9:25 Saturation/distortion is compression, just without a release control. It's all input. The more saturation the less dynamics. (It doesn't matter if it's tube, transformer, transistor FET.) Saturation is also a phenomenal EQ tool; When trying to get things to sit well together try adding saturation instead of EQ. (This works in the studio and with live front of house audio.) Saturation is my absolute go-to when needing to tame cymbals that are too loud in my overhead mics that could have resulted from a heavy hitting drummer, close mics, or any number of reasons. I feel like I need to insert the word saturation at least one more time. Saturation.
@@HomeStudioCorner I used to think about it the same way myself. Somewhere along the way someone told me to stop turning the knobs so far. You mean to tell me there is usable stuff between 1 and 10? Why didn't they tell us?
You can drive interface preamps too...if you record in 32bit you can turn down the "gain" of the track after recording. Even the Focusrite Clarett line has a nice sound when driven.
Thank you for this video, very clear as usual. Could you please show us how you re-amp a recorded track just with a preamp? The routing and the different levels. (And maybe it doesn't bring anything to do this?) Thanks!
Would it be possible to use the interfaces pre amp like the presonus shown in the video or a small audient and drive that instead of a mic pre? And thanks for the video :)
Hey Joe, I've got a non-gear related question. So I've been making music now for 3 or 4 years and I'm realizing now how thin I've spread myself. I'm a guitarist, bassist, drummer, pianist, singer, songwriter, producer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, and I am all of those things poorly. How do you balance in this scenario? I just want to make music, but I don't know any other musicians so I have to do everything myself. Is this a lost cause? Should I just pick a niche?
If your goal is to write and record songs I’d say focus on your songs, pick the instruments you know you’ll do best (eg singing, guitar/piano) and get a pro drummer and pro bass player to be your rhythm section. Focus on the performance when recording and where possible get the sounds you want at source. For mixing, try your self but also be prepared to send your stuff out for someone else to mix & master and learn from their results & compared to your own results to learn from. Is your room treated and do you trust your monitors in your room? The ‘Jack of all trades’ approach can get tiring and always more energising and fun to work with other musicians! Try a track 100% solo. Try another with some hired guns. Session Drummers and Bass players online to play over your track and email you back their takes. Having a solid rhythm section to paint on top of makes a world of difference. Great songs and a great performance captured well at source is 90% of it. If they are good a simple level balance of the mix should sound very close to the end result. Hope that helps. Best of luck with it!
QUESTION: I've got a rack-mount vocal pre-amp, but I ALWAYS use my vocal mic straight into my Steinberg interface. So, it seems that if I add some EQ with this vox pre-amp that is, say, slightly "off" (read: doesn't blend with the mix) it will take more work to fix it later, thereby violating the GIRATS creed. Even using it for just the compression seems risky. As an aside, the Steinberg interface software also has compression, EQ, etc. that I can add. It seems like I should send it in as a straight, raw vocal and then adjust in the DAW. So what's the use of a vox pre-amp in studio recording? Do I just have an attractive boat anchor that makes my equipment rack look cooler and fuller? Thanks.
9:25 Saturation/distortion is compression, just without a release control. It's all input. The more saturation the less dynamics. (It doesn't matter if it's tube, transformer, transistor FET.) Saturation is also a phenomenal EQ tool; When trying to get things to sit well together try adding saturation instead of EQ. (This works in the studio and with live front of house audio.) Saturation is my absolute go-to when needing to tame cymbals that are too loud in my overhead mics that could have resulted from a heavy hitting drummer, close mics, or any number of reasons. I feel like I need to insert the word saturation at least one more time.
Saturation.
It's funny, I tend to think of saturation as distortion or buzzing, but this little test demonstrates what you're saying perfectly.
@@HomeStudioCorner I used to think about it the same way myself. Somewhere along the way someone told me to stop turning the knobs so far. You mean to tell me there is usable stuff between 1 and 10? Why didn't they tell us?
