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 What's New At Mesa?1) Three Mark of the Unicorn HD 192 audio interfaces (36 I/Os of 192 kHz Audio) and an Apogee Big Ben Master Clock running on a PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5Ghz computer.An exciting addition to Mesa's recording arsenal is a MOTU 36 input 192 kHz recording system clocked by an Apogee Big Ben master clock. Utilizing three of Mark Of The Unicorn's new HD 192 audio interfaces and running MOTU's Digital Performer 4.5x on a PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5Ghz computer. It is Mesa's new multi-track recorder. The current version of Digital Performer is 4.52 and it runs rock solid on Apple's new Tiger operating system! My reason for choosing this system was value and sound quality. How do the new converters sound? In one word, fantastic! Following are a few excerpts from Michael Cooper reviews in the December, 2003 MIX Magazine. "The HD 192's A/Ds sound dramatically superior to any other outboard ADCs (including the Apogee AD16) that I've heard in this price range. The HD 192's D/A converters presented a flat spectral balance, devoid of the typical peaks and blurriness in the upper bass and low mids that inexpensive converters routinely manifest . . . When clocked from an Apogee Big Ben the results were astounding. The overall sound of the HD 192s was dramatically warmer (i.e., less edgy) the high end far sweeter and the spectral balance noticeably smoother, on par with the Apogee Rosetta 96 at the 96kHz sample rate. This rig sounds fantastic at 24bit/44.1kHz, which is the most popular tracking resolution. ^ to top 2) Apogee Big Ben Master ClockThis unit has been modified by ZCable. (www.zcable.com). One of the internal modifications has disabled the Toslink Output. The Toslink output was putting noise into the SPDIF and AES outputs. Therefore, this unit's SPDIF and AES outputs sound much better than the stock Apogee BIG BEN. It is more open, transparent, organic, and natural. So, as good as the reviews say this unit is...this one is even better...about 30% better! That's from the owner of Zcable, who owned and thoroughly tested two Big Bens. I don't think the Toslink noise affected the Word Clock outputs. Following are a few reviews. "The truth here is the Big Ben improved the overall quality of my system to a level I did not think could exist after many months of evaluation. In professional audio the Big Ben is already making noises, astonishing users with its ability to create crystal clear clarity and natural quality in recordings while providing flexibility and features like no other clock had done to date. The Big Ben actually appears to create a better atmosphere for detail and image specificity. I hear more instrument separation, overtones, as well as harmonic cues." ~ Excerpts from the Stereo Times by Clement Perry & Key Kim September 2004 "This groundbreaking box gets my highest recommendation. You'll be amazed!" ~ Michael Cooper MIX Magazine December 2003 "I was really shocked ...by the difference that the Big Ben made in the sound. It truly enhances the definition and clarity in a mix. I plan to put a Big Ben in every studio here at NRG." ~ Jay Baumgardner (Producer, Engineer, Mixer) "Many of my clients spend a lot of money on outboard converters, I truly believe the BIG BEN is the most cost effective way to extract the best performance possible from the converters you already own." ~ Paul Levy Owner - Advanced Audio 3) The PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5Ghz computerOn this computer, now running Mac OS Tiger, you can finally have all the high sample rate tracks, Altiverbs, MachFive, Waves Platinum 5.xx, PSP Audioware, Antares, MOTU and other plug-ins that you need. We also have Melodyne 2.6 Studio Edition and the UA UAD-1 Studio Pak. Combine this with Mesa's great selection of quality analog outboard gear, a Neotek Elite console, and you get the best of the analog and digital worlds. ^ to top 4) Universal Audio 2192Without a doubt, one of the finest ADAs available. It does double duty as the current 2 track mix front end and gets constant tracking use through the HD 192's AES I/O. It has a fine clock as well. It and the Benchmark DAC-1 are the current reference DACs at Mesa. Q: “What approach did you take designing the 2192, i.e. what were the engineering goals?” A: The 2192 Master Digital Audio Interface was designed with two primary goals: First, above everything else, it had to sound absolutely great, and second, it had to be really easy to use. ~ Joe Bryan, UA's VP of Engineering AudioMedia "...it certainly ranks in terms of quality with the priciest of A/D D/A devices available in the professional audio market." ~ Doug Mitchell January 2004 MIX "[Listening to the 2192] reminded me of the reason I became an audio engineer: for the sheer joy of being able to hear the stark beauty of sound." ~ K.K. Proffitt January 2004 Resolution "...for all practical purposes the 2192 is as good as it gets." ~ Rob James January 2004 Tape Op "Sonically, it will stand next to any high end converter around..." Review by JB January 2004 DigiZine "When I get music into Pro Tools/HD at 192khz with external converters like the 2192, it sounds analog." ~ Elliot Mazer Sept 2003 5) The Benchmark DAC-1The up-sampling DAC1 is now listed as a Stereophile Magazine recommended component. John Atkinson called the DAC1 - "...a true audiophile bargain." The DAC1 - Winner of a PAR Excellence Award at the 2002 AES Convention, the Reviewers Pick Award from Pro Audio Review, and nominated for a Mix Magazine TEC Award Doug Sax said, to a common friend: "This box sounds absolutely delicious." Doug Sax, owner of seven DAC1s, has been the Mastering Engineer for artists such as Chet Atkins, Phil Keaggy, Leo Kottke, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, and so very many others. "I've heard lots of different converters in my life… I know what I hear, and the DAC1 is as good or better than the Prism DA-2 is/was. Different speakers, different room, but that's my opinion."
