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I highly recommended the esq1 if you want great 80's dirty poly synth action. A buddy of mine found one for like $50 at a pawn shop in Petaluma last year, best deal ever. If you are into skinny puppy at all, you will instantly recognize and love the sound. Killer filters

nowaysj wrote:For MKS:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321654177740?rmvSB=true

Thanks for this. I am considering it.

knobgoblin wrote:I highly recommended the esq1 if you want great 80's dirty poly synth action. A buddy of mine found one for like $50 at a pawn shop in Petaluma last year, best deal ever. If you are into skinny puppy at all, you will instantly recognize and love the sound. Killer filters

No, I'm not into sp, but I am into the esq-1! Have one local at $200. Trying to get a deal though.

mks wrote:

nowaysj wrote:For MKS:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321654177740?rmvSB=true

Thanks for this. I am considering it.

Or you could try this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/201274421878?rmvSB=true

Six hours, six hours, six hours dougie mks you're on, uh uh on, on.

Picked up a Behringer ADA 8200 to compensate for no mixer.

Now I've got 14 inputs into my comp, will be mixing in there.

But can add mixer later.

mks wrote:

nowaysj wrote:For MKS:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321654177740?rmvSB=true

Thanks for this. I am considering it.

This thing sold for that price, 4hundo.

Weird thing I've noticed using hardware and recording to digital--when I record everything in one take off the 2-bus of my SoundCraft then treat that a little ITB it usually sounds pretty fucking good. But if I record multi tracks of hardware and try to mix it ITB its an uphill battle. Is it because I'm stacking noise? Do I need to pay more attention to gain staging each track I record?

Usually the chain is instrument > patch bay > usually routing to an FX unit via patch bay > mixer > MOTU line in. All synths, samplers and drum machines.

Had the module version of the ESQ-1. Sounded nice but was fucking horrible to program.

That's just sealy.

Dude, I'm losing my mind. Wrote out a big reply to you frag. Lost. I even read it after posting it. Okay, whatever. Going to stare at the ceiling for a few hours now. Peace.

nowaysj wrote:Dude, I'm losing my mind. Wrote out a big reply to you frag. Lost. I even read it after posting it. Okay, whatever. Going to stare at the ceiling for a few hours now. Peace.

I swear. This forum eats my posts on a regular basis. I appreciate the effort none the less.

I'm sure I can search about gearslutz for some answers as well.

Short version: ACP-88

Haha.

Your stuff from like a year ago, felt like dynamics needed controlling. ACP-88 gives you 4 stereo comps for like $175 in a 2ru. Or 8 mono comps. Has noise gates too.

Also side chains, and key inputs. Fucks of yes mate. You can do some real nice mighty things with sidechains and keys.

Dirty drums, with like a lot of sizzly air through gate... hmmmm. Love the sound of a gate closing on the sizzle, a quick shshsh, and then it clears up the space for other elements.

But I feel like it is a way to get your levels up, and get them more consistent and balanced.

nowaysj wrote:Short version: ACP-88

Haha.

Your stuff from like a year ago, felt like dynamics needed controlling. ACP-88 gives you 4 stereo comps for like $175 in a 2ru. Or 8 mono comps. Has noise gates too.

Also side chains, and key inputs. Fucks of yes mate. You can do some real nice mighty things with sidechains and keys.

Dirty drums, with like a lot of sizzly air through gate... hmmmm. Love the sound of a gate closing on the sizzle, a quick shshsh, and then it clears up the space for other elements.

But I feel like it is a way to get your levels up, and get them more consistent and balanced.

Spot on. A year ago I was probably using no compression. Different story now : ) I've got three channels of stereo compression at the moment. Granted...one is the 3630

Does it matter if I compress before or after I record?

Seemingly simple questions have larger dialogs attached to them.

Personally, I like to track with compression, maybe not the full on deal, but I like to shape the sound otb, then capture that.

It is preference really.

But you record a stereo input, all your sounds are already smushed together. There isn't much you can do short of coockoo multiband compression and weird eq'ing to level out voices in that mix, you know. So I would be even more inclined to track with compression, if I was then going to just record a stereo mix. I'd save the comps for the instruments that need it most in the mix and just go from there. Maybe your drum sounds are going to be so peaky, they can be address later with master compression, but bass voices, goofy filter sweeping synths, they could stand some leveling out.

Again, that is me, and I'm hardly known for quality mixes.

nowaysj wrote:Seemingly simple questions have larger dialogs attached to them.

Personally, I like to track with compression, maybe not the full on deal, but I like to shape the sound otb, then capture that.

It is preference really.

