What are your favorite bang for the buck equipment secrets
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From: AKA gray asphalt on 2 Apr 2008 20:13 On Apr 2, 12:22 pm, "malachi" <j...(a)trentes.com> wrote: > You know what I mean, that rare piece of gear or software that is > ridiculously cheap, yet performs like gear many times its price. > > Who can forget when TP and Pete L first raved in here about the Studio > Projects C1? Or the VTB1? > > Or the Oktava MC012? > > We should start a running list of found deals like this. > > Here's my list: > > 1) Roland SRV-3030D Digital Reverb. ($175 - $300) This is a 24 bit hardware > reverb unit that sounds spectacular. If you buy one, know that they come in > two flavors, one without digital ins and outs (SRV-3030) and one with spdif > ins and outs (SRV-3030D). The analog ins and outs sound pretty good but the > digital inputs and outputs sound incredible. You can probably find one of > these on eBay for about $250.00. They originally sold in 1999 for about a > grand. The unit has 100 presets and 100 user defined programs, and if you > can find an obsolete and very elusive 2 or 4Mb 5V smartmedia card, you can > expand the program memory to 1000 user defined programs as well as your own > sampled preview sounds. > > http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-SRV-3030D-24bit-Digital-Reverb-with-Digita... > > 2) MCA SP1 Microphone ($39.00) Yes, you read that price correctly. No, it's > not a piece of junk. But this one is qualified. It sounds ok out of the > "box" (actually, it comes packaged in a blister pak), but modified with two > dollars worth of better capacitors, and burned in for about 24 hours, it > sounds really really nice. It's a medium diaphragm side address condenser > and once modded, it's easily worth ten times the price. A pair would be > great on drum OH's and it does a very honest, non-boomy job on acoustic > guitar. It's also a pretty fine VO mike. > > Here's where I bought mine: > > http://www.pssl.com/Search?q=sp1&by=s&x=31&y=8 > > Here's how to modify it (these instructions are for an MXL 603, but it's the > same circuit board): > > http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5156&highlight=mxl+6... > > The numbers of the capacitors you need: > > Digikey Part No. ECQ-V1H224JL (.22uf Metal Film Panasonic caps. You'll need > two per mic.) > > Mouser Part No. 23PW210 (.001uf/1000pf Xicon Styroflex polystyrene cap. > You'll need one per mic.) > > The mod is quick and easy for anyone with minimal soldiering skills. If I > could do it, you can do it. > > After you have done the mod, hook the mic up to phantom power and let it > cook for at least 24 hours, afterwards you'll notice a beautiful full bottom > end, a smooth mid and high end without the strident highs you often hear in > mics from the far east. > > 3) ART PRO VLA stereo tube compressor. I know, I know, if it has to tell > you it's "pro", it ain't. > And to be honest, for $200.00 new, don't expect an LA-2A. But it's a very > nice, quiet, transparent compressor that will warm up the sound beautifully > without a fakey vintage plugin sound. At this price you can't go wrong with > at least one of these. (And don't rule it out because it's from ART. Just > don't, Ok?) > > http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--ART212 > > These are my finds, how about yours? > > malachi Midiox and Midiyoke
From: malachi on 2 Apr 2008 20:58 "Ricky Hunt" <rhunt22(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:TRUIj.49987$TT4.1297(a)attbi_s22... > "malachi" <junk(a)trentes.com> wrote in message > news:2PSIj.21127$xq2.10444(a)newssvr21.news.prodigy.net... >> >> Ricky, >> >> See my original post, the MCA SP1 is basically an MXL-603 circuit with a >> medium diaphragm in a U87 type body. >> >> I bought a pair for $39 each and modded them for about another $12. >> They're fantastic! > > Yes. I caught that after the fact. I think I'll leave my 603 as is for now > since it sounds so good (Brent at Marshall tweaked it when I sent it in so > he may have done something to it but it sounds great). I'd definitely like > to try the mods on the mic you mentioned though. You don't have and > before/after samples do you? The ones in the article's links where dead. > Here's a page with a bunch of mic tests including a before and after mod comparison of the SP-1. My personal experience with them is similar to this test. malachi
From: malachi on 2 Apr 2008 21:03 "malachi" <junk(a)trentes.com> wrote in message news:IYVIj.11648$qS5.9693(a)nlpi069.nbdc.sbc.com... > > "Ricky Hunt" <rhunt22(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message > news:TRUIj.49987$TT4.1297(a)attbi_s22... >> "malachi" <junk(a)trentes.com> wrote in message >> news:2PSIj.21127$xq2.10444(a)newssvr21.news.prodigy.net... >>> >>> Ricky, > Here's a page with a bunch of mic tests including a before and after mod > comparison of the SP-1. http://www.vocalimpactmedia.com/SoundStorage.html > > My personal experience with them is similar to this test. > > malachi > Sorry, duh.
