Ramirez

I’m afraid not, I’ve only used the headphone edition.

I use it with AKG K712 headphones, and I find it to make a very worthwhile improvement.
Though I prefer speakers, I’m happy mixing commercial stuff with that combination.

On 16/09/2020 at 09:40, dannybuoy said:

Dynamic mics are better in an untreated room. Or you could just put a towel over your head!

This isn't really true, though it's often claimed. Different microphone topologies do not differentiate wanted from unwanted sound (apart from noise-cancelling mics eto, which have no place in the studio!). 

The dry-to-reflected sound ratio is determined by microphone placement, polar pattern and room acoustics, not by the operating principle.

It's often claimed that, due to higher sensitivity specs, condensers are somehow more 'sensitive' to picking up room sound. While true in a way, it is also more sensitive to the wanted sound as well, so the net effect remains the same!

£500 is a good budget. I've just brought a pair of Austrian Audio OC818, and I'm very impressed. The cardioid-only OC18 is only just out of budget!

However, as great all-rounders that can do a top job on vocals, drums, amps and instruments, it's hard to beat the Beyerdynamic M88 (and M201). Not as immediately exciting as condenser maybe, but proper great dynamic mics (I prefer the M88 to the Shure SM7 in most scenarios), and you'll always find a place for them in any collection if you buy more mics. That can't usually be said for cheap condensers.

Preamps are pushing snake-oil territory for me, unless you're deliberately driving them for some character. The ones in your interface are probably perfectly fine and indistinguishable from high end ones within 'normal' operating parameters (i.e. not being overdriven).

That said, having also just bought a couple of Cranborne Audio Camden 500, their 'Mojo' circuit can add real character to a recording (if that's what you want), and make a great bass DI as well. Very impressive.

Message sent

Good that you're sorted, but for future reference you should upload the original lossless master files (usually WAVs). Converting to lossless does not improve the quality - you can't put back what isn't there.

Also, if you convert a lossy file to a lossless format, you risk putting that file through another step of lossy conversion, as will probably happen when you upload to Bandcamp.

So, in essence - you have a lossless file (let's say a WAV) that's been converted to a lossy file (let's say MP3. Hopefully high-bitrate, but this could well be low quality). You then convert your MP3 back to WAV because Bandcamps asks for it. As I said, this does not improve quality. Its just a WAV version of your degraded MP3. This "new" WAV version gets uploaded, and then gets converted to an MP3 all over again, further degrading the quality.

I understand that sometimes its the only option if the original lossless files are simply not available, but it shoud be an absolute last resort.

Aled

[quote name='Chownybass' timestamp='1411127643' post='2556717']
I've got a USB bass cable but it only has one input. I was assuming (perhaps incorrectly) I could pop one device in each USB port.

That mic looks good for the money. Thanks.
[/quote]

If you're on PC, I don't think you can.

I think a neater solution for you would be and USB interface with 2 or 4 input. If you're certain you won't ever want to record more than one microphone + your bass/guitar DI at the same the Focusrite Scarlett Solo would be perfect for you: http://www.gear4music.com/Recording-and-Computers/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-USB-Audio-Interface/1379?origin=product-ads&gclid=CM2K9JKf_MACFYXJtAod1xMAhw

However, personally I'd go a step up and get something with two microphone preamps instead of one, just in case you'd want to use two mics at the same time (acoustic guitar perhaps, or to mic up an amp, or to to do a stereo recording or... it's good to have the options!) - Scarlett 2i2 would do you then: https://www.musicmatter.co.uk/focusrite-scarlett-2i2?origin=google-product-ads&gclid=CK2KqeCf_MACFVGWtAodjFcA3Q

PS I'm recommending the Scarletts as they're the only USB interface I have any real experience with. There are dozens that will do the job.


Of course, going down this route means you'll also have to spend on a mic andsome cables - Rode M3 is a good, affordable and versatile mic for recording.

Aled

Cool.

Is that the Cluny 2 (the tiny venue) or the main one? Played the small one on tour back in April, great place. And awesome hot dogs.

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1405190402' post='2499585']
Thanks Ramirez - good to hear a contrary view about the Orange cleansound issue...
[/quote]

No probs. I also did this if it's of any interest: http://basschat.co.uk/topic/238590-orange-bass-stuff-comparison-video/

It's not very thorough (and not particularly flattering to the Jazz bass sample as it was EQd for the P - I'd boost the mids and cut the bass on the Jazz probably)

Having been trying to find something decent and discreet to use as mutes for a while, I just thought I'd share that cigarette filters seem to do a great job for me (the relative thin Swan/Rizla ones you can buy for roll-your-owns - they come in a few varying thickness)

They slid nicely under the strings just ahead of the saddles on my P. Quite subtle - hasn't overly killed the sustain, but deadened a few overtones,which is just what I wanted. In fact, it sounds ace and hasn't messed my intonation.

Easy to replace/remove as well (though my P has a bridge cover)

Hope it can be useful to someone!

