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Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:01 am
by Lucas
Having recently bought an RNC to use for FOH vocals, I'm in pursuit of more ways to improve on the money channel. I'm sure the RNC could be bettered still (looking for a second hand distressor for cheap.. anyone?) but I'm interested in seeing if a pre could help as well.

I'm happy with the intelligibility of my vox, but feel as if there could be a more "solid" feel to the sound. I'm using parralell compression, which I really like... I wish I had less esoteric language to describe what I'm looking for.... "Weight" seems to fit well.

So is a pre going to be something worth exploring? (current pre is A&H GL)

Cheers!

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:06 am
by Chris H
This is such an individual issue i reckon. I have never done big name bands where you sometimes see a manley voxbox or something similar in the FOH rack but for the most part I think using outboard pre's is not worth the fuss if the house desk is good, like the A & H or a midas etc. If I can guess at the sound you are after I think a good quality discreet preamp with transformer balanced input and output might give you what you are looking for. A Daking would be a great choice or a Langevin. Both these are reasonably priced.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 9:13 am
by mylesgm
Or build yourself an API 312 copy and a 1073 style copy for which there are kits about for 1ru or 500 series rack and try out a range of flavours. The builds are pretty easy and so much cheaper than off the shelf.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:23 pm
by Lucas
DIY takes time which is in high demand in these parts...... I'll have a look at the other units suggested too.

I've got a "Translator"from Rob at Proharmonic to have a fiddle with. Hopefully it might do the job!

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:28 pm
by mylesgm
well do I know that DIY takes time but seriously building an API 312 took me less than 2 hours and cost around 400 inc shipping etc. Building a power supply and rack is also pretty straight forward and fun and shouldn't take more than 3-4 more hours and probably less than $200.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 1:43 pm
by Lucas
I'll have to look into it. Cheers!

That said I still need to figure out if a pre will provide what I'm after. The PA is of decent quality but I wonder if dollars would be better saved and put towards speaker upgrades in a few years. I won't know until I've had a try of the Translator, and hopefully I'll be able to find someone to lend me a pre to experiment with.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:24 pm
by NathS101
A few FOH engineers and I (monitors) are starting to get into 500 series exactly for this reason.
Buy a lunchbox + a few goodies to stick either on stage or FOH; pres on stage & pres/eqs/dynamics at foh.
By using a lunchbox you can put together a portable channel strip depending on your needs, which I imagine would sound a hell of a lot better when mixing on digital consoles.
I've used a pair of translators a few times with average PAs and while I'm sure helps soften the source, it's very subtle.

edit:
a few months ago I tried a pair of vintechs on kick & snare then into the M7 at mons and another at FOH... didn't need to do any EQing at all and it sounded great.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:30 pm
by mylesgm
DIY 500 series is about as good as it gets for ease, speed and variety of build options. I have 3 pairs of different API flavours, 1 pair of neves, 2 pair of API 553 eq, 1 studer eq and I'm working on a variety of comps right now. 2x 51x racks and power and portable, flexible studio is easy and relatively affordable at very high quality.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:39 pm
by Lucas
I need friends with studios...

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 11:46 pm
by mylesgm
There's a large collection of us here...

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:30 am
by gigpiglet
i usually carry a midas XL42 - 2 channels of the famous midas XL4 console - pre with phase/ pad/48/ filter etc and full 4 band fully parametric EQ.
i often have a BSS 402 following that (2 ch comp/ de-ess)

i use these 2 full channels on my money channels, usually vocal and acoustic guitar for the singer songwriter folk like tim finn i usually get around with.

i have used other things in the past, notably a Neve Purepath stereo pre/comp. (if anyone has one im looking for another)

one of the main things about touring your own gear like this is repeatability. ie: when you turn that channel up in the PA you know what its going to sound like. i travel my own lead vocal mic for the same reason (even if its just a B58, its MINE)

i definitely think its worth travelling at least a few bits of kit, especially with the digi consoles that you seem to get everywhere now.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:08 am
by Lucas
I've been looking for a XL42, unfortunately the price is hard to justify with the amount of work around here..

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:20 am
by gigpiglet
Lucas wrote:I've been looking for a XL42, unfortunately the price is hard to justify with the amount of work around here..


yes i bought mine (used to have 2, just the one now. JANDS paid a truckload for the other one cause someone specced for a tour and they NEEDED it) before they were re-issued.
no one seemed to know about them/ what they where and you could pick them up for a few grand.

the new price they have been re-issued at it nearly 6k!!!

another one i used to use a lot (but stopped cause its only one channel per rack space so too much room for me) was the BSS FCS916.
you dont see them around very often, but when they appear they are usually pretty cheap

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:20 am
by Lucas
gigpiglet wrote:another one i used to use a lot (but stopped cause its only one channel per rack space so too much room for me) was the BSS FCS916.
you dont see them around very often, but when they appear they are usually pretty cheap


I believe BSS have stopped making dynamic processing period. Could be wrong, have been before.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 10:27 am
by jkhuri44
hi lucas, have you messed around with different mic choices, before you head down thinking your pres and compressors are no good?

EDIT: assuming you're cool trying something other than a 58 for live vocal :P

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:29 pm
by Lucas
Yep certainly have. Most of the acts I deal with turn up with their own beta though..... I tend to put EV 510 up as first choice, but its not always welcome

I'd love the time at SC to run through a few mic choices but it seems the more effort you put in whith those kinds of things, the more frustrated touring artists get. Maybe I should have the conversation anyway.

I've noticed a lot of artists are suspicious of anything other than a 58, beta or otherwise.

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:51 pm
by gigpiglet
Lucas wrote:
gigpiglet wrote:another one i used to use a lot (but stopped cause its only one channel per rack space so too much room for me) was the BSS FCS916.
you dont see them around very often, but when they appear they are usually pretty cheap


I believe BSS have stopped making dynamic processing period. Could be wrong, have been before.



oh and just to clear this one up...
BSS still certainly make dynamics!! (maybe not like they used to...)
they dont make this mic pre/ EQ anymore (not dynamics processing at all)

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:09 pm
by Lucas
gigpiglet wrote:
Lucas wrote:
gigpiglet wrote:another one i used to use a lot (but stopped cause its only one channel per rack space so too much room for me) was the BSS FCS916.
you dont see them around very often, but when they appear they are usually pretty cheap


I believe BSS have stopped making dynamic processing period. Could be wrong, have been before.



oh and just to clear this one up...
BSS still certainly make dynamics!! (maybe not like they used to...)
they dont make this mic pre/ EQ anymore (not dynamics processing at all)



hmmm will have to pass that on to a certain retail assistant..

Re: Money Channel Pres

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 8:23 am
by Lucas
Heard another rumor that BSA are done with all things analogue. Rumor went as far as saying that the dpr stuff would be released under the dbx banner.