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Forums - Mixing & FX
Subject: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
Original Message 1/17 10-Sep-02 @ 08:38 AM - gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
RWOOOOOOAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH
DAMN!
Ok. I got a hold of a DBX 386 which is a "tube" mic pre...has inserts on the back, and a DA converter (which i thought would be nifty)
I figured I could use these two as a tracking path so I could get that...awww you know...thick...tubes...fat...blah blah blah
but FCK me if this just aint workin!!!!!
I know the 386 works cuz I had to take it to the damn shop cuz some asshole on ebay pawned it off on me semi-broken (claiming it was perfect) so..its fixed...and its getting and passing signal...
but i have to CRANK the inputs and outputs ALL THE WAY full to get a hot signal out the SPDIF out (coax) and it doesnt do SHIT to the sound!!!!!!!!! well...doesnt sound like it at least
then theres the inserts. Puttin that little rinky meek C2 on there...everything seems cool...but FCK ME if some WEIRD shit aint happenin...
dammit I would have to take NOTES to explain this shit...
for starters..if I turn the input down on the C2 (its a stereo unit, so...) then the left side still plays out on a stereo sound....but then when I turn it up...the right side fills in?
you know what? FCK THIS SHIT. This is just too much for me. God Damn soundcard sounds FINE on its own...so screw this...
I gotta admit its well-nigh impossible for me to just let something go when its not working..I want to know WHY?!?!?!
one thought...Im using balanced patch cables in an unbalanced patchbay..any reason why that would be a problem? Damn GC didnt have the unbalanced ones MFers...
I suspect that has something to do with this nonsnse...
DAMN!
Ok. I got a hold of a DBX 386 which is a "tube" mic pre...has inserts on the back, and a DA converter (which i thought would be nifty)
I figured I could use these two as a tracking path so I could get that...awww you know...thick...tubes...fat...blah blah blah
but FCK me if this just aint workin!!!!!
I know the 386 works cuz I had to take it to the damn shop cuz some asshole on ebay pawned it off on me semi-broken (claiming it was perfect) so..its fixed...and its getting and passing signal...
but i have to CRANK the inputs and outputs ALL THE WAY full to get a hot signal out the SPDIF out (coax) and it doesnt do SHIT to the sound!!!!!!!!! well...doesnt sound like it at least
then theres the inserts. Puttin that little rinky meek C2 on there...everything seems cool...but FCK ME if some WEIRD shit aint happenin...
dammit I would have to take NOTES to explain this shit...
for starters..if I turn the input down on the C2 (its a stereo unit, so...) then the left side still plays out on a stereo sound....but then when I turn it up...the right side fills in?
you know what? FCK THIS SHIT. This is just too much for me. God Damn soundcard sounds FINE on its own...so screw this...
I gotta admit its well-nigh impossible for me to just let something go when its not working..I want to know WHY?!?!?!
one thought...Im using balanced patch cables in an unbalanced patchbay..any reason why that would be a problem? Damn GC didnt have the unbalanced ones MFers...
I suspect that has something to do with this nonsnse...
Message 2/17 10-Sep-02 @ 09:00 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
Could be your cables, could be you've got a poxy tube, too. Tubes are odd beasts. Some machines/amps have to have a set of well matched tubes of approximately the same number of "use hours" or they sometimes act... odd.
A good tube machine can add a little warm saturation without it getting too grainy, and it can make some of the tastiest distortion you can find (IMHO). Dunna give up on it yet good Influx. =)
A good tube machine can add a little warm saturation without it getting too grainy, and it can make some of the tastiest distortion you can find (IMHO). Dunna give up on it yet good Influx. =)
Message 3/17 10-Sep-02 @ 09:11 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
well...Ive been fiddling with it since I posted that...and...
I CANT EVEN GET IT TO DISTORT DAMMIT!
its not the tubes, its not the cables (I mean theyre not 'bad')...
hell...I dunno...
any other suggestions on something to track through? Anyone ever used a compounder?
anyone wanna buy me an Empirical Labs Fatso? I'll be your friend!
I CANT EVEN GET IT TO DISTORT DAMMIT!
its not the tubes, its not the cables (I mean theyre not 'bad')...
hell...I dunno...
any other suggestions on something to track through? Anyone ever used a compounder?
anyone wanna buy me an Empirical Labs Fatso? I'll be your friend!
