Old 05-24-2012, 11:13 AM   #1
Nandhu Kartha
Human being with feelings
 
Nandhu Kartha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kochi,India
Posts: 311
Default Which one will be better?

Which of the following combination will give me a better vocal recording?

1) O2R 96 pre & converter + Neumann U87

2) Avalon 2022 pre & O2R 96 converter + AKG 414 XL2

3) Blue Robby pre & 003 rack converter + Blue Kiwi

4) Control 24 Pre & Pts HD converter + AKG 414 XL2

5) Apogee Ensemble pre & converter + Manley Reference cardioid

6) UA solo 610 & RME FF800 converter + AKG 414 ULS
__________________
-Nandhu Kartha
Lives only for music and love !!

Last edited by Nandhu Kartha; 05-25-2012 at 01:05 AM.
Nandhu Kartha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-24-2012, 11:24 AM   #2
ivansc
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
Default

What sort of music and what instruments will you need mics for besides vocals?

Any one of those combinations would help you achieve usable results but just randomly picking gear based on our recommendations is not really a good idea.

I have no idea how easy it is to try out gear in India but hopefully there is someone there who would do you sale or return on a few things to try out if you are in a very remote part of India.

Oh and presumably you mean Neumann U87, not Newmann?
ivansc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-24-2012, 11:35 AM   #3
Cosmic
Human being with feelings
 
Cosmic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Online
Posts: 4,896
Default

Cosmic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-24-2012, 01:52 PM   #4
beingmf
Human being with feelings
 
beingmf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Jazz City
Posts: 5,065
Default

To ask for "the best" or "better" chain will end up nowhere, unfortunately. I have made great, but also absolutely unusable recordings with a U87, for example. And I hate the 610, but that's me, as another example.
The Avalon/414 combo sounds the least suspicious (or the most "universal") to me, but if you're really unlucky, it won't sound good with the particular voice.

What's it for? Spoken word/VO or an actual singer? Male/female?
beingmf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2012, 01:09 AM   #5
Nandhu Kartha
Human being with feelings
 
Nandhu Kartha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kochi,India
Posts: 311
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ivansc View Post

Oh and presumably you mean Neumann U87, not Newmann?
Yeah!! thank you for correcting me. Edited.

Quote:
Originally Posted by beingmf View Post
To ask for "the best" or "better" chain will end up nowhere, unfortunately. I have made great, but also absolutely unusable recordings with a U87, for example. And I hate the 610, but that's me, as another example.
The Avalon/414 combo sounds the least suspicious (or the most "universal") to me, but if you're really unlucky, it won't sound good with the particular voice.

What's it for? Spoken word/VO or an actual singer? Male/female?
It is for singers, both male and female. These are all recording chains of different studios near my place.

Thank you all.
__________________
-Nandhu Kartha
Lives only for music and love !!
Nandhu Kartha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2012, 01:55 AM   #6
drumphil
Human being with feelings
 
drumphil's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Australia
Posts: 3,738
Default

Converters aren't going to make the slightest difference to anything, especially at the level of quality all those units are.

The pre-amps listed are all good units and will faithfully amplify the tone of the mic and performer.

Mic's can be a more subjective issue, and which is best comes down to tone of the person you are recording, and the type of sound you like.
drumphil is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2012, 09:36 AM   #7
ivansc
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
Default

A414 would be fairly well down my list of vocal mics if I only had the choice of one.

Safest bet is of course a U87ai but that wont work well with every singer, either.

Another thought: If you have local studios with that level of equipment already, what are you planning on using yours for? Hopefully NOT a competing commercial facility.
ivansc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-25-2012, 11:37 AM   #8
Nandhu Kartha
Human being with feelings
 
Nandhu Kartha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kochi,India
Posts: 311
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ivansc View Post
Another thought: If you have local studios with that level of equipment already, what are you planning on using yours for? Hopefully NOT a competing commercial facility.


Sorry that I didn't get you completely. I rarely do any serious vocal recordings myself at my home studio, as I don't have a good room. But I compose and produce music here. If at all I record, I do it with an old AKG 414ULS with my RME FF800. Got a plan to go for a Solo 610 and that is why the 6th option in my list of comparison. All others are facilities available at some of the studios which I approach for recording. They all have nice rooms. Was just checking how experienced people (like you) rate these equipments, globally.

Thank you all for the replies.
__________________
-Nandhu Kartha
Lives only for music and love !!
Nandhu Kartha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-26-2012, 12:51 AM   #9
ivansc
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
Default

Nothing at all wrong with the kit you already have.
The mic is certainly more than adequate for the sort of occasional vocal recordings you are talking about.

If you are wanting to spend money, I would suggest adding some acoustic treatment to your work room would pay off more than upgrading components in your existing setup, which in theory should be more than adequate for what you say you are doing.
Now if you are wanting an assessment of which of the permutations you listed would be the best place to go and record, the equipment has very little to do with what sort of recordings you an achieve in a given studio.
The only way to make that decision is to go try them all.
Now. Why do you want to buy a 610? What do you think it is going to do to enhance your recording capabilities?

Seems to me that you may just have a tiny little case of GAS going on here (grin)

Sit down and make a list of what you want to achieve and then look at it objectively and see if you really NEED new equipment to make life easier/better in your home studio.
ivansc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-26-2012, 09:35 AM   #10
Nandhu Kartha
Human being with feelings
 
Nandhu Kartha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kochi,India
Posts: 311
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ivansc View Post
Nothing at all wrong with the kit you already have.
The mic is certainly more than adequate for the sort of occasional vocal recordings you are talking about.

If you are wanting to spend money, I would suggest adding some acoustic treatment to your work room would pay off more than upgrading components in your existing setup, which in theory should be more than adequate for what you say you are doing.
Now if you are wanting an assessment of which of the permutations you listed would be the best place to go and record, the equipment has very little to do with what sort of recordings you an achieve in a given studio.
The only way to make that decision is to go try them all.
Now. Why do you want to buy a 610? What do you think it is going to do to enhance your recording capabilities?

Seems to me that you may just have a tiny little case of GAS going on here (grin)

Sit down and make a list of what you want to achieve and then look at it objectively and see if you really NEED new equipment to make life easier/better in your home studio.
I loved this post !! Bad that we don't have a like button.
I have only one tiny room where I sit and work and it is already dampened with foam and isolated a little bit, enough for my needs. It is not worth to spend more on that as it is that tiny.

I record DI guitars and bass more than vocals. I thought 610 will be better than RME's pres with an added color. And YES I have a tiny GAS !! lol !!

My only motive is betterment !! Thank you for the post.
__________________
-Nandhu Kartha
Lives only for music and love !!
Nandhu Kartha is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:12 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.