I just posted this on gearslutz, but those guys can be pretty snobby about boutique preamps, so I figured I'd try here to see if any of you more down-to-earth pros have used this and have any thoughts - I'm pretty sure DJ RANN mentioned liking it in a thread last year, but I can't find it now.

I'm thinking about upgrading my current channel strip (JoeMeek OneQ) with something a little nicer. I use it primarily to record vocalists in my home studio and I currently work very consistently with 3 female vocalists, each with very different voice characteristics and singing styles. My main mic is an AKG C414 XL II. I'll also occasionally record bass or acoustic guitar direct. So, I obviously need something that is flexible and I prefer a pre that is relatively clean and transparent.

I've had my eye on the Focusrite 430mkII for years now and I'm thinking that I might pull the trigger soon. But, before I do, what other channel strips would you recommend? I specifically want something with the following (minimum) features/qualities:

- EQ
- compressor
- gate/expander
- de-esser

A digital output would be nice, but not necessary (I currently run my OneQ through the digital out FWIW). I will probably buy secondhand and would like to keep it under $2K.

A related question, does anyone know if it is possible to get gating/expansion and de-essing from the Liquid Channel? My understanding is that it only models EQs and compressors, but, if so, that may be an option worth considering.

edit: I found the DJ RANN thread:

http://www.tranceaddict.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=550350&perpage=12&highlight=focusrite&forumid=&pagenumber=2

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Last edited by cryophonik on Jul-14-2010 at 19:02

I'm not a big fan of "combo" units at all. I really like to keep things separate so that each unit can do what it does best, rather than having a unit that's just "OK" for each specific duty. Every time I have used one of these combo units, it just sounds dull next to the dedicated alternatives.

If you like the Focusrite stuff in the ISA range, look for the 110's. They are discontinued, but they sound great and aren't terribly expensive secondhand.

Ideally, a second hand Vintech 473 (4-ch) or X73 (1-ch) would sound great combined with a UA 1176 unit. That'll cover your EQ, preamp and compression needs. The Vintech EQ's are really good, especially on vocals. That may be a bit outside your budget new, but I think it would definitely make a much bigger impact on your current setup than any "combo" unit. They are reasonably priced second hand, especially for the X-series.

I wasn't too impressed with the Liquid Channel at all, especially being a big time UAD user. I think the UAD stuff is way better and more musical.

The other thing about this is that if you are going to upgrade your signal path from the JoeMeek stuff, you may want to consider if your A/D is up to snuff or you won't be realizing the full benefits of getting upgraded units, "combo" or not.

i've used this at the studio down the street where i record my vocals:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/6176/

this with a distressor in the chain right after has really gotten the results i've been looking for. we just feather the 1176 compressor and push the distressor more for overtones. i've recorded male & female (big gospel singer) as well as a bassist (direct in! not even amped) and it sounded awesome.

maybe it's just me but i barely use the eq's on mic pre's... i tend to do that stuff post, i will boost at the recording stage but with caution.

i am by no means an expert in this area so take what i say w/ a "what does this skinny kid really know?" attitude. the last 6 mos w/ about 12 vocal recordings, for the results i'm after the above has worked well.

@Eric - yeah, I see your point re: dedicated units and I used to feel the same way (particularly coming from a live sound background), but I've become a huge fan of the channel strip concept over dedicated units for home studio use for several reasons, including reduced self-noise levels, lower power consumption, less heat generation, and space savings. Even with the AC cranked, my studio can get pretty warm/uncomfortable during a recording session, so I've been on a mission to downsize the number of units.

Also, I really want an expander/gate, which is the one feature that my OneQ lacks. I don't have a vocal booth (and am not about to build one in our nice office/studio), so we record the vox right there in my studio, and a lot of noise gets picked up by the mic, which requires more processing time. I'm pretty obsessive when it comes to cleaning up my vocal tracks and can spend hours on them, so I'm looking to minimize some of that on the front end to give me more time to focus on more important tasks (i.e., composing).

Thanks for the input on the Liquid Channel - it seems to be one of those units that people either love or hate. I don't think it's really in the running for me at this point anyway, but I'd still like to know if you can use the convolution models to get de-essing, expansion, gating, etc. or if it's possible to sidechain the various modeled EQs/compressors.

quote:

Originally posted by Zombie0729 maybe it's just me but i barely use the eq's on mic pre's... i tend to do that stuff post, i will boost at the recording stage but with caution.

Same here for the most part. But I'll usually roll the low end off with the EQ when tracking (particularly with females) because it gives me more headroom in the compression stage if I'm running my compressor post-EQ. But, the EQ is also very handy to rough in a decent tone for guitar/bass. With certain EQ settings, my JoeMeek OneQ actually sounds great with my basses and acoustic guitar, so there's a good chance that I'll keep it (for a while at least) even if I do buy a new channel strip.

quote:

Originally posted by Zombie0729 i am by no means an expert in this area so take what i say w/ a "what does this skinny kid really know?" attitude. the last 6 mos w/ about 12 vocal recordings, for the results i'm after the above has worked well.

Hey, it's all good info if it's based on personal experience!

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I understand. It's certainly not a cheap venture.

At the very least do yourself the service of finding a way to listen to one of those Vintech units (either the X73 or 473). It's stunning, really.

quote:

Originally posted by Eric J At the very least do yourself the service of finding a way to listen to one of those Vintech units (either the X73 or 473). It's stunning, really.

I doubt I'll find one around here, but if I do, I'll definitely check it out!

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I prefer to do the more technical stuff ITB ie gating/ de-essing etc. never liked the idea of the boxes that come with everything...prefer to get the loudest clearest best sounding recording then play about with that ITB. Just recently upgraded our studio kit list so vox chain goes...
chandler germainium (for tone)!
focusrite 428 (to split the signal) ie route a dry ish copy into the computer on a seperate channel and send the other version to Langevin Pultec EQ and then Universal Audio 1176. recording in via apogee AD. Does sound massive! the empirical labs distressor is also great on shouty rock/metal vocals... definitly recommended! and yes the 1176 box sounds better than the UAD plugin by some way!

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That sounds like a pretty monster-sounding front end!

BTW, good to see you back, Bob!

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The FMR RNP is supposedly untouchable in the pricerange Dave.

http://www.fmraudio.com/rnp.htm

And that comes from snobs that are on a much higher horse than those at teh slutz.

I'd agree that the rest is handled nicely ITB so maybe upgrade each individual hardware component at a later date. The preamp is at the core of your input path so why not spend on just that for now?

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I just saw this and thought it matched your needs perfectly. Its expensive, but its a Neve.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Portico2

Yeah, the Portico II has been on my lust-list ever since it was announced. But, no expander/gate...

I waited too long and missed out on the 430mkII that I was interested in - oh well, there are plenty of others out there and I've decided that I'm really not in any hurry right now. I'm going to take some time, consider the options, and maybe take a trip to San Francisco in the near future to try some out before buying.

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quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik Yeah, the Portico II has been on my lust-list ever since it was announced. But, no expander/gate... I waited too long and missed out on the 430mkII that I was interested in - oh well, there are plenty of others out there and I've decided that I'm really not in any hurry right now. I'm going to take some time, consider the options, and maybe take a trip to San Francisco in the near future to try some out before buying.

why don't you want to keep the pre-amp and compression/gate duties separate out of interest? I would have thought two boxes would be far more desirable to a man with your GAS and means

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