The Roger Mayer 456HDs are absolute BEASTS!!
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- Please reach out to me or leave a comment. rob@robheskin.com
1st Song - Particle Tree - NOSTALGIA open.spotify.c...
2nd Song - Kiki T - LAST HOT GIRL SUMMER open.spotify.c...
3rd Song - Clayhenry - COLD open.spotify.c...
Letting the "tape" craziness on the side . . . The ability of this thing to brighten and darken a sound at a flip of a button without sounding harsh is impressive. I can hear little bit of compression going on . . . Definetly he did a great job here. Did compare the sound coming from these with other videos on youtube and is not the same. There is a subtle "flangy" sound coming from these that are catchy . . . Amazing. I have listened to your videos without looking at it to avoid being deceived by my eyes. Everytime the unity was on I had to come and open to see if I am wrong . . . Handy indeed
For sure, I don't work for him or anything but I've never had a piece of gear that I use more on every song. I'm shocked I don't see more of them but fine with me :)
Dude….THANK YOU 💪😍👍 i’ve been searching for any info regarding these units & video was 100% what i needed ✅ so refreshing to just get to the heart n soul of why we love what is possible to make our passions smile ‘ ear to ear ‘ and your smile sold me 👍
have a great day 😉
So great to hear my friend!!! Yeah these are incredible! I don't understand why EVERYONE doesn't have these but their loss. Roger himself reached out to me and am going to do a follow up video of tracking through them which is what he intended them to be used as. I track all my source material through them now. Beyond game changer. Subscribe if you want to help get the word out and see the follow up video tracking through them!
Was undecided between these and the Neve 542s, and this has helped immensely. Thanks Rob.
Hell yeah dude!!! 100%!!!
Which did you go with. I got these but I’m just curious
@@henryhuynh2099 i actually ended up getting Singular Audio Tubedrve and Bereich03 Density, but the Mayers are still on my radar!
Holy Cow. I have not been this impressed with an audio demo on a hardware unit since I heard the curve Bender demo.
These are going to sound great and I will have fun figuring out where in my chain to place these where my Neve 542 also live.
Heck yeah!!! They’re crazy!!! Roger reached out to me and told me he made them to be recorded through!!! I’ll make another one about that but I’ve never had a piece of gear that’s changed my life more.
I was answering someone else comment just now and I saw your curve bender comment as well. I had opened one of the sessions to answer a few questions on a mastering chain and it was on there doing some widening trick I learned.
Nice! is there anything out their thatches 7ips like the Neve 5042 but for the 500 series?
Quick question. Is there a reason you've placed this AFTER the compression? Most all-in-one boxes do saturation first. Curious what your opinion is?
Yeah I put these before compression for sure. It depends. Usually it's right before my final mastering plugins. I have an SSL G comp that I sometimes use with my pultecs before the Roger Mayers just to get some adhesiveness to everything. Roger didn't make these for mixing though. He said he loved the results but he made them to be recorded through. So for the past 8 months I record everything through them. My generic mastering chain is something like this... Pultecs -> G Comp - > Roger Mayers - > DynOne (Leapwing - highly recommend this plugin) -> final limiter (either FabFilter L2 or JST - Maximizer. I hope that helps!
Any compression I do before them is just for glue. If you think about the old days it came out of the bus on the board to tape so they are compressing before. I heavily compress afterwards with a multi-band harmonic exciter(leapwing DynOne) and then my limiter so technically I’m doing both. But again I just am hitting my g comp for some glue and then I hit it and then to get up to modern level I do all of that limiting afterwards. I’m a firm believer in only doing stuff if it sounds good so I would always just see which one makes you feel more.
Thanks for answering and sharing so many detail. I have a 500 series 2bus setup the goes OSA MP1-L3(pair) --> Bereich03 Dual Density --> JLM LA500a(pair) --> Elysia Xfilter --> SPL BIG. I love the sound of it but I'm looking into possibly replacing the OSAs because they're pre-amps which limits me during mixdown not being able to bypass them. At first I was thinking these Roger Mayers would be redundant placing them before the Bereich03 Dual Density, but though similar, they both are their own thing. Doing this would allow me to process stems with this setup and not just 2bus. Killer setup you have by the way.
@@bingybeats189 Thanks man!! I haven't heard of the OSA's before but I've heard great things about the densities and the JLM. Was looking at those for a while. How do you like the BIG?
