Azriel_7, i was planning on getting a pair of SOLO-610's. So they wont be a fat as the 2-610's? Is this because of the EQ? I didnt really want to have to play around with the eq that much, to get the sound i was looking for. I just wanted to run the sound through the tube DI to get it big and fat, then turn up the gain knob to saturate it, to add burn, glow, harmonics, so its nicely cutting. Is this not possible without really using the EQ?

Thanks Azriel_7, i'll try most likely grab the UA 2-610 if it sounds better. I read that the channels arent even or something like that in a review. Is this true?

Not that I noticed but you'd be better off with the 2-610 if you can afford it just for the extra EQ.

Hi guys, thanks a lot for the help. I think i'll just go with the UA 2-610 for a little bit of extra money.


A few last questions, this UA 2-610 is a good box for live electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and for MPC drums right?



Do any of you guys know how the Vintech 273 compares to the Great River MP-2NV?



Thx.

I think the 2-610 works great in all of those applications with dynamics and ribbons. I made my own DI/EQ box for the MPC which I posted earlier. The 2-610 works great for that too though.

I haven't tried the Vintech but I love the Great River stuff. Top notch solid-state gear.

Thanks, i'll go with the UA 2-610 forsure.



Regarding the compressor, i was thinking of getting the UA LA3A, but now i dont know wheather or not to get a distressor instead. What's the difference in sound between the two? What do you guys think would be the better choice? Which is bigger/fatter, and has more low end? Thanks.

Two different animals on compression...

3A is smoother, great for vocals and bass.
The Distressor is more aggressive, great on drums, guitars....sometimes vocals for an effect.....depends on the situation. I like 'em both.

Azriel_7, can you tell me exactly what the difference in sound is between the Vintech 1272 and the Great River? Which colours the sound more and which sounds more vintage and warm? I was planning to get the Vintech 273, so i dont know if the DI/Pre sounds any different between the two. Thanks.

Frankly, and I mean this with all due respect, after all this is Gearslutz but I think you're getting a little gear-crazy. You don't need that much stuff to make great recordings!

Yeah, the Massive Passive is great, yeah the API's would be cool but do you really need them? I would think two 2-610's, a Distressor, a few good mics would be pretty killer. Heck, I've made nationally released records with less!!!!

The songs and the arrangements are gonna' have more to do with your success than anything FWIW.

shikawkee, thanks for the advice and i appreciate your help and opinion.



Im trying to do a lot more than make great recordings. Im really trying to create my own sound. Any joe can make beats using keyboards,ect, even if the beats are amazing. Yes it still takes great talent, but i want to really create my own sound, and i want to really colour and saturate, beef up, and shape the sounds. For example i dont want you to be able to tell that i used a string patch from a Triton once im done with it. When i make a hot beat, its still sounds really plain and standard sonically because ive been using no analouge gear to track with, and i cant shape and mold my own sound this way. Dre's stuff sounds so saturated,ect and he makes the sounds sound totally different from the original.



I realized something recently, i really look up to Scott Storch and Dr.Dre. I was listening to their music and i couldnt reckognize any of the sounds they were using. I know they use a lot of live guitar, piano, bass, layering,ect, but i realized that they use the same things as a lot of us use, but with all the analogue gear they have once there done tracking,ect, it sounds totally different. Thats what i want to do is really change the sound into my own. I know the gear isnt going to do the tweaking for me, but will allow me to get what i want with the proper tweaks.



It just seems like id need the gear i mentioned to do really do this.


Here was my idea basically.



Lets say i track through a Vintech 273 or a Aurora Audio GTQmkIII, i'll be getting a phat solid state neve sound saturation,detail,ect. I can also use the EQ on certain things that it shines on if need be.


Then i'll go through the UA 2-610, for tube saturation and colour.


Then use the distressor for compression, saturation,ect. Ive read that there are better compressors for bass, so thats why i was asking if this is true, and if so what would the better compressor for adding weight, low end, ect, to bass and kick drums?



Then For EQ/ saturation/colour, use the Manley Massive Passive. I heard that usually it takes more than 1 EQ, and that the Moog parametric and API 550B shine in different area's than the Massive passive. Im not sure the truth to that, thats why i was asking people with more experience than me.

I will also run certain things through the Fender 65 Twin Reverb, and mic them up with different mics and record them.



So that would take care of tracking.


Then for mixing, the "Solid State Logic Duende" sounds like a good idea. Ive read that Dre for example tracks with certain types of gear, but then mixes on a SSL, just like many other people. So the Duende would fit the bill perfectly here i think.


What do you think?

Hmmmm....well, first off I totally understand and appreciate your need for a unique sound. That's a good start but it won't help if the material isn't killer. However, that said you should absolutely be able to carve any dang type of sound you want with that set up but I would be hesitant to recommend a summing-type board, etc. of anything unless you have some previous experience doing so. It can take some time. Maybe the SSL plug ins, which I've used and are tremendous, would help in the mixing process and are fairly intuitive. Plus, just because Dre uses something doesn't mean it's right for you--particularly if you want "your own sound".

