Upgrading My Vocal Chain Part 3: Choosing a Hardware Preamp for my Home Studio

Рет қаралды 6,984

Күн бұрын

Is getting a hardware preamp necessary? Not really. However I love the sound of a hardware preamp. Even though most people won't be able to tell the difference between hardware and software pres, I can hear it. That extra 10% improvement in depth and warmth is worth it to me. It may not be worth it to you and thats OK. I'm just sharing my vocal chain in hopes that it could help someone out there.
Neve 5211
www.zzounds.com/a--3979345/ite...
Warm Audio WA273-EQ 1073
www.zzounds.com/a--3979345/it...
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I am a music producer, songwriter, artist, and filmmaker, based in Atlanta. I offer creative consulting, music production, songwriting, and visual production for artists here and all over the world.
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DAWS
Ableton Live 11
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MUSIC EQUIPMENT
My Favorite Mic
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UAD Apollo X4
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Apogee Symphony Desktop
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Preamp Neve 5211
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UAD Apollo Twin X
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MPC LIVE 2
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Пікірлер: 79

@30killabeatz Жыл бұрын

yea that 5211 is solid bro! Keep it up gang! 💪🏽

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Thanks bro! Appreciate you watching

@JaeBTundra1 Жыл бұрын

Got 2 love rupert neve. Good video my man. I hear big difference between them. Nothing is like the real thing.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Thanks bro! Yea I love the sound I’m getting! I appreciate you watching

@JaeBTundra1 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de no problem. Keep making these videos.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@JaeBTundra1 yessir!

@onethousandtwonortheast8848 2 ай бұрын

I have compared a 5211 to my vintage Neve1064. They were very, very close. Now, mind you, the inductor EQ section of the 1064 is jaw dropping good.

@jacksp8de 2 ай бұрын

That’s good to know. I recently switched to the Newton channel. It has a 5211 style preamp but also has eq and compressor. It’s basically my entire vocal chain at the moment

@TheHonestTruth Жыл бұрын

Gotta make these audio clips the same volume. The WA is comp4essed a bit but it fits incredibly well in the mix. The ne4e is musical af. Good head4oom too

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

That’s dope! Glad I could help! I decided to keep both of these pres, they are both really dope.

@kingyasofficial Жыл бұрын

5211 🔥

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Yup that’s the one I’m keeping

@kevinlentz7604 Жыл бұрын

Have 2 273 warm and Townsend into pro vla compressor absolutely LOVE IT

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

That’s dope!! Yea it’s definitely a fire combo

@alextorchio5625 Жыл бұрын

Man, I have this set up: Sphere + Neve 5211: Agree that real analog pre amp are another level (and I used to use UAD unison preamp, not the cheapest ones), with real analog you get an even and consistent audio track. Speaking about vocals, with digital pre amp I used to get too dynamic tracks. Thanks for the video, keep going!

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Yes and you get a much fuller sound. That 5211 is sooo dope!!! I’m sending the wa73 back for a heritage audio britstrip. I still want the option of a 1073 style preamp but I think there are better clones out there. But even the wa73 sounds better than the unison because you really can’t beat analog. This has me looking into an outboard compressor as well. Most pros in the industry have an analog pre and compressor.

@alextorchio5625 Жыл бұрын

Definitely right

@vminator 4 ай бұрын

I have the 5211, WA273 EQ, and WA273. I got rid of the WA273 EQ. The EQ sounds really brittle and is not the same EQ as the 1073. No inductors in the EQ circuit at all.

@jacksp8de 4 ай бұрын

Nice! Yeah I agree. I have the Neve Newton Channel, same preamp as the 5211 but with eq and compression. It’s my favorite piece of gear

@drakewatkins2624 Жыл бұрын

That 5211 made your mic sound like a tube mic wow 🔥

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

I know what you mean, even though what I was using is a tube mic, the 5211 made the sound more pronounced. Thanks for watching!

@drakewatkins2624 Жыл бұрын

Ok so far as thick and warm go would you prefer this over the bae 1073 and the neve spx I’ve been looking at the 3 I’ve got a tlm 49 it’s not a tube mic so idk how warm or what kinda sound that 5211 would provide thanks 🙏

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@drakewatkins2624 from my limited knowledge of the bae, I’ve heard that it is more close to the vintage neve 1073, the 5211 is a different tone. It’s hard to say which you would prefer unless you hear it. Maybe find some examples on the tubes

@johnstarks5323 Жыл бұрын

NEVE 5211 100% SILK 7:46 WA73 W/EQ & TONE 8:15

@OmgItsAlexOfficial Жыл бұрын

The Neve has this lower end/mid bloom and forwardness that I didn't hear in the warm.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Yes exactly! just more open in general and it’s so musically satisfying. I would love to get my hands on a real 1073 to compare or at least a BAE

@OmgItsAlexOfficial Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de I just bought the heritage audio 81a. It's a 1073 preamp into 81 style eq. Going to test it this week!

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@OmgItsAlexOfficial awesome let me know how that goes! It looks like I’ll be getting the heritage audio britstrip next month

@archiebeatz Жыл бұрын

Hahahahaha, the baby zebra, lol. Great info brother.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Thanks my bro! I don’t know why it’s always a animal metaphor 🤣

@2dboo11 Жыл бұрын

I got the townsend labs hook up to the WA 273 PRE. it sound dam good. I bet it sound better with that Neve 5211

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

My boy had both of those preamps and he liked the WA273 better. I like the 5211 better so it’s just a personal choice. They both great

@2dboo11 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de do you think the wa 8000 sound better in the mix. Sometimes the Townsend sound thin to me.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@2dboo11 I think the wa8000 is thicker but the Townsend is not too thin. It’s been used for rich the kid, gunna and I think young thug. I think the wa8000 just has more information than a normal mic.

