August 6, 2005 Originally posted by Phil O'Keefe If you live in a town with a few different studios, with different mixing desks, see if you can't get in for a couple of hours and compare their sound. If the studios have any downtime, and you play your cards right, you might be able to do so at a very reduced rate - or even for free. Be honest and tell them upfront that you're learning and want to hear the differences between the different boards... engineers usually love to talk gear and demo their stuff for people. Just don't try that in New York. You may get your head bitten off. :) :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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