Everything is solid. I'd keep the OSAs in place but the lack of bypass capability is just too limiting. I like the SPL BIG a lot actually. Its permanently in place. You have to be careful not to overdo it though. A little goes a long way and they require discipline. Similar to how you'd approach the Kush Clariphonic where they sound incredible but you can literally ruin a mix with them. For context, I actually used "all-in-one" boxes like the LTL SilverBullet, SSL Fusion, and the Never MBP/MBT as inspiration for my 500 series set up and I lusted for the stereo field editor in the MBP for the longest time and with the SPL BIG, I don't feel like I want it anymore. It satisfied my craving or "G.A.S". My goal was to create one great chain that could essentially do it all in a hybrid setup with sound quality that was equivalent to or could beat the above mentioned boxes and I believe I've achieved it.
very interesting, thank you. i own a studer a80 and this sounds familiar
Rob, can you elaborate on what Roger said regarding the units not being a tape emulation? That seems quite confusing. They are imparting a tape like saturation I'm assuming, adding harmonic distortion curves similar to a studer tape machine, sure sounds like it is, or is it not? I hope it is not just an EQ boost
Perfect question! Roger kept iterating that what these actually are to replicate in the modern era are……. All of the sonics and MECHANICS of the original 70s tacking signal chain. Also recording through them at the source ensured that all the tracks were processed through the same golden era recording methods BEFORE they went digitial just like converting an old tape recording to cd. Which is still the consumer benchmark. Sorry for the long reply but it’s not inflating tape. It’s the entire process up until capture.
Absolutely amazing demo - the 1st track was seriously impressive
Could you kindly talk through the exact chain when you were kicking in and out the tape saturation - it def looks like the g buss was enabled - anything else - what gear did you use for the pre and post trims ?
Many thanks in advance
HEY HEY!!! So sorry to get back to so late! I was traveling and then it just got away from me! Great question I was about to answer it off the top of my head but I would've been WAY off. I opened the session so I could see exactly. All of this will be strictly about the 1st track you heard and thank you by the way. (Feel free to ask questions) For that track, I have all the instruments going to an AUX which has the following chain... 1)Slate VMR modules in order (trimmer - > Virtual Mixbus - > CS-EQ ->AirEQ Earth - > FG Bomber) 2) SSL G channel (just doing some filtering and color) 3) LeapWing DynOne3 (
@@robheskin you sir are amazing for such detailed reply - this is truly valuable information - I’m def looking to pick up a pair for Christmas ! I’ll certainly check the Leapwing DynOne3 out too!
Take care mate!
@@stub390 sounds good brother. Just an fyi, Roger himself reached out to me and we talked for hours. He originally made these units to be recorded through at the source and were meant to be a form of “wave shaping” from the golden age of recording BEFORE the converters have their chance to smear the image forever. I’ve been recording all my vocals through them and it’s a total game changer fyi!! I need to do a video on them!
That would be how I intend to use it too! Cheers
Yeah definitely adds that harmonic excitement we all love. It's subtle but I think that's the point. Great songs too
I totally agree. To be honest I've never put a piece of gear on that so easily screams, "ok, now we are done" more than those units. I've tried every tape plugin known to mankind and this is truly the best. They're also not that expensive as well. Also for whatever it's worth thanks for the positive feedback. Sometimes I don't know if I should make anymore so I appreciate your inspiring words a lot.
@@robheskin Oh yes I agree with you. I definitely need a pair!
""subtle".. the difference between analog an digital, but you can definitely hear the difference, which is why so many pros still swear by analog before final mixing
These sound amazing, adds this subtle richness. Are you gain compensating from going from on to off?
Hey Paul, thanks for checking it out. I do remember matching them a few times but for the most part I was really trying to bring out what they do best by pushing them. When I use them I match them and then I juice them ever so slightly. I talked to Roger about em on the phone for a few hours and what he actually made them for was to be recorded through at the source. I always record through them now, it's an incredible difference!!
Hi, thank you for the reply. Man, I would love a pair, my wallet doesn't agree with that statement haha. They sound amazing. Has that final touch missing I feel with digital@@robheskin
This guy has one of the best Testing on youtube.. Bro you are the Best keep up the Great Work!
