tube mic/pre or tube compressor?
- Thread starter TripSta
- Start date
i know they are different, wrong wording, i was looking at the other 2 compressors to put into the mixer chain, the ART would be a another purchase, just wondered if anyone had one. would it not be also possible tho to link the ART to the desk via sends and use it just to ad tube to the signal without compression.
moses
hardliner
"tube" means nothing. it's basically an extremely outdated electronic part. "tube = warm and crispy sound" is marketing, not reality.
only really extremely elaborate and costly circuits can make tubes sound really good. buy cheap tube gear and you'll get crap. don't touch tube gear under 2000$, it will always be inferior to solid state.
now, talking about cheap "tube compressors" is even worse. that's marketing at it's best. a real tube compressor (and these are the really special sounding processors) are based on the vari-mu technique (which means the tube itself controls the compression) and start at > 4000$. everything else is a common solid state compressor with a simple and technically bad constructed tube gain stage - to make it distort the signal.
no, here's one thing that might shock you.. ..the reason why high end studio hardware companies use these costly tube circuits is BECAUSE OF THEIR EXTREME LINEARITY (low distortion) compared to solid state circuits. high end tube gear sounds pretty clean and "fast".
really "warm" sounding gear is actually solid state. the best example is all the Neve stuff, or Joe Meek.
but it's too easy to fool people with tubes "warmth". they look warm.
avoid cheap hardware compressors, they are really not worth it. invest that money in a better hardware mixing desk or save money for a really good compressor like the small and excellent neve portico compressor (or the tape emulator).
only really extremely elaborate and costly circuits can make tubes sound really good. buy cheap tube gear and you'll get crap. don't touch tube gear under 2000$, it will always be inferior to solid state.
now, talking about cheap "tube compressors" is even worse. that's marketing at it's best. a real tube compressor (and these are the really special sounding processors) are based on the vari-mu technique (which means the tube itself controls the compression) and start at > 4000$. everything else is a common solid state compressor with a simple and technically bad constructed tube gain stage - to make it distort the signal.
no, here's one thing that might shock you.. ..the reason why high end studio hardware companies use these costly tube circuits is BECAUSE OF THEIR EXTREME LINEARITY (low distortion) compared to solid state circuits. high end tube gear sounds pretty clean and "fast".
really "warm" sounding gear is actually solid state. the best example is all the Neve stuff, or Joe Meek.
but it's too easy to fool people with tubes "warmth". they look warm.
avoid cheap hardware compressors, they are really not worth it. invest that money in a better hardware mixing desk or save money for a really good compressor like the small and excellent neve portico compressor (or the tape emulator).
.... cheers for that, i hear ya. So really they put the tube only in the gain stage... i thought it would be going thru the tube to be compressed..? but like you say only in high end models.. but i thought tubes were more muisical and created harmonics and a little distortion, thats desirable..
so would you recommend a joe meek MC2 for a fuller sound?
what would you recomend for a more dirty sounding compressor for drum loops?
... another question maybe stupid. i have a laney valve amp and replaced the valves recently, could i not use that to dirty up drum loops?
so would you recommend a joe meek MC2 for a fuller sound?
what would you recomend for a more dirty sounding compressor for drum loops?
... another question maybe stupid. i have a laney valve amp and replaced the valves recently, could i not use that to dirty up drum loops?
moses
hardliner
well, there's a difference between guitar tube distortion (which can be done with cheap parts) and a flexible, hi fidelity stereo processor.TripSta said:
it depends what you want to do with it. it's great for certain types of signals in certain situations. but nothing to use in every mix and definately nothing for complex signals.TripSta said:
for drums:TripSta said:
the joe meek might be nice, try it first.. ..very dirty (but in a really unique way).
a dbx 166 could be an afordable option as well. a good drum/bass compressor that can add some serious "weight". and the included gate and soft-clipper can be very useful as well.
another option could definately be an UAD card. only really expensive hardware can compete with that. the point is that you'll need really good ad and da converter to capture that special analog sound, you don't have that problem when staying in the digital domain.
TripSta said:
of course, try it. nothing i would do in any track, but i can make sense in certain cases. but it might dirty up the drums way too much, try that with lead synths!
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That's a little simplistic explanation of good tube circuits. Well designed tube circuits with proper high plate voltages can be overdriven and add that warm fuzz, otherwise they tend to sound clean and warm. Cheap gear uses a low plate voltage "starved plate" that un-naturally adds that fuzz. Gets close but really just muddies things up.
If tubes were outdated then companies like Mannie and Universal Audio would be out of business. The biggest problem these days is finding quality tube manufacturers. That why NOS (new old stock) tubes command such a high price.
Well designed transitor circuits can add warmth, but can never be over driven. They spike/clip and sound like crap. Bad designed transistor circuits will sound like mud.
There are a few and very few cheap tube compressors that can be used effectively, the Art VLA being one, that are not bad when used in discretion.
If tubes were outdated then companies like Mannie and Universal Audio would be out of business. The biggest problem these days is finding quality tube manufacturers. That why NOS (new old stock) tubes command such a high price.
Well designed transitor circuits can add warmth, but can never be over driven. They spike/clip and sound like crap. Bad designed transistor circuits will sound like mud.
There are a few and very few cheap tube compressors that can be used effectively, the Art VLA being one, that are not bad when used in discretion.
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