Dave Bryce

The R88 basically being two R84s is a fairly common misconception. I’ve grumbled at Wes Dooley over the fact that their marketing isn’t clearer on this point. The difference is that an R84’s front and back elements are intentionally offset, so they have a slightly different character. The R92 (smaller, more compact version of the R84) is the only other AEA product built like that. When I had an R84, I had a bunch of fun deciding which side to face towards my source and which to face towards the room/wall/piano harp, etc. The Blumlein design of the R88 means the front and back elements need to be symmetrical. Totally agreed. ☺️ Again, totally agreed. M160s are awesome. The only thing I would add is that ribbons tend to be more natural sounding than condensers…and can be less forgiving/harder to place in terms of finding the sound you want. dB

It’s worth a lot! Thanks for sharing… 😎 Great tune! Makes me think a bit of Frank Zappa and the Guess Who. Killer groove…love the vocal harmonies. dB

Coles are known for being kinda dark. If you’re gonna go with the Royer 121 and a Cloudlifter, get Royer’s active 122 MkII instead.. Consider the AEA R84 or their active version, the 84A; or, if you fancy a top address mic, check out their Ku5A. I love mine. If you’re mostly doing live and want a pair for sure, definitely look at AEA’s R88 (also available as active R88A). Producer John Cuniberti did a whole video series on recording a roomful of musicians with just that one mic. That’d probably be the top one I’d recommend to you given your description of your room and the music you wanna capture. The RE20 isn’t a ribbon mic - it’s a large diaphragm dynamic. dB

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I just revisited the surround mixes, and now I know that the more familiar I get with the material, the more I’m able to be objective about the presentation. Not really that surprising. How often do you get two - much less three - versions of a collection of tunes out of the gate? dB

I tend to struggle staying focused when playing tunes that have really simple repetitive parts. Think “Leave Your Hat On”, or “Werewolves Of London”. No matter how hard I try to stay plugged in, my mind will not let me. Funny thing #1 - I have an easier time playing a simple repetitive part on a synth than a piano. Funny thing #2 - I have an even easier time playing a simple repetitive part on guitar than I do on keys. Funny thing #3 - I don’t mind hearing simple repetitive parts if they’re in a tune to which I’m listening - I just don’t wanna play them. dB

Thank you, brother! Nickname for a college roommate. His last name was Wohlgemuth, but everyone called him Woog. dB

IIRC, the Chroma had a voice relationship with the ARP 2600. Maybe it was just the oscillators…? If so, I wonder how close one of the soft 2600s could get in a poly mode…? 🤔 If brother mate stubb sees this, I’m guessing he can shed some definitive light. dB

All the GForce software has just gone on sale for the rest of the year, including their new AXXESS polysynth. dB

GForce Software is delighted to present AXXESS, a fat poly synth that is a quick and easy way to get stunning results in your production. It’s amazing with bass and has a fantastic, huge sound that will surprise you. While you can keep things simple, don’t let its looks deceive you. You can also go much deeper, thanks to GForce unique X-Modifiers. They make it simpler and quicker to program complex sounds. AXXESS lends itself superbly to Electronica, Synthpop, Drum and Bass, Ambient, Rock, Prog Rock, Hip Hop and more. Available for introductory price of $39.99 at the MPN Shop! dB

Eagles. Some spectacular plays by Seattle to end the game. That last TD catch was killer, especially in the rain…and the game-ending INT was pretty clutch as well. dB

Probably this one: Rockin’ Wid De Woogman As to why, I guess it’s because I feel like it has the most finely tuned combination of fun and energy of anything I’ve written…and lots of synths. 😎 dB

I love the gain envelope approach. Been a fan for a while now - I’ve always seen it as the closest you can get to having someone intelligently moving your faders in real time, which is essentially what compressors do in many volume-related instances. I do still use some compressors though…but almost entirely to get the sound they bring, so more as an effect than for taming dynamics. I also tend to use hardware limiting on the way into the box to control peaks. For years, my baby has been my Summit TLA-100 because of the ease of use, the smoothness of its optical circuit…and the lovely tube sound. 😎 dB

Product most worth the (reeeeally) long wait: Expressive E Osmose. dB

Yes, but…. Have you compared a standard stereo mix processed by Apple’s Spatial algorithm as opposed to the folded down stereo version of a binaural “Atmos” mix? I think the processed stereo mix sounds better than the folded down version. FWIW, I tend to leave the Spatial algorithm on when I’m listening to standard stereo mixes on my Airpods. dB

You shoudn’t need to load the card to listen to it. Just plug it in and change banks. You should see the card’s program bank show up right after the USER bank, if memory serves. dB

…and banned them. dB

It’s not really possible to hear an Atmos mix in a way that fairly represents the technology on earbuds - they only have two drivers. Like you, I’m fairly unimpressed with the way Atmos mixes sound when they’re folded down to two channels. Heck, I feel a bit bummed having to listen to the Atmos mixes folded down to my 7.1 system without any overhead speakers, but it does still sound discernably different (and maybe even a bit better, IMO) than a 5.1 mix. I think Apple intentionally blurs the line between actual Atmos and the “immersive” effect generated by integrating earbuds with your head. dB

If I had to say what I listen to the most, it’s older recordings with which I’m not very familiar, or haven’t heard at all. Right now, I’m digging into a four CD set I got for $12 that has eight of Quincy Jones’ early records - two per CD. Such fabulous written, excellently played, well recorded music. dB

Excellent replies - thanks for taking the time! For me, the Bright Side mixes are the ones I like best so far. I find them more dynamic than the others, with more interesting mixing decisions and better integration of the instruments. The Bright Side mixes felt more like works of art, for want of a better term. With me and most PG albums, it takes me a few listens to really be able to wrap my brain around what he’s doing…so I don’t know how much the familiarity aspect is coming into play. 🤔 Has anyone else heard the Inside (surround) mixes? dB

Man… My mind is a bit blown by how much of an outlier I am here. I listen to hours of music every day. Material I love, or I don’t know, or that I always wanted to check out/others have recommended, or that I haven’t heard in years, etc. I absolutely love it. I’m very lucky in the fact that I can sit in my AV room with my laptop and do work while I’m listening. My wife now likes for me to spin records while one of us is cooking, and when we’re eating dinner. She calls it the Golden Hour. ☺️ There’s very little doubt that this phase was kicked into gear when I redid my AV room in 2021. For the previous couple of decades, I was in the same boat with most of y’all - rarely did anything like play an album. Now I feel kinda badly for all the time I spent without music playing. dB

For those of you who have had the opportunity to listen to both the Bright Side and Dark Side mixes of Peter Gabriel’s new album, do you have a preference? If so, why? If not, why not? For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, PG released two separate mixes of every song on the record (three if you got the three disc version with the surround mix). The Bright Side mixes were done by Spike Stent, and the Dark Side mixes were done by Tchad Blake. Not sure who did the surround mixes… I find it really interesting to have the opportunity to listen to different mixes of the same material. dB

Cool! Let me know how it turns out. One of my untraditional mods is to add a bit of diced onion to the turkey/celery/mushroom combo. Not much - maybe 1/4 c… dB

Looks awesome, Danny! What’s the difference between beef stew and Hungarian Goulash? dB

Exactly. Even listening to Yesterday is confusing. Acoustic guitar hard right, strings hard left, vocals center. Should be easy to discern…and yet… 🤔 dB