Wow wow wow, thank you for such a kind uplifting comment!! Inspires me to do more my friend. Feel free to reach out I’m really chill and love helping everyone around me succeed!
@@robheskinThats the Spirit “ALL WE NEED IS LOVE”!!!! The world is in a Bad place bro
We p
Would love to see these compared to the Rupert Neve tape units. These sound fantastic here - just absolutely incredible.
Yeah I would too!! I think the one thing that makes these special is that you actually have to send them the same level of signal that the old tape machines used so that all the components work the same as they did back then. Like I said in the video my resolve was putting a trimmer in font and behind them so I could send the tape modules a -16db out put and then after the modules I'd have a +15 or so trimmer to bring the level back to where it was. I usually don't go +16 because I'm going to gain some level from the units and need to tame it for the next gain stage level. If you don't send them the right level they're just going to distort and buzz the whole time. Need to send them their sweet spot and let them do their thing. I would buy these all over again a million times. Thanks for the comment!
That would be nice to watch that comparison.
@@jamescave7102Yup!
I own both. They both have their place. I think the RM brings out the highs more and does help low end some. The RND 542 lacks high end but does something to the low end and makes it tight. Amazing on low end. They really do two different things. I don't think one replaces the other. They are different units. I think the RM shines on tracks and culminates in a mix. The neve is better for mastering but the RM is good for mastering on material where you don't need to tighten up the low end.
@@timeiseverything4 I appreciate your input
Reminds me of the old rack module and patch cord studio synths. Roger has been deep into much more than stomp boxes! In an interview he spoke about his work with Stevie Wonder and multi-synth before the Kursweil - "Talking Book" "Music of My Mind", etc. And, yes, mtr readings are only a guide. The sound to the EAR is the rule. Over-compression and limiting flattens the dynamic life of recordings!
Absolutely. The dude is an absolute legend. It's wild to see a lot of people over here in the U.S. haven't really been exposed as much because he doesn't have any north American distributors. I am a massive fan of his. He reached out to me personally over this video this past May and we have now spoken on the phone for several hours. He's got a new unit coming out now that's basically these on steroids. Thanks for dropping comment my friend! Have a beautiful weekend!
Holy shit these sound great… as a bassists and guitarist I knew and loved his pedals but this is just as cool!
Thank you I feel the exact same way. When I was looking for demos for these I only found 1 and it was the stereo 19" version. I can't believe these aren't used more commonly. They were hard to find for a while. The only drawback is they can get noisy when they get HOT but no plugin or hardware comes close to the sound of these. I appreciate your comment, it keeps me motivated!
This vid made me jump on a pair, and I do not regret it one bit. Thanks man.
Nice brother!!! So good to hear thank you for sharing!! Roger reached out to me and wanted to make sure that I shared what he actually made this for was to be recorded through. Fucking incredible!!! They should be the very last things before your converter. Mixing is so much easier now!
@@robheskin Aah cool. thanks. I have had them as the first thing before an analog chain. I may put them last then ;)
@@TeeDubz If you're tracking thrugh them make sure they are last but if you're mixing with them then don't worry about that at all, it's just when you RECORD source material. Gonna make a new video highlighting this, if your just mixing with them disregard all this info and put them wherever in the chain you like :)
@@robheskin Nice! Will do man. Look forward to that vid.
I'm a guitar player and I have an old rackmount Supervibe handwired by the man himself and it's superb !
Just bought and old UK Axis fuzz he made and can't stop playing ! Cheers from Quebec ! And why not press the sub button for your great channel ..........Done !
Brooo, Those units sound absolutely amazing!
Right??? I had Roger Mayer himself reach out to me and he was saying it’s even better if you record all your original source material through them before. He was very adamant that tracking through them is the what he designed them for. I’m making an update video recording a track from scratch. I hope do have it done soon. Subscribe if you want to be notified when it’s done!
Subscribed! Keep em coming
@@jaycastrosound2234 I appreciate that Jay, this channel is solely organic made from nothing but gear and music. This summer is gonna be hot. We have 3 FIRE tracks we are making videos to as well as some behind the scenes of how made them and the 456 videos I told you about!! Cheers!
They sound awesome. Thanks for the review!
Thank you!! I hope it helped inform any decisions you may make!! Happy to answer any questions any time.
ROB HESKIN, how are the Roger Mayer 456HD different than a cheap stock compressor?
