$1600 to upgrade my LE studio. Please help guys.

[peneslapepe]

Heya guys, I'm recording Vocals for my uncle that is doing inspirational speaches and things for cd. I also have an industrial band that uses the studio everyday... Uncle is willing to give $1600 bucks to upgrade the signal path. SO! I was thinking of a nice pre like the Vipre but then it's only 1 channel.. however, guys think it's worth it? I've also been looking for a nice preamp to pair up with say... an empirical labs distressor that would make it sound pretty warm and round as well. I have an LE system with RNC/RNP front end and no converters. Using a Marshall MXL 2001 Condenser. Any idea's guys? I know i need a better converter but soon i'm getting HD3 so i'll be okay. Right now just need a nice warm coloring comp and pre. thanks!

[mersisblue]

I think You should get 2 things

But since you never mentioned what you already have that information might change my advice

a baby bottle - great for the price The beginning of pro around 500 and someplaces give free BLue cables when you buy a mic

and a better pre amp Id go for stereo solid state if its your first look at the 2108 although you may want something clearer

for your regulars

[Bhennies]

I think You should get 2 things

But since you never mentioned what you already have that information might change my advice

a baby bottle - great for the price The beginning of pro around 500 and someplaces give free BLue cables when you buy a mic

and a better pre amp Id go for stereo solid state if its your first look at the 2108 although you may want something clearer

for your regulars

werd. I have the 2108, it's sick, albeit dark, but I like that. Check out an API. You can probably swing 2 channels for 1600, and you'll have a great "musical" front end.

[qgrm]

I'd say your first priority would be to upgrade that mic (your current pre should totally outclass it)

[tele_player]

Well, I'd get a better mic or two. I love my Soundelux U195, and the Rode NTK is popular and sounds inspirational. Together less than $1600.

[where02190]

What about monitors? IF you don't have accurate monitors and a properly tuned room, it is IMHO all for nothing.

Converters are also key, both going in and coming out.

Get a decent mic.

Do you have an 001, 002 or M-box?

[Bhennies]

I'd say your first priority would be to upgrade that mic (your current pre should totally outclass it)

I sort of agree with that, but the biggest jump in quality I noticed when upgrading my studio a couple years ago was my first quality pre. Honestly, it even made my marshall v67 (my first mic) sound fantastic. My BLUE berry, a great mic in my opinion, sounded like crap through my old 001 pres. Almost as bad as the marshall did through them. So while a good mic is important, you could get an API or 1 channel great river with a studio projects c3 (a great budget mic) for 1600 for sure. I demoed a pair of the c3's and they really impressed me at that price range, not to mention they are versatile with figure 8 and omni patterns as well. That would work well with the HD system, and then you can upgrade your mics later on. A better front end that you can do keys, drum OH's, synths, bass DI and vox through would probably be more versatile than just a mic at this point.

p.s. if you're using 24 bit, you probably don't need to compress on the way in- not so much urgency to get things as hot as possible. You already have the RNC anyway, which I use with my 2108 if absolutely necessary, but honestly, my compressors sit in the rack totally unused nowadays.

p.p.s. to your original suggestion, the VIPRE- I've heard that it's amazing.

[Christian]

Spend a couple of hundred more and check out Aurora Audio's mic pre/eq's.

[qgrm]

He's got a really decent preamp. I still say the weak link is that mic. I mean putting that mike with $1600 preamp doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense to my mind.

[PhiDelta308]

i'll put in a vote for a blue baby bottle. We got one of those recently, and it was such a dramatic boost for the quality of our vocals...well that and the presonus eureka channel strip. You can get both for around 1000, and still have money left over for a Rode NTK.

-Chris