Topic: Gonna give my rig a face lift

[super-phat-al]

Current rig:  AKG c1000s>Samson Mix Pad>D-8


Alright i also have hardware that i am about ready to throw out.  The Sabre mount stuff.  See I set myself up with this starter rig to see if i really liked taping.  I found out i love it.  However i am not one to sell my stuff.  I just can't find it in me to do that, so I am going to begin upgrading each part.  Which should be first.  The DAT is going anywhere.  That was the best $350 i have ever spent.  I use that all the time.  I am thinking about some 391s.  Maybe a modded UA-5.  But so many people run this.  I want some variety.  ideas......

I really wanna try some Pre A/D stuff.  

What i find with my current rig is that i rip some awesome tapes right in the sweet spot.  FOB (10 feet from stage)  or right at the board dead center, but when i dont have the best spot the tapes lack.  I wanna correct this.  I know its not mic positioning, its the mics and the pre.

The samson gives you the nice phantom power option, but did you know there is 3 gains on that thing.  I have begun to remember the places of the knobs but i want one.  Ideas?

I was also thinking about a ADC-20.  How do the digital outs on those things work?

thanks for your help guys


EDIT:  Also i need a sound card with optical ins that doesn't resample.  I have the 7 pin>optical cable and i really can't use it because i dont have the sound card for it.  I am looking for something $100 or less that will run with XP.

[Nick Culbreth]

personally, i'd upgrade my mics first and then add in a pre and a/d converter later.  upgrading mics will make a much bigger difference in sound than adding a pre or a/d.  as always, just my humble opinion.

nick

[Lee]

buy the mics you know you'll want down the line immediately.  In any audio chain, the transducer is the strongest link.  Does the mixpad provide phantom?  If it does that makes it much easier to upgrade your mics.  Buy some great mics, and run those through the mixpad for a while.  Or, you could ditch the mixpad, buy a PS-2, and line txformers and run straight into the D8.  Does Doug Oade still modify the frontend on the sony decks?  That might also be something to look into.  After you get some more cash you can buy a "real" pre and later an A/D.  If you like the 300's, you should seriously check out some 480's.  

I've found that the AKG's sound best (to my ears) through some sort of transformer pre such as the Soundevices boxes or the EAA/AETA ones.  They kick mucho ass in front of a m148, but that's highroller territory.  I've also heard good things from bean and others about the DMIC.

As for A/D, for me apogee's the name of the game.  I've had my 500e for 6 months now and I'm not thinking about retiring it any time soon.

Bottom line:   Upgrade your mics first the way you want to and the rest will fall into place.

Welcome to gearsluts anonymous.  Can I be your sponsor?

+T!

[JAH]

Gotta agree...do the mics first....maybe you can hook up w/ someone who is also upgrading and buy their mics....check out some tapes w/ the modded 460's (preamp). I keep hearding good things spoken but never heard any tapes.  

gfl
jah-mon

[DaryanLenz]

modded 460's if you like the akg sound.  May I also reccomend the gefell m300's as a very suitable mic which I think you would really like.  One option I have not heard would be picking up an ad1k.  I liked running mbho->ad1k when I still had one, and they can be had for around 500 bucks which is a better bargain IMHO than a ua-5.

Daryan

[creekfreak]

put your money into your mics.

[zhianosatch]

Mikies, brah

[super-phat-al]

I have heard the modded 460s and loved the sound.  What about a sound card for the transfer.  Could you guys help me out with that?

[cpclark]

like everyone else said, mics make the difference, just went through this with these guys about minime v. v3, do the mics and then the pre>a/d