I would start by saying... everything. Name a "cheap stock compressor" that sounds like these.
@@robheskin which compressor comes close to the Roger mayer 456HD?
@@waynegram8907 none
These sound better than the neve. Im blown by the sound, it sounds lush, open, punchy, FCKNG HUGE! Really Dope.
Sorry I just saw this comment! Couldn't agree more!! It feels like every time you engage them it sounds like a RECORD and whenever I use something else it just sounds uninspiring! He has a something new coming out called the dottore and I can't wait to get my hands on it!
What compressor do you use? sSL? What is the one next to it
Yeah that is an ssl and then the one that’s half cropped out is a retro instruments doublewide tube compressor. Next to that is a shadow hills dual vandergraph, next to that is a BAE 500c(1176) and next to that is a BAE 1073 eq. If you want to hear them check my first video :) I need to make more. It’s very difficult for me to put together the videos so I’m trying to figure out how to make easier and more fun so I can do more!!!
When you say “They are so like Tape that they do not take the modern signal from computers”…. you have to atenúate? what do You mean? Lowering the mix to -16?? To avoid over loading with noise and distortion???
Roger did not design these for mixdown. These were created to be used during the recording process so they are made receive mic levels and NOT line levels. Line level is what you computer send out to either equipment or speakers and is much stronger than sensitive mic levels. I need to do a new video now that I’ve spoken with him for hours about this. So if you just send regular line levels they’re going to be WAY too hot. Im going to do some experiments when I get back to America in a few weeks. You might be able to get away with just turning the input WAY down but from what I remember I was still getting some distortion, in the manual it was saying -16 if I remember correctly is what you need to do to compensate but then the level going BACK to the computer is way too low so I put a plugin trimmer after the Roger Mayer 456s to return it to its normal level. So the computer sends and receives the same level it’s just you’re hitting the units in their optimal range now by doing that. I’d have to play with them again but as I remember when I first got them every time I turned the inputs down and the trim(on the units, bottom knob) way up it was way too noisy so that was my solution. There’s other ways of doing it like purchasing an actual physical xlr pad and attaching them to the inputs of your 500 series rack to dampen the signal but I couldn’t find anything to boost them back up so I went the digital route with that. I use Slates trimmer from their bundle but anything will work that can go up or down by 16. I hope that helps. I’ll work on another video when I’m back because I think I’m ready to. I just want to make sure I know what I’m talking about first before I embarrass myself.
@@robheskinTHANKS.. I understand Everything. I use a pair of “API 512V” to raise back up the signal.. I usually lower my mix to -10 (Sweat spot).. I Guess I will have to go lower if I get these when sending to the Analog Gear chain” ..
@@LosFicosMusicI like where your head is at, let me know what your results are!
Thanks for the shoutout Rob! Great video! I don't know...
Great review. Keep up the good work.
Thanks brother, I need to clarify a few things with a follow up video on my own review after talking with Roger so I hope I didn’t say anything too spicy. I’ve talked to Roger for hours, really nice guy, in fact he has some new versions of these that are coming out, I can forward the information if you’re interested. If so, email me and I’ll pass it along!
@robheskin got all the information. Thanks.
They sound great! Thanks for doing this video! I might have to get a pair :D
They're REALLY affordable, I'm absolutely shocked everyone doesn't have a pair. Probably a good thing though ;)!! They used to be crazy expensive and rare during the pandemic but they're really accessible now off REVERB. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Rob, loved the video, do you do the trimming -16 and +15 dB ITB?
Yes I do. I use the one from slate digital. The on in pro tools didn’t have the range. I do want to let you know that Roger himself reached out to me and we have become pretty good friends. Sent me another unit. He wanted to make sure he made the point that these were actually designed to be recorded though at the source before anything hits the the converters. I gotta say he’s right. I still use these on every master buss but I try to record through them as much as humanly possible. For that you don’t need the trimmers.
@@robheskin thanks for your response, nice to hear that roger is involved like this, I have them on the way! Will probably receive them in august!!
@@gluecompressor Nice Tom, if you ordered them from Studiocare in the UK they arrived to me in 2 days in Los Angeles. Either way they are absolutely worth it. Def try recording THROUGH them as well as on the bus. If you need any help let me know. I'm gonna make a new video of recording with them, just figuring out the best way to do it. Subscribe if you want to notified when it comes out!! Cheers.
