VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

GHull · Contributor Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 25

Hello, fellow VO-ers. I've been updating my "stuff" as of late; the biggest acquisition has been a Great River ME-1NV for a "bigger than life," colored sound, and it breathes incredible "lotsa iron in the path" life into every mic I have in my locker -- whether it be ribbon, dynamic, or condenser.

At this point, I am reaching a crossroads for the "clean, transparent" sound. The default choice there seems to be a John Hardy M-1 ... but I have also seen plenty of comments revolving around the notion of a Mackie Onyx - based something or other [mixer or 'interface'] becoming the "ultimate, workable solution" for VO people.

You can pick up a small Onyx based "something" for a couple hundred bucks. A single channel of Hardy is a grand, and rarely do I see anyone selling theirs second-hand. And the GR has a "relatively" clean sound if you drive the input "cool" and bring up the output.

I already have a USA-made Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro with its four "original" XDR pres ... which I always thought sounded quite good -- and this is one well-made little "nerve center" of a mixer.

So ... what do you think? Keep saving up for the M-1, or get something Onyx-based and pocket the difference?

SkinnyJohnny · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 2:14 pm Post subject:

I'd say save up for the Hardy. I have the ME-1NV and splurged for a Gordon and really like how nice and clean it is. Since it was used, I contacted Grant at Gordon to see when it was built. He emailed back with the exact date it was built which was about 6 years ago and said that if I bought it then I would be a Gordon customer and to let him know when I get it and he'd renew the full 5 year warranty on it. How cool is that?
http://www.gordonaudio.com/
Good luck with your decision. I don't think you could go wrong with the Hardy!
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John Weeks Voice Overs
www.johnweeksvoiceovers.com

GHull · Contributor Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 25

John: So, you're in the same boat I'm in -- you have a GR and like it for the colored, "iron in the path" richness -- but you still went beyond that and sought out a "clean, transparent" alternative.

What made you go with Gordon Audio -- and not a Hardy yourself?

SkinnyJohnny · Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:21 pm Post subject:

I had looked into both as well as a Martech. I had heard the Hardy and Martech, but not the Gordon. I've read nothing but positive comments on the Gordon for it's super clean qualities. Super clean and not sterile sounding.
I had an opportunity to purchase the Gordon for a little over what a Hardy would cost me. I know they don't last long when one goes up for sale because they are real hard to find used. So I figured if I didn't like it, I could sell it for what I paid with no problem. The Gordon retails for around $1800, but when you tack on TN sales tax at close to 10%, then I was looking at close to $2000. It's not cheap, but it's exactly what I've been looking for. I had a GML and it came closer than anything else I had tried.
_________________
John Weeks Voice Overs
www.johnweeksvoiceovers.com

chuckweis · Contributor IV Joined: 27 Feb 2008 Posts: 136

I have a Grace M101 that is really good in the transparent dept. It also has a nice little punch. Don't have one, but also hear that you can't go wrong with the True P-Solo for the same results. Don't think either of those are necessarily in the same league as the Hardy, but they're also half the price.

GHull · Contributor Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 25

Benjamin Stovall · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 1:39 am Post subject:

Well, for VO assuming you only need one channel, two pre-amps that are known for their uncolored sound, clarity and high dB range that are pretty cost-friendly are the Daking Mic Pre One and the Focusrite ISA One. I own the latter. It sports the same pre as in the ISA110. It's a very nice pre complemented by a line input and an independent D.I. channel, complete with dedicated gain control, active or passive impedance switch, a TRS Jack output for routing to an amp and an independent XLR output on the rear.

That being said, I'm really blown away by the very simple but awesome Apogee Duet 2 at the moment. I guess it really comes down to your existing equipment, your budget and how many inputs/outputs you need.

Just curious, how do you plan on using the mixer if you go that route? I have a Mackie 1604-VLZ3 which pretty much just collects dust as it just muddies up my chain. I used to use it for better metering, but I find the meters on my Duet and/or meters in Pro Tools work a treat. Plus I control all EQing with my DAW as well. I took the Mackie out of the chain because I found that less was more when it came to keeping the signal as clean as possible.