^ to top 6) The Millenia TD-1 Twin Direct Recording Channel (2)"The Millennia HV-3B sounds best of the units evaluated. We found the HV-3...to be transparent in the extreme. The security of such a large dynamic range, excellent quality, etc. will be hard to beat...."
"This is an outstanding mic preamp. I've never heard our mics sound this clean on piano. We've been using our [52 channels of] Millennia preamps on everything..."
"My jaws fell open when I first switched to the HV-3B. Its presence and clarity were outstanding. A solo voice sounded extremely immediate, and had an almost palpably "real" quality. The low end was very tight, showed good extension and "slam," while the high end was detailed in the extreme, without the least amount of harshness...I'll be saving my pennies to replace my [current solid-state reference]."
"I believe the NSEQ is, audibly, the most perfect analog equalizer I have ever had the pleasure to use."
"The NSEQ joins the ranks of the world's premier equalizers. It has a top end like I've never heard before."
"You've heard of the mythical 'straight wire with gain.' Well, the NSEQ-2 is as close to an analog 'straight wire with gain' as I have heard in 27 years of audiophile and professional engineering work."
That's just the mic pre and EQ. How about the DI section? "Succinctly put, the TD-1's DI input, when used on electric guitar, exhibited a smoother spectral balance and far greater realism, warmth, body and depth than that of any specialized DI box I've used. Comparing DI'ed electric bass tracks recorded via the TD-1 and then using my [high end DI box], the TD-1 lent a slightly bigger bottom and greater presence, clarity and depth... The TD-1's EQ is simply the best I've heard. It sounds incredibly warm, full-bodied and silky... I've never heard a mic preamp that sounds more pristine and revealing than the HV-3... The TD-1 sounds truly superb, is highly versatile, looks gorgeous and has gobs of headroom. Moderately priced at $1,495 list, this box sets a new standard for recording channels and gets my very highest recommendation." ~ Michael Cooper, MIX Magazine, Feb 2004, pg. 110 In addition to the two band NSEQ , the DI section, and the HV-3 mic pre you also get the following. A simultaneous pair of patented REAMP® outputs allow TD-1 to emulate both Les Paul and Strat pickups (Les Paul himself plays through a Millennia Origin). REAMP causes the guitar amplifier to think it's connected to a high impedance passive guitar pickup, instead of a very low impedance (and much too clean) active tape recorder or digital workstation output. Millennia's uncompromised DIT-01 mic-level DI output transformer (Frequency Response -3 dB @ 3 Hz & 300 kHz) is also included. Recording directly from any guitar amplifier is now possible with Millennia's Speaker Soak[TM] technology. Simply connect any speaker output and start recording the authentic character of your guitar amplifier output under true dynamic speaker loading. An audiophile-grade headphone output with separate level control is also provided for pre-auditioning. The TD-1 is a great one at a fantastic price! Mesa's two TD-1s have the Mullard tube uprade in the instrument DI section. ^ to top 7A) The Furman Sound HDS-16/HRM-16 Sixteen Channel Headphone SystemWinner of the Mix Foundations TEC Award! The HDS-16/HRM-16 System won an OutstandingTechnical Achievement award in the Ancillary Equipment category. This headphone mixer is an incredible aid to musicians and it sounds great! The HDS-16/HRM-16 System enables every artist in at Mesa to have a custom headphone mix without any adjustments at the console. For example, the drummer can have a separate channel for kick, snare, hi hat, and overheads. The vocalist can have an independent vocal and an independent vocal reverb channel. Everybody gets their own channels and gets to mix it the way they need to hear it to optimize their performance. Plus, if your mix gets too wacky, the engineer can mute your custom headphone mix and send you the reference mix from the control room. Very Nice! Its an excellently designed, balanced analog system with twisted pair audio wires going to each remote. There is no latency, or delay, because it is an analog system, an important consideration with computer recording. It uses Burr Brown chips and other quality components. It is feed by the busses of the Neotek Elite console allowing the artist to hear the audio tracks as the engineer is hearing them in the control room as far as EQ, high pass filtering, and inserts are concerned. The HDS-16/HRM-16 Headphone/Audio Distribution System cleanly routes 8 pannable mono and 4 stereo signals to the HRM-16 remote mixers via Centronics 50 pin cables. Up to eight HRM-16's can be connected directly or daisy chained to a single HDS-16, allowing as many as sixteen users (two per each HRM-16) to customize eight different mixes. A unique talkback system allows each user to communicate with other users and the control room. Additionally, a SOLO system allows the engineer to mute all but one stereo send from the console -- very handy for reviewing the mix off the console in the control room without leaving the tracking rooms. Additional HRM-16 features include local effects send/return, line out, overall bass/treble controls, talkback level, and a master level control. The HDS-16/HRM-16 System is a well engineered system and I guarantee you'll like using it. It certainly deserves its Mix Magazine TEC award. ^ to top 7B) Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs Precision Studio HeadphonesI wanted to get new headphones that were matched and would complement the new Furman headphone system. I decided on these. They sound great, aren't harsh, and with the EQ section on the Furman remotes, you can dial up a great headphone mix.