@@legacyShredder1 who needs 1-10 when you've got 11 though, right? 😁😉 I love your original comment too, by the way.
I own the WA73-EQ, among others, and they are legit awesome preamps. If you like the 1073 style these do the trick.
Joe you need to dust off your Studio Brotha, Great Videos Thank you Sir!
You can drive interface preamps too...if you record in 32bit you can turn down the "gain" of the track after recording. Even the Focusrite Clarett line has a nice sound when driven.
I honestly like the second one because that's the tone I go for when I'm mixing and I add a lot of distortion if I'm not the one who recorded it.
Yeah I like dirty bass.
Thanks again Joe! Always helpful!
Thank you for this video, very clear as usual. Could you please show us how you re-amp a recorded track just with a preamp? The routing and the different levels. (And maybe it doesn't bring anything to do this?) Thanks!
I don't. There's not really a point to re-amping through a preamp. Preamp should come right after the mic.
Do you have a video tutorial on setting up your outboard for your studio live board?
Good stuff!
That Italian accent slayed me bro 😂
I run outboard pads on my preamps to really drive it.
I use warm 73 and a Neve 1272
You might try your transformer mic preamps
Would it be possible to use the interfaces pre amp like the presonus shown in the video or a small audient and drive that instead of a mic pre?
And thanks for the video :)
Some preamps sound good pushed, or even distorted and some... don't.
Hey Joe - what causes pops and clicks from outboard gear? I’ve done the I/O ping through logic, and sometimes stuff comes out with weird clicks in it
Can be cheap/bad cables?
@@HomeStudioCorner Can also be different sample rate, if connecting it by ADAT. i.e Logic/Interface set to 48, preamp set to 44.1
Hey Joe, I've got a non-gear related question. So I've been making music now for 3 or 4 years and I'm realizing now how thin I've spread myself. I'm a guitarist, bassist, drummer, pianist, singer, songwriter, producer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, and I am all of those things poorly. How do you balance in this scenario? I just want to make music, but I don't know any other musicians so I have to do everything myself. Is this a lost cause? Should I just pick a niche?
If your goal is to write and record songs I’d say focus on your songs, pick the instruments you know you’ll do best (eg singing, guitar/piano) and get a pro drummer and pro bass player to be your rhythm section.
Focus on the performance when recording and where possible get the sounds you want at source.
For mixing, try your self but also be prepared to send your stuff out for someone else to mix & master and learn from their results & compared to your own results to learn from. Is your room treated and do you trust your monitors in your room?
The ‘Jack of all trades’ approach can get tiring and always more energising and fun to work with other musicians!
Try a track 100% solo. Try another with some hired guns. Session Drummers and Bass players online to play over your track and email you back their takes. Having a solid rhythm section to paint on top of makes a world of difference.
Great songs and a great performance captured well at source is 90% of it. If they are good a simple level balance of the mix should sound very close to the end result.
Hope that helps.
Best of luck with it!
QUESTION:
I've got a rack-mount vocal pre-amp, but I ALWAYS use my vocal mic straight into my Steinberg interface. So, it seems that if I add some EQ with this vox pre-amp that is, say, slightly "off" (read: doesn't blend with the mix) it will take more work to fix it later, thereby violating the GIRATS creed. Even using it for just the compression seems risky.
As an aside, the Steinberg interface software also has compression, EQ, etc. that I can add.
It seems like I should send it in as a straight, raw vocal and then adjust in the DAW.
So what's the use of a vox pre-amp in studio recording? Do I just have an attractive boat anchor that makes my equipment rack look cooler and fuller?
Thanks.
Maybe your rackmount preamp just doesn't sound good?
Are you talking about the Manley Voxbox preamp?
What's that keyboard Joe is using?
Keychron K2
Thanks Joe
expound
Why would you drive a preamp? It doesn’t even have a engine……
👽🚪 I’ll show myself out.