What I might also think about is whether or not you need the Vintech, etc. option before the UA 2-610 every time. I would think you'd run the possibility of a muddy, less-defined low end if you print too much transformer _and_ tube saturation but of course you can compensate for this if you anticipate it. Or use them separately. Whatever works. But if you get all this gear I'll say one thing;no-one will say you don't have the tools!heh

Good luck!
Carve away!

P.S.-Just do me one favor:Please don't compress too much going to tape/computer. There will be plenty of time for that and your mixes will sound better on the radio.

Hi Azriel_7 and shikawee, thanks for the replies.


Ok i will start from the beginning.


I havent purchased any outboard gear yet, But i definetly know i want a solid state Neve based pre-amp and i want a Tube Pre-amp, so i have the best of both worlds. I know you are only supposed to have each instrument, drum, or sample go through one stage of pre-amp DI, so i want to have the best of both the solid state, and tube world.


So for solid state its a choice between the Vintech 273, or the Aurora Audio GTQmkIII. My friend tracks some drums through the Vintech 273, and he said it definetly takes the top end off, but the EQ on it allows you to add the top back on,ect. So i want to know if the EQ on the GTQmkIII is as good or better than the EQ on the Vintech 273. he said that it add a nice round, thick bottom, phat,ect, i kinda forgot what he said, and he said it was a bit noisy, but all in all it sounded good once you eq'd the top end back in.


For the Tube Mic pre/DI i'll trust you guys and go with the UA 2-610. So when i want to go tube instead of solid state on something, i have this unit.


For a multi purpose compressor i want to go with a stereo pair of Distressors, and for saturation aswell. Should i get the Brit Mod with it? Is it actually usefull?



I was thinking of topping it off with a nice analog EQ for tracking into Cubase SX 3. This would give me further colour and saturation aswell. I need an EQ thats good on everything like drums, synths, keyboard, guitar,ect, and is good on subs, lows, mids, and highs. I really cant afford to have all these different EQ's that the slutz on here have, for different applications and different frequency ranges, at the moment. Ive read about the Massive Passive, and about the Tube Tech EQ 1A. Which would be the better choice? Or is there anything you guys could recommend? I know the Tube Tech is just a mono channel, so how would i deal with EQing a stereo sound with this? Oh, and i talked to a guy who said that the Massive was nice and had lots of detail, but for the price i wouldnt blow my mind. I want my mind to be blown heh



And Finally after everything is tracked and recorded, i would use that new Solid State Logic Duende rack/plug in for mixing.



So for an example i track a kick drum through the Vintech pre, then to the Distressor for compression and/or saturation, then to the outboard EQ to shape or fix things, and add further colour and saturation. Do i have the right idea now?


What do you guys think?


Thanks a lot guys!



P.S. - shikawee, i remember you pointed out the Fender 65' Twin Reverb for me, and i found a guy selling a Fender Twin Reverb that is the original silverface from 1973 with a master volume. All original. he says its way better than a reissue and easy to switch over the blackface specs. What do you think? Im looking for it to be clean and clear sounding, would the new re-issue be a better choice? What do you think? Thanks a bunch!

Well, first of all I wouldn't buy anything like an amp or console until I had a chance to hear it first. Vintage, new, indifferent....doesn't mattter.

That said, I'm a Great River fan. Not that there's anything wrong with any other piece of gear but I have excellent luck using GR and UA among others.

Yes, I would get the British mod on the Distressors but again, you got to know what this means and does.

As for EQ you'll have some on the UA , some on another pre and you want the Massive Passive too?? Plus, Distressors for comp?? I can't say it won't be good but if you have that kind of money a better bet at this point wopuld be to spend it on working with a real experienced, hands-on engineer/producer who could show you a few things in a real studio. I think that would be money better spent than all that gear FWIW and will last longer.

My two cents....

I have a friend who is an engineer and he can show me some stuff, sure. But my question was really about the gear. I really dont think im going overkill, i need a really good seperate analog EQ that is good on most applications and frequency ranges because i want to further add a sound, and i dont feel the EQ on the Vintech or Aurora Audio, and UA 2-610 would be enough to be really flexible and acheive what i want in certain applications. Im an absolute picky S.O.B. when it comes to production, and i can hear the tinyist thing, and i need to get something exactly the way i want it. I need real flexibility.


Ive gotton some really good feedback from a lot of people regarding my production, but i need the outboard gear now to give myself a sound, and really create some original stuff. I cant rely on anybody, i need to be able to do this stuff myself. Ive learned that creating original stuff, some engineering has to be involved, along with synth programming, and you need top of the line gear. It will sound better in the end. Im a big fan of analog gear, it just sounds better to me.


But what area does the EQ on the UA 2-610 shine on? I can use that EQ without having to go through the DI/preamp stage right?

The EQ on the 2-610 is actually quite good IMO.
Very useful on vocals and drums. I haven't ever tried
it but I think you can use the EQ via the line input.
Maybe someone else has more experience with that.

I understand your want of more EQ.
Cool. I would go with the Manley or API.