Excerpt from Home Recording, Carolyn Keating..... "With a frequency response of 5 Hz–28kHz, the ATH-M40fs certainly live up to their “extended” billing. They were very clear and had a much better reproduction of the bass frequencies than the other studio-standard headphones I had been using. The ATH-M40fs delivered a more accurate bass “thump” and a smoother, airier, more three-dimensional sound overall. Their closed-back, or closed-ear, design both stops sound from leaking out and blocks out a fair amount of external sound, so you are free to monitor in your own little world. The earpads are quite comfortable; you can wear them for hours, and they won’t squash your ears (which can get especially sore if you wear glasses, as I do). In sum, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs offer superior headphones at a reasonable price, and I highly recommend them." ^ to top 8) The Furman IT-ReferenceMesa Recording's control room has been running on balanced AC power for for a number of years. Its was one of the first Equi-Tech 15kva tranformers which is wired directly to the PGE mains. What a nice improvement that was. Because the dummy walls in the studio had to be taken off to install the the HDS-16/HRM-16 System, I took the opportunity to run the balanced AC to the main tracking room and the three iso booths. Now, in addition to the Equi-Tech system, I'm also incorporating the Furman IT-REFERENCE for my mission critical gear such as the MOTU HD 192s, the Apogee Big Ben Master Clock, the Benchmark DAC-1, the UA 2192, the Waves L2, and other sensitive gear. This is state of the art balanced power and AC power conditioning. The IT-REFERENCE is the newest product to join Furman’s popular, TEC Award nominated IT-Series. The IT-Reference is a very special design variation of Furman’s popular IT-1220 model. Both models are 20 amp units and utilize Furman’s high current, ultra-low impedance transformer technology. Additionally, the IT-Reference has individual windings which provide total isolation for each set of outlets. This is critical, as modern video and digital components can cross-couple system noise into each other’s signal paths (sometimes called “backwash”), even with the best AC source. The IT-Reference also includes unique Power Correction Circuitry which gives power amplifiers and powered speakers the ability to produce powerful dynamics with speed and clarity unattainable with normal wall power. Additionally, the soundstage is remarkably deepened, widened, and focused. Use of these technologies in concert help create the IT-Reference’s unique and demonstrable performance, and sets a new standard in AC filtering and conditioning. Furman Sound is putting out really great products! ^ to top 9) Universal Audio 2-610 Dual Channel Tube Microphone & Instrument PreamplifierMIX Review “...hands-down, the most dimensional mic preamp I've ever heard for recording vocals...one of the most versatile mic preamps available...” ~ Michael Cooper PAR “The more I use the 2-610 the more I understand why all of those classic sounds recorded through the Universal Audio 610 console sound so good...” ~ Russ Long/Edward J.Foster Tape Op “Bottom line; this thing sounds friggin' bitchin'" ~ JAB Electronic Musician Review “The 2-610 has been an absolute smash hit for guitar and electric-bass recording at my studio. Indeed, it's hard to imagine doing another rock, jazz, or blues session without it.” ~ Myles Boisen Resolution Review “...this is undoubtedly one of the best sounding microphone preamps currently available..." ~ George Shilling ^ to top 10) UA UAD-1 Studio PakThis is a PCI card that runs emulations of classic hardware processors, such as Pultec EQs, UA 1176 and LA2A compressors, the Fairchild 670 compressor, as well as some newer plugins such as the Sony Oxford EQ and DreamVerb. Even though I own an original EMT plate reverb, as well as two 1176 compressors, its nice having these emulations in software. The ART Digital MPA and Pro-Channels (2) - The ART Digital MPA is a two-channel mic and instrument pre-amp with variable input impedance. It has a hybrid design utilizing the strengths of all available technologies. The active balanced triple-differential transistor design with local feedback provides excellent CMRR and lower noise than the typical transformer/tube front end. The input impedance can be manually adjusted from 150 to 3kOhms. The tube's plate voltage and bias-point can be adjusted