preamp porn

[lincolnic]

Ha I knew that line would start an argument. In my opinion, microphones and then preamps will always color the sound more than a D/A converter because of physics and the nature of signal degradation. It starts at the source.

It's like saying a guitar, strings, pickups, and amp affect guitar tone more than the cable. Does cable capacitance change tone? yes, but it doesn't vary as widely as with those other variables.

and I meant "sufficient" to mean "consumer-level"

No, I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I meant that if you're just in school now, you're still developing your ears, and as you gain experience you're going to start hearing things you never noticed before. I'm still learning to hear new things all the time, and I've been engineering professionally for a good few years now. It's an ongoing process. I couldn't hear a difference between 44.1k and 96k until I was out of school for a year or two, for example. For someone recording demos at home, converters are probably never going to be an important concern. For a professional studio (especially a mastering studio), picking good converters is a much bigger deal.

Converters are definitely more of a cork-sniffer thing, but if you keep at it you really will eventually get to a point where you can hear a difference between consumer- and pro-grade stuff. I'm not saying that I can identify converters in a blindfold test, but if I print the same mix through my Mbox at home and through the Mytek we use at my studio, there's a noticeable difference in clarity and soundstage. Mics and preamps absolutely have the biggest effect on the way something sounds, but if you're then using cheap converters to capture that sound, you're not getting an accurate representation of what you worked so hard to create - it's like making a beautiful oil painting, and then taking an Instagram picture of it. You can still see it, but the fine details get lost.

I really wasn't trying to start an argument. I was mostly thinking about how the learning process never ends, and there's always something new to hear no matter where you are in your career. I remember starting out in school and thinking I'd never figure out how to use an EQ properly, and now it's something I barely have to consider. My mentors, the best engineers I know, are always looking out for new things to try and learn - and they've all been engineering for as long as I've been alive. The opportunity to learn and expand your skills will always be there, which is one of my favorite things about engineering.

[jkokura]

I think we all have to be careful when predicting other peoples future experiences. I know I've gotten myself in trouble doing that before.

I get your point though, and I hope we all continue to learn.

Jacob

[Jargo]

Jargo, where'd you get the PCB for the SSL compressor? I really want to build one for my studio (and they've already expressed willingness to chip in for the cost), so if you could point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it.

Hey Man,
  Here ya go...good luck, I'm still trying to get started...but these PCB's are awesome!!!

http://www.audiokitchenpcb.co.uk/   for the PCB info

http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/ssl/ssl.htm    for build docs and other useful info.


Be good

[lincolnic]

Hey Man,
  Here ya go...good luck, I'm still trying to get started...but these PCB's are awesome!!!

http://www.audiokitchenpcb.co.uk/   for the PCB info

http://www.gyraf.dk/gy_pd/ssl/ssl.htm    for build docs and other useful info.


Be good

Thanks! Really excited about this.

And good point, Jacob.