sbrock1san.rr.com Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 Does anyone have an opinion on recording synth and drum machine sounds through tube preamps. Some people love them and others think they are just a marketing attempt to sell that classic valve-gear mystique. I have used one for a while but it died on me(long story) and I'm considering buying a better one. Any thoughts or recommendations ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chong Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 Originally posted by SteveRB: Does anyone have an opinion on recording synth and drum machine sounds through tube preamps. Some people love them and others think they are just a marketing attempt to sell that classic valve-gear mystique. I have used one for a while but it died on me(long story) and I'm considering buying a better one. Any thoughts or recommendations ? I have done it before. It just created different sound, the sound of a keyboard going through an amp and miked with microphone on stage. The sound has a bit of valve compression and the "sound of the valve" added to it. It added a bit of clarification and warm due to the compression and the valve distortion effect. However, I am sure whether I prefer the sound via valve or directly via digital out so I now only use the valve preamp for recording vocal though. CP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 I use a tube pre sometimes when I'm doing mellotron-type stuff, Hammond type stuff and bass type stuff (NanoBass through tube pre = http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif ) - occasionally I run the MiniMoog or the JP8 through it just because it changes the way they sit in the mix. It definitely adds a sound...sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I almost always use it on vocals, though. They're great to have around just so you have the option - I recommend going for it, Steve. I used a beta GT VIPRE on the last few projects that I did. I don't know if it's out yet, but that thing just wails, man - gorgeous, warm, musical piece of gear. Deep coin, but way worth it....if you're gonna get tube gear, spring for the good stuff. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murph Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 I've done it with a drum loop that was already slightly vinyl sounding, and it really brought out the snap of the snare, and the kick was suddenly felt, not just heard. I highly reccomend tube pre's if your're going for that type of sound. And yes, you get what you pay for. It really depends on how important it will be to justify the cost. There are some great tube pre's for a couple hundred that will sound fantastic. If it's for fun or a demo, you may want to check those out. Bill Murphy www.murphonics.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wormhole Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 I love running my old Korg micropreset or MicroMoog through my old Ampeg head. When it's cranked up the filters get the "extra special phase sauce" thrown on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Denike Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 Dear Dave; I wouldn't be able to ask this on the recording forums because too many people think Alesis gear is reprehensible, (although I still want to hear more about the Andromeda - how would you compare it to your MiniMoog or a virtual analog?) , but, in the meantime - how does the VIPRE respond to mic impedance values, and especially have you tried it with a ribbon mic? (Royer especially) - how does the impedance matching feature contour these mics? Thanks again, Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABECK Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 Check out something called "The Gas Cooker" it is a stereo tube DI. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murky Bog Demigod Posted February 21, 2001 Share Posted February 21, 2001 Mmmmm... I like to run whatever through my SWR Interstellar Overdrive! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif The drawback is, it's mono. I've tried doing each channel serially. Not really a good idea unless your system is rock solid. Being a little off can be frustrating as hell. Even if you line up the two channels perfectly at the beginning, if the recording is very long at all, you'll get out of alignment quickly. There are only a few plugins I like that can do a similar thing. I think Steinberg's Grungizer (or whatever it's called) is reliably disappointing. Cakewalk's TapeSim is pretty nice. Does anyone else have some favorites? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pim Posted February 22, 2001 Share Posted February 22, 2001 I often run my synths through a TL Audio C1 tube compressor. The lower end becomes more clearer and warmer. However, a simple Alesis 3630 can do miracles as well. I always use it on my Mini, and the Mini is used for basslines. Vocals are sounding great when run through the C1. Never use a tube apparatus when you have to lower the sample rate and bit resolution for multimedia productions. The sound becomes too grainy. ------------------ -- Pim -- www.dancewave.nl My Music I always wondered what happened after the fade out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham English Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 I have the dbx 566 which is a tube compressor with a digital out. I get great sounds with it. I think there's something to adding some drive to synths but I don't recommend using tubes on everything. You need some variation in your mixes. dbx makes a tube preamp too and I imagine it has the same guts as my comp. The digital out is a great feature. Killer tones! ++ Graham English ++ Ear Training, Songwriting Tips, and Music Theory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 The only times I've used tubes with synths have been on guitar sounds. Running the sound through a Hughes & Kettner Tubeman pedal warmed up the sound considerably and gave it some real tube drive, not that cheesy distortion effect built into the synth. I'm still waiting for a really good set of guitar samples, i.e. ones that sound like a guitar above middle C instead of a digitized zither, but that's another story... I haven't experimented much with the high end stuff - I have an Avalon 737, but haven't tried it on keys (should try it on synth bass, now that I think of it). A lot of producers use the Pultec EQ (currently manufactured by www.manleylabs.com ) or the Universal Audio LA-2A (mono/$$$) to warm up digital tracks. Any opinions on these units? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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