by toggling between two modes. With these two features you can make it as transparent or as colored as you wish. It makes dialing in on the required sound as easy as it can. Digital output includes S/PDIF (on RCA), AES/EBU (on XLR), and a TOSLINK optical out that's switchable between S/PDIF and ADAT. All digital outputs are 24-bit and up to 192kHz. Dithering is also available. It sounds fantastic, as good or better as some of my much more expensive mic-pres. Future Music U.K. just awarded it its Platinum Award. This is their summary - An excellent twin-channel mic pre that provides you with a configurable, broad range of tones. The ART Pro-Channels are channel strips based on the popular and great sounding ART PRO MPA two channel mic pre and the ART PRO VLA stereo linkable compressor. An EQ section is also added with a few other bells and whistles. They are reasonably priced and very useful studio tools. ^ to top 11) Aphex 207 Stereo Mic/Instument PreampThe Aphex 207 is an audiophile quality tube mic preamp that reveals the subtlety and power of vintage condensers, ribbons, electrets, and popular dynamic mics. The MicLim™ circuitry makes the Model 207 virtually crashproof - making it a perfect front end for digital recorders. By combining the best traits of tube and solid state circuitry, the Model 207 captures a sound that is warmer, fuller and more true to life. ^ to top 12) New MicrophonesThe Audix SCX-25 Cardioid Condensor (matched pair) and D6 dynamic - Frank Martin introduced me to the SCX-25s. We put them up on piano through the Millenia TD-1s and never looked back. They have become one of my favorite go to mics. So far, I used them on piano. percussion, female vocals, Hammond B3, and acoustic guitars. If your looking for a great condensor mic, get a SX-25. The D6 dynamic mic is a must have addition for kick drum, dumbek, djembe, and other low end sources. CAD VX-2 - On a break from tracking in the studio, Billy Ward told me he had a pair of VX-2 mics for sale. I've have great success with the CAD E-300s and VSM-1mics, and consider this company an unsung hero in the microphone business. Tom Buckner told me his voice on the Mel Graves arranged "Blanco" recording sounded the best he had ever heard it and asked where could he buy a VSM-1. The VX-2 was the first mic I know of to use two tubes. Its a beauty! Blue Baby Bottle and Ball mics - The Baby Bottle is a cardioid capsule mated with Class A electronics. Minimalist and pure, Its a good pick for a variety of sources. Blue's Baby Bottle won the prestigeous Best Studio Microphone award at the 2003 Frankfurt Musikmesse. The Blue Ball - The Blue Ball is softball sized, round, and the first phantom powered dynamic mic. Its fun to look at and fun to record with, delivering exceptional results on the right sources. The Stapes Omni (2) - From my old hometown of Austin, Texas comes this incredible pair of omni microphones. They were designed with the help of the University of Texas Electrical Engineering Department. My definite bang for the buck award. Marshall V69 Mogami Edition (2) - Its kinda scary how good some of the lower cost mics are getting. This is another fantastic pair of mics at a ridiculous price. The Rode NT-4 Stereo Mic - This was my first Rode mic and I'm very happy with it. The Heil Sound PR-40 - This is a large diaphragm dynamic that's flat from 28Hz to 18Khz. Something like a RE 20 on steroids. Its got a big and clear sound. ^ to top 13) Accutronics AccuverbThe Accuverb is a specially designed Dual Accutronics Type 9 spring reverb unit harnessed to tube audio circuits that were designed in collaboration with Ron Holmes, the man who, thankfully reworked the tube electronics in Mesa's EMT stereo plate. Luckily, I was given one for helping beta test the Accuverb in the studio. Unfortunately, those prototypes, didn't quite reach up to their original design specs, and needed a few mods. Garth Powell, head Sales Engineer at Furman Sound, a fellow audio engineer, musician, and friend reworked the power supply and grounding scheme and did a few other tweaks. Now, its a great sounding spring reverb. The Type 9 spring reverb is wired up to the best audio path a spring reverb has ever had. It incorporates Reichenbach RE123 transformers, a toroidal power supply for low noise, 12AU7A tubes, mylar and polypropylene caps, and 1% resistors. Retro audiophile at its best. ^ to top |
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