Aled

Cheers

[quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1402908272' post='2477659']
Through my decent headphones lots if difference in tubes sound. I can't remember but I think the second lot add a lot more highs compared to the first set, the 3rd similar but darker in voicing.
Amplitude sim sounds exactly the same if not better through out though. Hard to tell as it switches between stuff so quick.[/quote]

Interesting (though there isn't a 3rd set). I find much more difference between Amplitube than between the two sets of valves. Incidentally, I felt that switching quickly would make the differences more pronouned without having your brain lock in on the specifics of any sound (i.e. so you focus on the difference rather than the tone itself, to an extent)

[quote]If you are looking for constructive criticism, then I would suggest spending more time on each sound clip it stead of the 1 or two measures and then going to the next thing. Also I would have preferred hearing them in either the 12'o' clock setting or the best possible flat signal. That way we'd probably hear more difference between them all.
The mids are naturally cut on the tone stack anyway and you've turned them essentially off and boosted the bass, and lows sound like lows regardless IMO. The midrange will make hearing the difference more easier.
[/quote]

Not really looking for constructive criticism as it was initially done for my own benefit, with roughly the EQ settings that I use, but thanks anyway! If I was doing a proper demos of the amp I would have messed around with the EQ.

As an aside, I don't think the mids are "naturally cut", rather they are cut-only. That does not mean it has to be mid-scooped. With the Fender Jazz example,I wouldn't use that much mid cut, but I think it suits the Precision (I also usually have a 5k boost from a Zoom B3 alongside a compressor, but left them out of the vid)

Aled

The Orange is supposedly exctly the same as a separate OTB500 head and SP212 cab, which is what I have.

Contrary to many reports, I have no problems getting a cleansound at volume - though mine is a later one with JJ valves. Don't how much difference that makes.

I love my rig, but it is a bit pricey.
It's very small, but also deceptively heavy due to being pretty much the size of a 1x12, but having 2x12s. I won't go into to the pros and cons of isobaric cabs here (it's old technology, not a game changer at all, but I'm happy with the cab), but I suggest you think of it as a 1x12 rather than 2x12 (though it goes deeper than 1x12). Don't be put by that though, it's bloody loud!

Incidentally, I initially went for the combo, but issues with some speaker buzz. Orange replaced with the separates stating that there was a problemwith the combo line. This was a good few years ago now, so I assume all is well.

I suppose it isn't a fantastically versatile rig (lack of tweeter, simple EQ), but I like what it does. I'd be happy playing most styles on it.

Hmm.... I might have detected [i]some[/i] slight difference through iPad speakers!

I'm struggling to hear a difference between the valves to be honest - and it certainly hasn't made much difference in terms of gain structure. The stock AX7 may have been abnormally low gain or something, as my Terror doesn't get anywhere near the same levels of distortions as others seem to get.

The Ampltube is reasonably close isn't it. Though it's not a model of the Terror itself, apparently the Terror and AD200B shares the same preamp. I certainly don't feel the Amplitube clip is any worse than the Terror. I may even prefer it. It suggests that I'd probably pass spending on a real AD200 seeing as I have the Terror though!

I've just uploaded a video comparing 12AX7 and 12AT7 valves in a Terror Bass head, as well as comparing the Terror to the AD200B model in Amplitube.

When I say 'comparing', I mean playing them back to back, and when I say 'video', I mean an audio track with three different pictures and some text, done very badly!

I haven't spent much time on any aspect of this, but I thought I'd post in case it's of interest to anyone.

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2K8x-dea-w&feature=youtu.be

Aled

Hi there,
Is this still available? Interested in trades at all?

Hmm, interesting.

Just played a bit more - my Precision is massively more mid heavy than the Jazz, which goes someway towards explaining it.

No point starting a new thread!

Just been playing around with mine, and was surprised to see someone describe it here as mid scooped. Does anyone else find this?
I was messing around trying to get is as close as possible to the Ampeg Fliptop model on my Zoom B3, and found I had to pull the mids right down and the treble and bass full up.

I had no reference so my ears and brain were lost by the end I'm sure, but I found myself preferring it with the mids down low - it didn't sound to scooped to me (but as I said, my ears not have been best placed to judge it by then!)

So, currently: Gain: 9 o clock, Treble: Max, Mids: Min, Bass: Max - using an American Special FSR Precision with fresh LaBella flats (I'm preety sure the freshness of the strings contributes to what I don't like!) and an Orange SP212 cab.

We'll see how it goes with a band tomorrow.

If I was looking for a mic to cover bass cab, acoustic and vocals for £150 I would almost definitely be looking at a large diaphragm condenser. I use a Studio Projects B1 (around £80) for all those 3 scenarios - often by choice and not by necessity. The Audio Technica AT2020 (£80-ish again) is also very highly regarded as a budget mic, though I've never used one.
I might be wrong here, but I'm sure I read somewhere that an AKG214 is more or less 'half' of a 414 - i.e a 414 that can only function in cardioid mode, which is most probably what you need anyway. They're around £250 however.

I really like condensers on bass cabs - you're very unlikely to encounter problems unless you're recording at silly volumes. Bear in mind that dedicated 'bass drum' mics and the sort often have a rather fierce EQ engineered into them. Personally I don't tend to like them for recording (on bass drums or bass cabs), though they can sometimes be useful live for a 'standard' live bass drum sound.
Large diapghragm condenser are almost always the go to for vocals, so you'd be covered there as well. Small diaphragm are perhaps slightly more in favour for acoustic guitar, but it's a matter of preference more than anything (small diaphgragms give a slightly more accurate sound, but this isn't always what's needed. I often prefer using large diaphragm condensers on acoustics.

A decent large diaphragm condenser really will have you covered for bass, acoustic and vocals. The same could be said about a small diaphragm though (I'd recommend the Rode M3 on a budget), but people seem to prefer singing into a larger mic!

Aled

LaBella and Fender flats here.

Fender Jazz scratchplate added.

Epi Thunderbird bits sold.

Ah, of course. Sorry!