10:52 to 11:20 Convinced me.. Those settings Sounded Sick!
Cool VDO thanks. Blew me away! I need to get a pair ASAP
Thank you very much, I wasn't sure if I should keep making videos or not so I really appreciate your comment. It inspires me to do more!! Thank you, yes they are amazing I'm not sure why people don't buy these up ASAP but more power to us I guess!!! Thanks again!
@@robheskin You should definitely do more VDO's.
Thank you for the demo! New sub here. Where did you find these? I'm a little more interested in the half-rack/stereo version, but these have a different set of controls than that version. The "bias" control on these 500 units intrigues me more than the "presence, bass, treble" controls on the stereo unit. I have the RND 542 units, but they don't quite impart the harmonics/tape crunch that these do. I also have the Standard Audio Stretch units which add a nice saturation/squash that EQ/compression can't replicate. They must be used VERY sparingly, tho. Thank you!
I really appreciate the feedback. I haven't used those units and would've probably have gone through same process you would've gone through had not had a conversation with my friend about them. I am so glad I got them. As I understand it they weren't being made for a while and there was a whole batch made after the pandemic nad I got a few news ones' off Reverb. I hadn't seen a lot of videos on them so that's actually why I made these. They nuts... I have em on a song from lat week and everyone is freaking out over them! Thanks for the sub!!!
@@robheskin Rob, thank you for the reply! Yeah, I'm officially jealous, but in a good way. I'm on the OCD hunt for these now. I was about to pull the trigger on BBAD HG-2 last week, but just couldn't do it. Tube saturation is just not what I'm looking for in my masters. I know that unit does some great things, but I'm thinking the Roger Mayers will get me much closer. Thanks so much again.
Hey Eli, did you get them bumping yet? If so I'd love to hear about your experience with them!
@@robheskin Rob! Yes, I've got them in my rack! They are beautifully built. I'm using them in my mastering chain. They give a nice clarity to the top-end and help separate individual elements of the mix. Still getting to know them, of course. I'm really looking forward to using them from the start of a mix and on individual instruments. Thank you so much for checking in, man. That's super cool.
@@elimontoya1969 LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!! I remember when I first got them I didn't pay attention to the "line out level" change that needs to happen in order to hit them properly so it took me a hot minute too but since I've got it dialed it I wouldn't finish a mix without them. If you ever need ANY help or advice hit me up!
Also Note:
1ST Knob “Input”: How much of Tape Feel do you want.. lower it and it will give you more “Tape Saturation” at expense of Volume.
2ND Knob “Bias”: EQ Focus .. Move Right and it will make the “High End” Shine… Move Left and it will make the “Low End” Shine. Standout!
3rd Knob “Trim”: Move Left and it will turn the Dimension Wider. move right and it will turn it Narrow..
I have both this Device and the HRK ST552.. Together they Sound Amazing.. Different monsters of course. The Neve/HRK provides Tape Harmonic and depths while this provides more of a Tape dimension and Qualities.. It is Awesome indeed.. Changed my mixes and made the individual Instrument Sound Realistic..
Awesome addition my friend!!! Thanks for helping clarify in more depth for everyone!! I'm working on one showing what happens recording through them at the source. We talked on the phone a few times since I made this video and will do a follow up!! Thanks for augmenting this with more info!
@@robheskinany New videos! bro I cant Thank you enough for this Video
@@LosFicosMusic thanks brother, heading back from Mexico tomorrow!! I appreciate it I’ll hop back on the RUclips route when I get back!!
@@robheskin NICE! The world is waiting bro
@@LosFicosMusic Just ordered two Y splitter cables in order to do it. Had to figure the easiest way to split the same XLR signal so I could record the same performance both going through the units and without for a perfect comparison so thanks for nudging me along!! It worked. Hopefully will be here by the weekend!
absolute BEASTS!! Thanks!
Man there isn’t a bad setting on that beast is there? Great demo and presentation
@@danielerenda25 thank you!! Roger himself Reached out to me and we had some great discussions on what he made it for which will be my next video. He made them to be recorded through at the original source, not after the fact but he was like, I think you found something special :). Hope to finish the new one soon. Thanks for the comment! I’m just grass roots so if you wanna subscribe please do! No stress though!