Message 4/17 10-Sep-02 @ 09:28 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
Sorry, can't really help you out much here. Most of my experience with tubes has been on Marshall, Mesa Boogie, and Laney amps. Aside from that, I've had a little time on the Avalon 737 and the En-Voice Tube Compressor, neither of which I've ever tried to get "real" distortion from.... It might be like the old tube amps, sometimes you have to get stupid with pushing them before they "let the light shine through". Maybe throw it against a wall or pour tepid tea into the casing.... should make it do sumpin'.... Sorry bout that.... just feelin...odd.
Hey, you don't know of a cheap MY8-AT for sale do ya? Doin' a few final bits of upgrading before we move into a new studio....
Peas
Hey, you don't know of a cheap MY8-AT for sale do ya? Doin' a few final bits of upgrading before we move into a new studio....
Peas
Message 5/17 10-Sep-02 @ 09:36 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
I think you may be giving it a weak signal. It wants a balanced, +4 signal I bet, and everything in MIDIland is unbalanced, -10. Do you have any kind of amp you can put in the line?
psylichon
psylichon
Message 6/17 10-Sep-02 @ 09:37 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
hard to say whats wrong like that. and dbx site is so crap i cant find any _usefull_ info on the unit. its probably simply not made to distort, with its internal headroom being much bigger that the input drive range (which i think is the case), and typeIV conversion on the output.
in that price range i rather liked mindprint t-comp (yes, i´ll mention it yet again), wchis is a 2ch. comp with separate tube drive knob beside the i/o level knobs, so you can add as much tube "warmth" or propper distortion while still keeping your levels in check. plus it has optional spdif i/o. only thing is, its not a pre amp, but maybe their other products let you do the same thing.
in that price range i rather liked mindprint t-comp (yes, i´ll mention it yet again), wchis is a 2ch. comp with separate tube drive knob beside the i/o level knobs, so you can add as much tube "warmth" or propper distortion while still keeping your levels in check. plus it has optional spdif i/o. only thing is, its not a pre amp, but maybe their other products let you do the same thing.
Message 7/17 10-Sep-02 @ 09:57 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
"I think you may be giving it a weak signal. It wants a balanced, +4 signal I bet, and everything in MIDIland is unbalanced, -10. Do you have any kind of amp you can put in the line? "
but wait..isnt that what the damn thing is FOR? taking a line level signal like a synth output (which...arent they pretty in hot anyway?!?!?) and treating it?
maybe I should be looking at a different setup...kinda have my eye on a compounder...but I liked the idea of the digital converter
and still...with the C2 compressor inserted...I really should be able to get the thing really crankin, no?
but wait..isnt that what the damn thing is FOR? taking a line level signal like a synth output (which...arent they pretty in hot anyway?!?!?) and treating it?
maybe I should be looking at a different setup...kinda have my eye on a compounder...but I liked the idea of the digital converter
and still...with the C2 compressor inserted...I really should be able to get the thing really crankin, no?
Message 8/17 10-Sep-02 @ 10:04 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
oh and thanks Milan...lookin at the mindprint stuff right now
I dunno...heres a thought? do I really need to track through something? I mean...does it make a difference?
ive got that UAD-1 workin perfectly...so maybe that can get me the type of sound I want?
I dont mean to place emphasis on the distortion thing..that wasnt my main goal..but I would like to be able to get it to do that if I want...
the fact that I have to literally put both the input and output pots to FULL to get a full signal trips me out
I dunno...heres a thought? do I really need to track through something? I mean...does it make a difference?
ive got that UAD-1 workin perfectly...so maybe that can get me the type of sound I want?
I dont mean to place emphasis on the distortion thing..that wasnt my main goal..but I would like to be able to get it to do that if I want...
the fact that I have to literally put both the input and output pots to FULL to get a full signal trips me out
Message 9/17 10-Sep-02 @ 10:16 AM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
and NO ONE CARRIES THE DAMN THING
steinberg supposed to? didnt see it there.
feck
steinberg supposed to? didnt see it there.
feck
Message 10/17 10-Sep-02 @ 04:08 PM - RE: gosh durn frickin DBX 386+Meek C2
what card have you got, mr influx? because if its something decent, and the UAD 1176´s and LA-2A´s sound anything like the real thing, then you should have all the "phatness" you need right there, no? i mean, i dont see you as the guy to get caught up in the tube craze, so is there a reason why you want a separate pre?
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