Halfway Competent
03 Feb 2012, 20:17
Hey everyone,
The Avalon VT737sp is a well-regarded tube channel strip unit, as I'm sure you all are aware.
I'd never given even a partial consideration to buying one because they are so expensive... Until I saw someone giving a demo of it in a video, basically talking into a 414 (what I consider the most over-rated mic in the industry), and adjusting various EQ and compression settings on the unit. I was floored at the versatility of the unit, and how it made the 414 sound not only usable, but good!
I digress. The unit is amazing, at least from that demo video. And, they're approaching affordable when found used on eBay. What I want to do is buy two of them, and use them as a "master bus" EQ/compressor when mixing (since it's all ITB for me), and also use them when tracking for Bass DI, vocals, or anything else that needs to sound outstanding.
Here's my ultimate question: Does anyone ever actually EQ or compress a microphone signal when tracking? I ask, because this is something that can't really be un-done. When you do, how do you make sure you've got it right?
I see this as really two different units in one chassis: a mic pre/DI, and a line-level EQ/Comp. So, when does one EQ or compress the signal on the way in to the recorder? I always do that later, when mixing. (They are two separate phases for me, usually, because I most often record live performances, so there's no concept of "layering", etc.)
The Avalon VT737sp is a well-regarded tube channel strip unit, as I'm sure you all are aware.
I'd never given even a partial consideration to buying one because they are so expensive... Until I saw someone giving a demo of it in a video, basically talking into a 414 (what I consider the most over-rated mic in the industry), and adjusting various EQ and compression settings on the unit. I was floored at the versatility of the unit, and how it made the 414 sound not only usable, but good!
I digress. The unit is amazing, at least from that demo video. And, they're approaching affordable when found used on eBay. What I want to do is buy two of them, and use them as a "master bus" EQ/compressor when mixing (since it's all ITB for me), and also use them when tracking for Bass DI, vocals, or anything else that needs to sound outstanding.
Here's my ultimate question: Does anyone ever actually EQ or compress a microphone signal when tracking? I ask, because this is something that can't really be un-done. When you do, how do you make sure you've got it right?
I see this as really two different units in one chassis: a mic pre/DI, and a line-level EQ/Comp. So, when does one EQ or compress the signal on the way in to the recorder? I always do that later, when mixing. (They are two separate phases for me, usually, because I most often record live performances, so there's no concept of "layering", etc.)