@pushadoublegg4355 8 ай бұрын

What’s your eq setting on the warm audio

@jacksp8de 8 ай бұрын

Can’t remember but I usually I just slightly boost the highs. I returned the warm a while back

@Mikey__R Жыл бұрын

I totally get what you mean about analogue kit. Even if it's just a placebo, if it makes me play better, it's worth it. I've been on a spending spree, picking up some valve preamps and compressors that I had been lusting after for two decades now. I'm rebuilding my studio and looking forward to the new ways of working they'll enable.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! It’s definitely not a placebo. I find that even a “budget” compressor like the WA2A, sounds better than any software LA2A including from UA. Hardware sounds better. Software is close though so you don’t need hardware but most pop and rap stars at least have a hardware preamp and a compressor. Usually a 1073 and LA2A or CL1B

@Mikey__R Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de you're definitely several levels up from where I am! I'd love that kind of kit but I'm more of a TL Audio / DBX kinda guy right now. Give me time though!

@ernestdaniels1671 Жыл бұрын

The WA73-EQ with the EQ and with the Tone Button pressed in was better than the Neve 511. I didn't hear much of a difference with the 511 using Silk at 50 % or 100% That WA73-EQ can be either on or off but if you need it, it's there to add lift at 12 K, or take some of the bass out of your voice. I gotta get me either two of them or a dual unit.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

I like the 5211 because it’s clean and modern sounding and it pushes things forward but I do like the WA73 because it’s buttery smooth and it’s that classic sound. I sent the WA73 back for the 2 channel WA273 and I kept the Neve as well. They both sound amazing and I like having options

@ernestdaniels1671 Жыл бұрын

I also purchased a WA2-73EQ, I love it on vocals going into the compressor. Also on my master bus, I run the mix through the WA2-73EQ stereo channel

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@ernestdaniels1671 Oh that’s dope running it through your master! I’m new to hardware so I’m not sure how to do that but I bet it sounds good

@ernestdaniels1671 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de Jack it depends on the number of outputs your audio interface has, I have a Focusrite Scarlet 18i20 so there are 8 lines in and 10 lines out and then I can use additional Digital Outs using ADAT. Since I have the 10 physical outputs, I can connect the hardware directly to the ins and outs of the hardware and then you can use your DAW's inserts and Outputs for sending the signal. I on the other hand, use a Samson S Plus patchbay, so I have all of my gear going in and out of the patchbay and this allows me to route the hardware any way I want. Basically I use my External Insert from my DAW to place the two WA2 Preamps to 9/10 which is connected to the inputs on the patchbay for my MIx bus and run the whole mix through the WA2 EQ's and send them out using 9/10 outs which is the patchbay going to the WA2 outputs which hits the Outputs on my audio interface Input 9/10 > WA2EQ L& R > 9/10 out on the mixbus. Tune to taste and send to main outs to print. There are good videos on using hardware on the mix bus. | kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b5ZlmM5pm5-tmas.html

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@ernestdaniels1671 Thank you! That’s really helpful. I have an Apollo X4 and I only use 2 outputs for the monitors, maybe this can work for me. I’ll check out the video thanks again!

@v3zMedia Жыл бұрын

You'll never hear the true tone of your preams with the desktop Apollo's. You can't bypass the internal pres on them. I bought a Presonus Quantum 26x32 for this reason and now my X4 is for the SM7B and portable use.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

You’re right but it’s not too bad imo, I like the sound I’m getting overall. I can bypass the pres on my apogee desktop but I like the tone I’m getting with my neve preamp going into the Apollo. It’s a nice warm sound

@v3zMedia Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de I understand. I like to let people know about this cause most people are unaware of it. UA did a good job of not being upfront about it over the years. 😂

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@v3zMedia 😂 yeah man I didn’t want to get into their ecosystem either since I got so many plugins but they got me with those unison plugs, it comes in handy when I’m away from my pre. It works so well with the Townsend mic

@v3zMedia Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de them buying out Townsend Lab was brilliant. It's almost the only solid reason to buy the desktop models at this point with the recent competition in the under $1k price range. Can't beat the portability and flexibility of that combo.

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Facts bro! I’m so not a tech person I just want convenience and quality

@future_Victoryofficial Жыл бұрын

Wa 8000 with each 73 EQ IS better

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

the wa8000 does well with the wa73 makes sense it’s the same company. I prefer the 5211 for other mics

@jinxypoes1 Жыл бұрын

the wa sounds better on my phone

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

Do you listen to all of your music that way?

@jinxypoes1 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de noop in my studio as well ,but on a phone you can hear it 2,more bite.. you can here good quality vocals on a phone as well as 2000 dollar speakers if its high end,its your years that count ,i have an expensive studio as well,thats why you need very smal speakers as monitor 2 in your setup,and on my home cinema i can direct tell if its good or bad 2

@jacksp8de Жыл бұрын

@@jinxypoes1 oh ok I gotcha yes I think the WA is great! I prefer the sound of the 5211 and I have a Heritage Audio for my 1073 clone. But I liked the WA as well, I just review this stuff and buy what I want for myself. There’s so much good stuff to choose from

@jinxypoes1 Жыл бұрын

@@jacksp8de my vocals goes to a m5 avalon in a slate digital mike with emulation,the rest is tweaking for me,sometimes a run it thrue the ssl fusion vintage drive,its all about color so it sits right in the mix without tweaking to mutch my opinion,every voice is different 2.. and each mike gives another eq curve,so its searching what fits the best :)