Best channel strip for Voice-Overs

[Dolly]

Hi,
I would like to hear opinions on which channel strip to buy.
I mainly do voice-overs, with Neumann TLM103 and Brauner Phantom C microphones, both pretty similar, bright top end.
I currently have a Focusrite ISA 428 (going to 192io), which I like, but I would love to get a strip with eq and compressor too, to maybe add some character.

Here are my alternatives at the moment:

Avalon vt737 (tube, might work well with bright mics?)
Focusrite ISA430mkII (seems to be a precision tool?)
Millennia STT-1 (Twin Topology seems to give options, might be out of budget)
SSL xlogic channel (out of production?)

Thanks!

[BradLyons]

Dolly,

There are quite a few options here and one that I encounter often. The micpre you have is VERY good offering some warmth (but not too much) and excellent clarity (but not sterile). There are so many products one can consider but let me point this out.....IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE PRE/Channel Strip. A combination I recommend often is the UNIVERSAL AUDIO LA610 and the MOUSE from BLUE. The LA610 offers some incredible warmth and tone combined with a limiter that is not only highly effective, but simple to operate. Most of my VO clients are essentially talent-only, they only know how to record their voice and that's it. This combination provides incredible results. IF you can spend the extra money, upgrade that microphone to the KIWI from BLUE. But here's the thing.... you already have a pre that is highly effective for VO, but your weak link here really is the microphone.

Let's look at the microphone.... I mentioned the MOUSE, great microphone with incredible proximity on it. I love the ability to rotate the capsule on it and bring the microphone to my voice instead of the other way around. The top-end is incredible detailed with an open mid-range, but again a rounded bottom end that is rich and huge. I mentioned the KIWI---this doesn't have the same bottom-end proxiimity effect but the top is sooooooo freakin' amazing! PERSONALLY??? GET THE MOUSE, that's about $995.....run that through your pre....and then get one of these:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FET2Comp

The FET2 is an amazing compressor/limiter that certainly has its own character and tone. Combined with the sound of the MOUSE and the good balance of the ISA pre, I think you'll get an incredible bang for the buck. You could also do that LA610 I mentioned for about the same price as you'll gain the sound of tube and the warmth that only that box can do, but this direction buys you a sick compressor. As to the EQ, I don't think this is all that necessary for VO unless you need to capture it as recorded and quickly pass it along.

To answer your questions..... the VT737 is about it's specific color and tone. The EQ on it is okay and the compressor is well, okay too... you can certainly get some amazing results, but I think you'll find the LA610 is also a wonderful and amazing tool for VO that is highly effective.

The ISA430mkII is wonderful---I owned (2) myself some time ago, regretted selling them off---BUT, that is the SAME pre as what's in the ISA428. You could buy a great EQ and Compressor for less money (or the same) and use what you have rather than duplicate it, although the De-Esser onboard is EXCELLENT! The gate is "okay", but like the VT737 there are some plugins you can go with that are amazing! On that front do you have the McDSP ML4000? If not, IT'S A MUST for mixing and mixdown. Just because you compress going in doesn't mean you don't need it for mixing, too.

The other options you mentioned don't come to mind when doing voiceovers, they are tools that I think will give you more than what you actually need.

FYI what I personally use is the MOUSE going through my Presonus ADL600 and, by pure accident, the Focusrite Compounder. The compressor is decent but what I really use it for is the Expander. I'm using the Aphex Big Bottom plugin on my input combined with the ML4000 going to a new track. I don't do enough VO these days to justify a higher-end compressor.....well, not right now anyway. I've gotten amazing results, but great analog will always beat out great plugins for tracking purposes.

[25ghosts]

Originally Posted by Dolly

Hi,
I would like to hear opinions on which channel strip to buy.
I mainly do voice-overs, with Neumann TLM103 and Brauner Phantom C microphones, both pretty similar, bright top end.
I currently have a Focusrite ISA 428 (going to 192io), which I like, but I would love to get a strip with eq and compressor too, to maybe add some character.

Here are my alternatives at the moment:

Avalon vt737 (tube, might work well with bright mics?)
Focusrite ISA430mkII (seems to be a precision tool?)
Millennia STT-1 (Twin Topology seems to give options, might be out of budget)
SSL xlogic channel (out of production?)

Thanks!

I have had the pleasure of using the Avalon vt737 and it's a very fine piece of gear. I love it.

[fretfingers]

We use a Sennheiser 416 Shotgun for our VO's.
Usually run into an API 7600 Channel strip.

Sometimes we'll run the 416 into our Manley 500 preamp and then back into the API's compressor when we need a bit of grit (read: truck spot).

[BradLyons]

To add..... a long-time friend and client of mine was the late BRIAN JAMES, a legend in the VO world. I don't know if you've heard of him or not, but he was in the prime of his career and suffered a fatal heart-attack last year (several hours after I spoke with him as a matter of fact). He used the Manley Reference Microphone through a Focusrite ISA430mkII, bypassed the EQ using a hardware insert out into a Manley Massive Passive and then through a Manley ElOp limiter. The results were amazing, and those that heard his work would agree. Just a testament that there are numerous ways to get the job done.

[Dolly]

Thanks for all the input!
I will check out the Mouse.
I'll stick with the ISA428 for now, and maybe add a 2-channel compressor to it. What would you suggest, besides the FET2 and LA610, which are mono units. Millennia?