But you record a stereo input, all your sounds are already smushed together. There isn't much you can do short of coockoo multiband compression and weird eq'ing to level out voices in that mix, you know. So I would be even more inclined to track with compression, if I was then going to just record a stereo mix. I'd save the comps for the instruments that need it most in the mix and just go from there. Maybe your drum sounds are going to be so peaky, they can be address later with master compression, but bass voices, goofy filter sweeping synths, they could stand some leveling out.

Again, that is me, and I'm hardly known for quality mixes.

Yes. That makes sense.

I guess my issue is...my OTB mixes sound pretty damn good (IMO) when I record just a stereo track of a whole song to the computer. But if I record each instrument separately and try to mix in the box things seem to turn out complete shit. And I just don't get it. I can take the same mix OTB...record one stereo track...sounds good. Record each part and combine the tracks ITB, sounds like a fooking mess : (

Not to badger you for info Nowaysj or anyone else really...just perplexes me.

I've started composing in a way that is new to me--which is to arrange full tracks using place holder sounds. I don't worry about choosing just the right drum samples, I use really basic patches on 3xOSC and just write the tune all the way through, then when I have a solid tune written I get into sound design, texture and mixing. So far, I've been doing this all in the box. Obviously I'd like to start incorporating my hardware to this process, but I'm worried that when I start recording a bunch of hardware sounds I'm going to have a similar mess on my hands.

I'm sure I'm not being clear enough here.

I feel like the issue is noise floor/bad gain staging so that when I start stacking recordings of my hardware I get a muddy/noisy mess. Its not TERRIBLE...but I'd like it to sound marginally better than if I were using a cheap 80's 4 track!

fragments wrote:I guess my issue is...my OTB mixes sound pretty damn good (IMO) when I record just a stereo track of a whole song to the computer. But if I record each instrument separately and try to mix in the box things seem to turn out complete shit. And I just don't get it. I can take the same mix OTB...record one stereo track...sounds good. Record each part and combine the tracks ITB, sounds like a fooking mess : (

Well this is a tough one. A paramount consideration is to know the truth. It is hard. What is really happening? I think people that make really quality work do so because they know what is happening. The see/hear what is really going on. A lot of time ego is in the way, we can't perceive the truth because or own self perception is in the way. Really tough one to get past.

So what is really going on here? Two spheres, there is actually something physically going on, or is there something emotional/intellectual/workflow that is different. What do you think:

Physical:
1. Summing in the mixer rather than in the box.
2. Timing issues with your midi or audio I/O.
3. Noise/poor sound quality from your channel level outputs, rather than superior sound quality of master/tape whatever out.
4. Different quality inputs on your audio io, or your AD doesn't sound that good so stacks up for fog/haze.
5. Virtual devices don't sound as good as hardware.

Workflow:
1. The mix devices you use in virtual land.
2. More options = more problems.
3. Push sounds too far.
4. Use your eyes rather than hands and ears.
5. Too easy to loop, causing physical/emotional ear fatigue.

fragments wrote:I've started composing in a way that is new to me--which is to arrange full tracks using place holder sounds. I don't worry about choosing just the right drum samples, I use really basic patches on 3xOSC and just write the tune all the way through, then when I have a solid tune written I get into sound design, texture and mixing.

Dope, whatever works, right. There are so many different workflows. It's great to try different approaches, see what works, see what can work from one, with parts of another.

fragments wrote:So far, I've been doing this all in the box. Obviously I'd like to start incorporating my hardware to this process, but I'm worried that when I start recording a bunch of hardware sounds I'm going to have a similar mess on my hands.

Well that really depends. Are you just making individual little sounds then sampling/sequencing in the computer, or are you writing full lines? Are you then doing everything outside with hardware all at the same time?

fragments wrote:Its not TERRIBLE...but I'd like it to sound marginally better than if I were using a cheap 80's 4 track!

I take offense.

Someone mentioned the BCR as a stepsequencer.

Well thar she blows:





The Zaquencer.

https://zaqaudio.com/

^I sincerely (SINCERELY) appreciate your effort with this post. I'm going to respond tomorrow when I'm sober and have had time to think and respond thoughtfully. There is truly, SO much to consider, and I think this will help a lot.

Also...no offense intended with the 4 track comment... ;p

nowaysj wrote:

mks wrote:

nowaysj wrote:For MKS:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/321654177740?rmvSB=true

Thanks for this. I am considering it.

This thing sold for that price, 4hundo.

Cheers, I am in no rush atm, that is a good price though. If I bought it now it would just sit around. I am so busy with work and school. Jeez, I can't wait to get back to the days where I get off work and I don't have to do shit but make music.

I probably will get it soon though. I might do the Sweetwater 3 payment plan and get the 2 year warranty. But really, I have bigger fish to fry. I need to get out of this apartment for many reasons and my car is on the fritz.

Cars are a drag.