Subbed👌🏼
That’s really cool. Imagine the stories that dude has! But yeah I’ll definitely check that out when you post. Also I’m partial to anything Shadow Hill (how I found your channel) or Chandler. If you have a means of demoing ANY of their stuff I’ll be the first to click🤘🏼
@@danielerenda25 awesome! I have the Vandergraph but the right side started outputting more signal than the left so I have to send it in to have it worked on and I just am dreading the process but I’ll get it back up and running. What chandler stuff are you in to? I mean it’s all good…
Gotcha. Yeah that’s a bummer..
with the Chandler it really could be anything. The TG-1 has some kind of voodoo magic attached to it. That on a mix bus or single sources…again anything Chandler would be great!
Did you ever by any chance get them compared with the Neve 542s?
Thanks for the message Hadrian. I personally have NOT used the 542s. I've heard many demos and they seem fine. Are they better than a plugin is always the question I ask. Roger Mayer himself actually reached out to me and we have become pretty good friends. What he actually designed these units for wasn't to emulate tape. But rather to be used to record all your source material through them BEFORE the DAW. He explains the process really well on his website but basically it's designed to be a "wave shaper" so your transients don't get permanently "smeared" during the tracking process so they're not really trying to be a tape emulation but rather all of the electronics you would normally hit in the 70s but instead of it being stored to tape it's being stored on your DAW. I'm going to make an update video showing that process. Ever since I started using them to record through it's been GAME OVER!!! Not sure the 542s do that. Actually I've never really heard anyone rave over the 542s now that I think about it. I'm sure some people love them though! I hope I explained that ok... let me know :)
@@robheskin Interesting, would it be great for mixbus processing ? Would love to hear it on electronic music.
@@hadrianmansueto2556 that’s what I use it for. If you want to send me a track I’ll run it through them. My email is attached.
@@robheskinhi rob, so you use it not as an insert on the mix buss but as a “before print” device? I hear other videos and the difference it’s not so audible as yours!
I’m currently choosing between a pair of these or Neve 542’s! I’m looking for stereo saturation units for mix bus purposes. I use loads of tape emulations for subtle mix bus stuff and haven’t enjoyed owning any stereo saturation units thus far like valve units etc. I can’t decide which ones to go for out of the two
I would buy these 1,000 times over and over. I couldn't find but one other video on these that's why I made this. I have NOT used the NEVE's personally. There's obviously a million demos of them out there thankfully. I can tell you right now that nothing plugin wise or hardware wise functions as these do. They are so accurate right down to the level you need to send to them. I often let clients bypass/engage them when they come in and the one thing they all say when you engage them is the entire song sounds like a finished record with them on. You can also focus on making things brighter without making anything harsh or to have more punchy mid-range without mud. I have never had a purchase make more of a difference in my setup than these. Roger Mayer himself even wrote me an email the other day about this video which is SUPER cool!
@@robheskinnice bro.. ama get them
@@LosFicosMusic dude the best thing I’ve ever did. Roger himself reached out to me. If you track MAKE sure you track through these. They should be last in the chain before your converter. Where I’m using em you can put where ever. I have it 3rd to last on my master bus.
I met Roger in the late 80’s when he built me a pedalboard. I have used his stuff ever since ✨
Absolute legend!! I just got turned on to him last year. So glad I did… super under the radar for most people! I’d love to see that pedal board. It’s gotta be epic!!
I really liked this video these sound better than the 542 imo. I am now leaning towards these instead. Because Iam new to outboard gear I am concerned about how to use these correctly. I am not going to be sending signal from my daw but rather from my Ssl mixer. In the video you mentioned it wont take certain signal from the computer ,so is this the case when sending signal from hardware I am a bit confused. I dont want to buy these and send this thing fuzz and buzz lol. Any advice would help Thanks
Hey brother. These are most mot used pieces of outboard gear. Roger Mayer himself reached out to me and we have actually spoken for several hours now on the phone. I'd love to help you. Basically Rogers main point is that he made this units to be recorded THROUGH so these would be the last think in your signal chain before your converters permanently smear your transients. It's hard to explain in a reply. I have a new video I'm working on explaining but MAN I wish I had learned about these years ago. I've never recorded with out them so they are set to mic levels NOT line levels which run hotter. So to use them as outboard like I am in the video you need to DECREASE the level going to them. You can do this physically with a pad on the input outputs but I do it digitally. I put a trimmer to -16 BEFORE I send it to the modules so they don't instantly distort and then about +15/16 with a trimmer after it to get the level back up and it works great. I use Slate Digitals trimmer because it can do A LOT and the stock pro tools trimmer couldn't go that low. I hope that makes sense but I would buy these a million times over. But record through them if you track stuff yourself. Everything will be fun and easy to mix.
