#1041442 - 12/28/00 04:01 PM
Most Important Component?
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Dave Bryce
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I made a comment in another thread about the fact that I had spent a lot of $$ on a really good pair of speakers because I think that they're one of the most important components in the studio, and it made sense to me that getting incredible speakers would probably make a serious difference in every note I recorded or heard.
I am curious to hear where other people put their emphasis...what makes you spend (or want to spend) the deep coin?
Mic cabinet?
Pricey, esoteric outboard gear?
A really good mixer?
A specific instrument (or instruments)?
None of the above?
Maybe you've sunk a bunch of money into the space in where you record/play...
Do tell...
dB
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#1041443 - 12/28/00 04:38 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Pim
Gold Member
Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 865
Loc: Amsterdam
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Mixing desk: Soundcraft Ghost.
Compression: TL Audio C1 valve; Alesis 3630; Symetrix 425.
FX: Lexicon MPX 1; TC Electronic Fireworx; Dynacord TAM 21; Roland SBF 325. (last two are analogue)
Mics: Beyerdynamic MC 834 & M 81.
Monitors: Alesis Monitor One; Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro headphones. (driven by a Quad amp)
The pride of my studio is the C1 compressor.
All units are replaceable except this fat-maker!
------------------
http://www.dancewave.nl
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#1041444 - 12/28/00 04:53 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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synthfool@synthfool.com
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Registered: 10/18/00
Posts: 113
Loc: Burbank,CA,UNITED STATES
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May be somewhat offtopic or perceived as smug, but I firmly believe that the most important "component" is you.
No roomful of gear will make an uninspired or untalented musician sound good for very long and if you're truly talented, you won't need much gear.
In fact, if you're really good, others will supply the gear and studio.
Buying gear is often an excuse for a deficit of talent, discipline, experience or something else personal.
I say... invest in yourself.
I also say that the best musicians are the ones that can play with the power shut off or can actually provide a musical reply to the simple question "play me a song".
"Listen honey, they're playing our loop!"
-not for me. 
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#1041445 - 12/28/00 10:44 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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steadyb
....82,
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Registered: 12/28/00
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Loc: Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES
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A really quiet mixer along with some great monitors, would make it much easier to identify any other noisy gear in your setup, allowing you to attack the problem head on.
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#1041446 - 12/28/00 11:25 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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sweibel
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Registered: 08/02/00
Posts: 115
Loc: Los Angeles, USA
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I'd have to agree with steadyb
My most important piece in my synth/MIDI setup is my small but really clean line mixer: Speck Electronics Xtramix. Every other piece of gear goes through some circuitry of my mixer.
Without sounding like an ad for Speck, this mixer is a great keyboard line mixer. It's frequency response is awesome and you basically won't hear any coloration from the mixer. It brutally exposes noisy synths, efx units etc. And you can call up the guy who designed it and he'll listen to personal requests and mods.
Personally, I feel the Xtramix is highly underappreciated. Serious keyboardists should check it out.
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#1041447 - 12/28/00 11:32 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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marino
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Registered: 10/20/00
Posts: 4455
Loc: Rome, Italy
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I'm puzzled.
Nobody gave the most obvious response...
Anyway, here's my answer: gearwise, the absolute most important component of my studio are the instruments!
Yes I have a decent mixer, monitors, outboard etc., but the actual synths are the sound-generating stuff. They are the "components" that are likely to leave the studio to be transferred onstage or to other studios, so they are the most important element. All the rest follows in the audio chain, and consequently on the priority scale. (Um, is that correct English?)
I don't mean that I like to play my VL-1 thru a guitar amp (mm, I have to try one of these days), just that I want first and foremost good instruments, with sound quality that I like and programming depth to satisfy all my perverse needs.
However, I see what Synthfool mean: The REAL most important piece of equipment is actually my brain, and my heart. Or better, the ability to conceptualize and express myself. But that's precisely the reason why I love to have good, deep machines; I like to spend the time to get things right.
Of course we all know musical morons with Synclaviers, it is simply a fact of life and there's nothing we can do about that.
But don't worry: I'm a diehard pianist of 30 years, and I can play for sure when the power is off. And if you ask me, I'll play songs till tomorrow, and I'll throw in a Beethoven sonata if you pay me a beer.
marino
This message has been edited by marino on 12-28-2000 at 08:42 PM
_________________________
“I never changed being acoustic. I’m just using an electronic instrument. That doesn’t mean that it’s not acoustic." Josef Zawinul
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#1041448 - 12/29/00 12:08 AM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Anonymous
Anonymous
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Maybe this is already covered by the posts which refer to "yourself" being the person who is most important.....
But, for me, it is the instrument that is most closely connected to your heartstrings. The one that is an extension of your thoughts, your synapses and your muscles. The one that brings the best out of you.
In my case the acoustic piano.
Cheers,
Jerry
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#1041449 - 03/27/01 04:24 AM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Dave Bryce
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Registered: 09/24/00
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Another zombie post risen from the back pages of the forum... 
dB
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#1041450 - 03/27/01 07:18 AM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Anonymous
Anonymous
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Hardwood floors, high cielings!
The musician and ability is of course a "sine qua non"!
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#1041452 - 03/27/01 06:51 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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SteveRB
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Registered: 01/12/01
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Loc: California
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I don't really spend a lot of money on any one piece of gear. Equipment prices have come down so much that it doesn't make a lot of sense anymore. Condenser microphones are very reasonable these days, for example. I would spend the big bucks on acoustic piano and acoustic guitars. They both cost a lot of money for really good quality ones and they will give you a lifetime of pleasure. Electronic gear becomes dated pretty quickly and rapidly depreciates.
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#1041453 - 03/27/01 08:23 PM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Anonymous
Anonymous
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good pizza
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#1041454 - 03/28/01 12:46 AM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Darcity
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Registered: 12/18/00
Posts: 323
Loc: Atlanta, Ga
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Dave, I think it would be purchasing flexible/expandable items that you can continue to use as you grow. For instance, why buy items that are just good enough to get by, just to say that you got one. I sincerely believe that if you get the best piece of gear, rather cheap or expensive, at your level of budget, you will be able to continue to use it later.
Hope I didn't sound confusing in making my point.
Darrell
_________________________
"If your ship still hasn't come in, take a lesson from Noah, and build it yourself"
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#1041455 - 03/28/01 04:10 AM
Re: Most Important Component?
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jonniepain
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Registered: 01/30/01
Posts: 18
Loc: Houston,TX,UNITED STATES
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Yo dudes,
Any piece of gear that is inspirational to bringing out the best you can be for what your trying to get across musically no matter what the cost is the most valuable piece. It's been proven time and again by the great artist "Beatles , Steve Miller , etc " that you don't have to have leading technological gear to make great sounding and feeling music.
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#1041456 - 03/28/01 06:18 AM
Re: Most Important Component?
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Graham English
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Registered: 02/13/01
Posts: 335
Loc: Somerville, MA USA
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I'd have to put my keyboard workstation at the top of my list. In my case, the Trinity V3. Plenty of sounds, a sequencer, and I installed the Trinity's optional digital 4-track. With that, I can begin any project. I don't think one piece of gear could finish it though.
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