From: BobF on 2 Apr 2008 22:36 "Ricky Hunt" <rhunt22(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:b2SIj.49816$TT4.12325(a)attbi_s22... > "malachi" <junk(a)trentes.com> wrote in message > news:b2RIj.26789$Ch6.6281(a)newssvr11.news.prodigy.net... >> You know what I mean, that rare piece of gear or software that is >> ridiculously cheap, yet performs like gear many times its price. > > > M-Audio Omni i/O. Just a great all-around router/mixer with very decent > preamps that sound wonderful as DI for bass guitar. > +1 for the Omni. A -very- nifty little piece of gear.
From: Frank l on 2 Apr 2008 23:08
I remember the C1, I was one of the first buyers. One of the many, many things this great NG has helped me with. Frank L "malachi" <junk(a)trentes.com> wrote in message news:b2RIj.26789$Ch6.6281(a)newssvr11.news.prodigy.net... > You know what I mean, that rare piece of gear or software that is > ridiculously cheap, yet performs like gear many times its price. > > Who can forget when TP and Pete L first raved in here about the Studio > Projects C1? Or the VTB1? > > Or the Oktava MC012? > > We should start a running list of found deals like this. > > Here's my list: > > 1) Roland SRV-3030D Digital Reverb. ($175 - $300) This is a 24 bit > hardware reverb unit that sounds spectacular. If you buy one, know that > they come in two flavors, one without digital ins and outs (SRV-3030) and > one with spdif ins and outs (SRV-3030D). The analog ins and outs sound > pretty good but the digital inputs and outputs sound incredible. You can > probably find one of these on eBay for about $250.00. They originally > sold in 1999 for about a grand. The unit has 100 presets and 100 user > defined programs, and if you can find an obsolete and very elusive 2 or > 4Mb 5V smartmedia card, you can expand the program memory to 1000 user > defined programs as well as your own sampled preview sounds. > > http://cgi.ebay.com/Roland-SRV-3030D-24bit-Digital-Reverb-with-Digital-I-O_W0QQitemZ350018325970QQihZ022QQcategoryZ23790QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem > > > 2) MCA SP1 Microphone ($39.00) Yes, you read that price correctly. No, > it's not a piece of junk. But this one is qualified. It sounds ok out of > the "box" (actually, it comes packaged in a blister pak), but modified > with two dollars worth of better capacitors, and burned in for about 24 > hours, it sounds really really nice. It's a medium diaphragm side address > condenser and once modded, it's easily worth ten times the price. A pair > would be great on drum OH's and it does a very honest, non-boomy job on > acoustic guitar. It's also a pretty fine VO mike. > > Here's where I bought mine: > > http://www.pssl.com/Search?q=sp1&by=s&x=31&y=8 > > Here's how to modify it (these instructions are for an MXL 603, but it's > the same circuit board): > > http://www.prodigy-pro.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5156&highlight=mxl+603+mods > > The numbers of the capacitors you need: > > Digikey Part No. ECQ-V1H224JL (.22uf Metal Film Panasonic caps. You'll > need two per mic.) > > Mouser Part No. 23PW210 (.001uf/1000pf Xicon Styroflex polystyrene cap. > You'll need one per mic.) > > The mod is quick and easy for anyone with minimal soldiering skills. If I > could do it, you can do it. > > After you have done the mod, hook the mic up to phantom power and let it > cook for at least 24 hours, afterwards you'll notice a beautiful full > bottom end, a smooth mid and high end without the strident highs you often > hear in mics from the far east. > > 3) ART PRO VLA stereo tube compressor. I know, I know, if it has to tell > you it's "pro", it ain't. > And to be honest, for $200.00 new, don't expect an LA-2A. But it's a very > nice, quiet, transparent compressor that will warm up the sound > beautifully without a fakey vintage plugin sound. At this price you can't > go wrong with at least one of these. (And don't rule it out because it's > from ART. Just don't, Ok?) > > http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--ART212 > > These are my finds, how about yours? > > malachi > > |