@robheskin wow man thank you so much for the quick reply. I know it's hard to explain in a post without being able to see how I am working, but this really helps a lot. I think I am going to give these a try, and once I have them, I can figure out what works best to achieve their full potential. Basically, I can't run hot into these ,which is not mentioned on anything I read, but I guess someone who has used tape knows this. I am very new to the analoge world but loving every minute of the journey deep into the rabbit hole . Once again, thanks, and I am looking forward to more from you. 🙏
@@Dispatcher813 ruclips.net/video/TYRhrVDBsDo/видео.html
@@Dispatcher813 it’s in the manual. I can email it to you. But like I said they were not made to be hardware inserts. They can be, you just have to send the right level. Mic pres send out a lower level and that’s what they are to be pared with. My email is the description. Happy to help. It will be the best purchase you ever make. I keep telling people about them but for some reason they still resist. Fine with me… I don’t know how I got by with out them. I recorded a Whitney Houston cover recording through them let me see if I can post it.
@robheskin oh yes, that sounds amazing. Warm and lush . Wow!! Hey man, I am truly grateful for your time and response. I think you have sold me on these. I can't find them here in the US, but I have found some places overseas. Can't wait to get a pair. I think they will add a distinct character to my sound that seperates me from other studios in my area. I will keep you posted . Thanks again
How you feel about the SRK ST552’s
I heard a few demos and they sounded pretty interesting. I don’t have any personal experience with them. I do want to add that Roger Mayer himself reached and to be really wanted to make it clear that the original intent behind these 456 units was to track everything through the units to make sure digital smearing would be minimized when hitting the DAW. I’m currently in process of recording and shooting that video!!
Its a bit contradictory "if you can do with pluggin ,dont buy analog". You did use tape plugin and see you can do a job but analog will always do more to tone than plugin. Better to say "if you want be average to good, use plugin and if you want to have good/excelent results use analog": Its one step above.
jeez these sound amazing, where is my wallet gotta find these.
Absolutely my friend. Look on Reverb, their distributor is out of the UK. Should come up right away. Happy to help you set em up and what not as well!
@@robheskin awesome thanks when are you doing the video of you tracking with them?
GREAT TALK!
Appreciate that my friend. Roger Mayer himself reached out to me and we have become friends since then! He sent me a cool low end eq boost and was telling me that the 456s were intended on being used in the actual recording process. I’m about to make another video doing that, so stay tuned!!
@@robheskin GOOD WORK!
Would love to hear some level matched examples. Hard to tell when it's much louder when engaged.
I'll work on that. Thanks for the feedback, I actually had Roger Mayer himself reach out to me to talk about the units and where they shine even more is during the tracking process. They're designed to be wave shapers before the digital converters smear artifacts. Then what you get is all the tracks are coated with it's wave shape and everything is much easier to mix later. I'm going to do another one where we do an entire song from scratch through them so hopefully I can get a chance at circling back to level matching for you!
@@robheskinof you talked with roger mayer, did he mentioned anything about the differences between 456hd stereo and 456hd 500?
I’ve planned to buy 456hd stereo version, but there’s no ”bias” -control in stereo version? And then there is bass, presence and treble -controls. I can’t find any accurate info about the difference between 456hd stereo and 456hd 500 -units?!
@@kapronautti That's a really great question. I will fire him off an email and see what he says. My instinct is the bias is set to it's default position. If that's the case I prefer the bias because it functions as a sort of tilt eq or tilt saturater. because you a little flexability. I've been tracking 100% of all my live instruments through them and it's been a GAME changer. He told me he never thought to put em on the master. That's why you have to use the trimmer before and boost after because it was made for mic lines and not LINE outputs which are at a higher level.
@@kapronautti I sent him an email, I'll circle back when I hear a reply.
@@kapronautti He said that's the presence knob. "Hence the confusion."
Jeezus
WOW!!!!
