VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[yarg28]

At a crossroads and could use some help.

Up until now I’ve kept my setup pretty simple. Mic(AKGC214)>Interface(Presonus Audibox 44vsl)>Windows PC. It’s been fine but nothing that I’m excited with.

Recently, I’ve acquired a Shure SM7b, 416(free), and an Aphex channel strip(free) that I’ve been monkeying with. Point is, I’m expanding.

I also have a little money; about $1000 that I’m ready to invest in hardware. My acoustics, coaching, marketing, and everything else is in order.

Immediately, I loved/hated the channel strip. Gain staging sucks the life out of me. When I plug my Aphex into the Audiobox Line Level, the gain on that interface channel still controls the overall input to the daw. It also adds noise floor which is not exciting to me since I typically sit around -63 to -66. With the preamp/interface setup I was getting more like -50 to -55. Not thrilled. However; the sound that I get with the Aphex sounds very good. It’s an improvement.

I’m looking for recommendations for control and interfaces. In a perfect world I’d have control of my preamp with no gain issues from interface, control of monitors and headphones, phone patch, pretty much everything.

I see some of these interfaces like SPL Creon, Audient, Apollo twin, etc, and I truthfully don’t understand how they all function. I hate the idea of paying for high end mic pres in an interface when I know I’m going to end up with a couple external preamps.

How do you control all of your “stuff”?

Is there an interface that gives me control of everything without internal preamps or capability to bypass them entirely?

Can I set up a true phone patch (not skype) without a mixer?
Any recommendations in general?

I know this is a lot but I’m ready to buy some stuff and I hate rolling dice.
Thanks

gary

[paulstefano]

I understand your desire to "upgrade", but if I may offer a dissenting opinion...Most pros I see lately are doing exactly the opposite. The Gear Exchange Facebook group nearly everyday has a seasoned pro dumping a channel strip or mixer in favor of a simpler approach. I see may people running 416s directly into a quality interface.

On VOBS, George and Dan are constantly preaching about how the simpler your chain is, the better.

Sure there are those that are still running loads inputs before the interface, but it seems the quality of some of the newer interfaces is so good these days, it's not a necessity at all any longer.
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[Jack Daniel]

Gary, I have the Apollo Twin and I am deeply in love. I use it specifically for the preamps and its ability to handle multiple inputs ( I keep two mics available at any given time) and configure the various aspects of ins-and-outs rather elegantly. The pre's are lovely and pure, and though I realize you're not necessarily looking for another pre, it's good to know this unit has two very good and transparent ones. The other nifty feature is Unison technology--if you are a tinkerer, you can try various famous preamp emulations (e.g., the classic Neve 1073) in real time, as if you'd plugged into an actual Neve box and then into your DAW. Admittedly, this is aimed more at musicians than VO types, but I've been having way too much fun with this aspect.

And yes, you can, with a mouse click, bypass the internal pre's and retain access to any plug-ins you've got going via the Apollo. The advantage with the Apollo plugins is that they are processed within the unit itself, thus taking no CPU cycles and potentially messing with your DAW printing.

All this said, the Apollo ain't cheap (the Twin Duo goes for nearly a grand all in) and is likely overkill if you just want a good interface that can also handle minor mixing duties. One thing you CAN'T do with the Apollo (so far as I can tell) is control your Skype volume while you're monitoring in your cans (I find that I can have a good level for myself or a good level for my interlocutor, but not both), but you can lay down a clean mic track and simultaneously record your Skype conversation. All without monkeying with connections. Source Connect works very well also.

The A-D conversion is excellent as well.

If you have any questions about the Apollo "in the field," let me know.

Jack
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Narrator / Man About Town

[yarg28]

Thanks, Jack for the Apollo twin info.

Paul, I've been keeping it simple for several years and in general keep everything in life simple. But, i at least want to try a few things so that I have that experience first hand. Also, even though i'm adding some complexity, I'm trying to be as simplistic as can be.

The good news is that if something just isnt working I can just roll it back to what I have today. I'm not getting rid of anything.

[sdaeley17]

If you`re happy with the aphex and want to include it in your chain, you could go with something as simple as the Lexicon Alpha ($60), which is essentially just a digital converter. Beau Weaver and Cliff Zellman both love to use theirs with some pretty impressive gear.

http://lexiconpro.com/en/products/alpha

Otherwise, sell all the gear you don`t need and get a better pre/interface. You don`t necessarily need something like the apollo/audient/creon (I actually downgraded from the id22 to the id14, same great pres, but I didn't need the extra features and i/o) but that`s exactly where they excel; expandability and routing.

Yesterday`s simple chains (mic-pre-compressor/limiter-interface-computer) are today`s complex ones (mic-interface-computer). You have to decide what works best for you and your desired workflow.
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[yarg28]

Thanks for the lexicon link. That's looks very much like something I need to check into.

And I will check the id14. I'm sure I don't need all the features of the 22.

Thanks again.

[Voxman]

I can testify to the Lexicon Alpha. I use one with my MKH 416 into an ISA One with excellent professional clean results. I prefer it to my Duet Firewire which seemed too warm and woolly.

[sdaeley17]

My pleasure! Not that I like spending other`s money, but the lexicon`s a small enough investment that you can try it out and not be at a loss if you go in a different direction.

Couldn`t be happier with the id14, by the way. It`s almost disappointing because I can`t justify getting anything else. I think sweetwater even has a demo one for like 274.00 if you decide to pull the trigger.
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"There's Magic all around us; you just have to see it. And the most wonderful Magic of all, is just bein' alive." -Uncle Montork, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

[DenaliDave]

Well, the mic is going to make the biggest difference in sound hardware-wise.

Hows your recording environment? Having a good sounding room will also go a long way. Investing in treatment options is always a good option.

After a certain price point, unless you jump up to a 2-4 thousand dollar standalone analog to digital converter, most interfaces are pretty much the same.

The preamps in the sub $1000 interface market are all pretty close to one another.

I have three interfaces. Original Apogee Duet, ZOOM TAC-2R, and the iD22. The preamps on the Audient are very good, but only noticeable if you have something nearby to compare it head to head with.

The only way to really get more out of those interfaces is to get an outboard boutique preamp and bypass the internal preamps.

Really, that's your best option to continue using an interface without spending 2-4 thousand on a standalone digital converter and somehow "upgrade" your signal chain.
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