RIGHT?!?!?! Crazy these aren't everywhere. Roger Mayer himself reached out to me and sent me a new unit called the DOTTORE. He also inspired a new video that I'm working on now. He said the true magic of these is recording all your source material through them first. He was impressed how good they sounded on the master buss. Stay in touch Paul. More to come and THANK YOU!!!!
Please do More videos on this
I actually half 2 half shot… I really appreciate it hoping to finish them soon!!! I have some hot new stuff coming out for sure brother!
@@robheskinIt’s so Musical.. I just got my 10u 500 series Rack I cant wait
@@LosFicosMusic that’s awesome!!! If you need help with it let me know!
Hi bro please do some more videos
Thank you I’m working on the best one yet!!! Had to order some signal splitters in order to do it correctly so I got a heater coming!!! It’s the only one on RUclips in existence! They should be here by this weekend!
@@robheskin Another vote for more vids please, Rob. You're conspicuous by your absence!
Wow! I’m an old geezer from Chicago’s analog studios of the 80’s and 90’s and I’m intrigued as fuck as to what the hell is going on with these little bastards.
I still own a lot of class A tube stuff but I don’t have a 500 rack.
…this might just make me move on one.
Hmmm……..
Roger Mayer himself wrote to me and we ended up speaking on the phone for about 40 minutes the other day over this video. The great thing about these recording through these at the SOURCE before it ever reaches the DAW is where they really shine. Think of them as a wave shaper so you get all the legendary goodness of the yesteryear before it gets smeared by digital converters. I've been using them on the mix bus because I don't always track everything myself but I'd highly recommend them. There's really nothing out there like them.
I heard audio animals studio talk about these. He uses them in mid side I believe. He has a bunch of super high end gear and raves about these so that says something. Appreciate the review as like you said not many demos. The company could probably sell a lot more if they did them. I tried the rupert neve tape 542’s. They were good, but I didn’t really like them, call me crazy. I am going to pick up a pair of these and see how they work. Have the SSL Bus+, MaagEQ4M, and Gainlabs Empress. Looking for a tape simulator to complete my analog chain at my home recording studio. Highly recommend the gainlabs device, it is the one I most can’t live without at the moment
Hey Brian thanks for the comment, let’s keep in touch. Roger Mayer himself personally reached out to me over this video and since then we have talked a lot and become friends. He also sent me this awesome bass resonance eq that you can’t get here. The main thing he really wants people to know and what the 456 was ACTUALLY designed for was to record all your sources through the 456 as the last piece in the chain before your converters. I’m doing a new video on that. He said he never really thought to use them for bus work but they truly are amazing. I may be able to hook you up with some units directly from him but studio care in the UK has them on reverb that’s where I originally got mine. Let me know if I can help in any way!!
Plug-in suck, unless its reverb or delay
To much Rupert Neve tape emulator just fine
i dont know
Thank you for the wonderful insight.
@@robheskin i dont know
I immediately scrolled down to find and/or leave this comment. lol
@@studiojohnny 2:20
They sound great. Thanks. Great track. No offence, but u could improve the levels and dynamics of your mix.
Please let me know how!!
If you want to sound like a 2" 16 or 24 track, you need a tape saturation unit on every track you put down don't you?
Great question Adam. I do know a couple guys who do that, typically not more than 20 but you could do em all(you'd probably have to special order that I'd think as these aren't super mass produced). You can also track through on the way in but that would be tricky because they require a different level to be sent to them that's much lower than today's standards. Also printing the entire mix through it at the end is essentially how they would do it now anyways. I don't know anyone that records all their tracks to tape anymore for obvious reasons but they do print their "in the box" mix to tape to get all the benefits. At the end of the day the whole point is to compliment the song and move the "emotional needle" with every decision and I love how these really get me there. Also taste is subjective so to each their own but I hope this helps people get exposed to them. Much love to you and your loved ones.
Would love to see more videos on these
I thought the same thing!! I could only find one at the time, that's why I did this one. I hope you enjoyed it!
@@robheskin more videos by you my friend
@@alexdawson7851 Thanks Alex, I appreciate you!! I've just been game planning my next one. I'm trying to get better each time. I might do a FULL mix with all the gear next!! Please like and subscribe if you haven't already!
absolutely terrible design, but what a sound!
100%. Pretty crazy sound!
Talking far to much get to the point gang
Ummm thanks, that’s why I posted it without talking as well.