New toys

[Jinglemaster]

I am going to be housebound for a few weeks next month so I am gearing up my home studio for doing my VO's from here. Thus I have bought a couple of new toys:

 

1. Behringer Xenyx 1204fx mixer

2. Shure SM7b mic

3. Beyerdynamic ST 238/50 Anglepoise Mic Arm

4. ART studio V3 mic pre amp

[JBVoice]

Niice!

[James]

Good stuff! I hope pictures are on its way, i love to see new gear and i love seeing it in various studios. Some gear really suit studios while others dont. Thats goes for looks and sound.

[Arfa B]

oooooooooh veweee nice!

My anglepoise is a converted light I found in a rubbish skip!

[Jinglemaster]

Now this is typical UK. These items should have been with me yesterday, so I rang this morning top find out what happened. They haven't been ORDERED yet by them, never mind sent! Reason? Bit busy.

 

SO, one refund please. Thank you. All they have to do is COMMUNICATE. What is so difficult about that?

 

I have now reordered elsewhere and should now get things tomorrow. I cannot record at all now!

[Jinglemaster]

Another typical UK problem. ALL my 4 packages are coming by the same courier. So, why did I only get the mic on its own? Wouldn't you think they would have the technology to say, lets deliver them all in one van? After all, they were all at the same depot last night.

 

Of course when you ring the couriers you get told that deliveries could be any time and they couldn't possibly indicate when that might be. ASK THE DRIVER, all I need is to know morning or afternoon, then I can have some of the day for me!

 

Anyway, mustn't grumble.

[fridaynightsmoke]

I've got the 1204FX, seems pretty good, especially for the money.

 

Now, having worked in the 'parcel logistics' industry, let me just say that the average parcel depot is a BIG (sorry, let me say that again; "BIG") chaotic place. Your parcel(s) has probably passed through 2 or 3 depots on its way to you, so them getting separated isn't rare or surprising. It all depends on how the particular delivery firm in question operates (some are much better than others). Of course there is a strong cost incentive for them to minimise driving time and fuel use, so they do try and drop multiple parcels to the same place in one go. Often however this doesn't happen, usually because parcels have been delayed (or forgotten!) at some stage in their processing, and they have missed the departure of their alloted van. Also these firms bread and butter is *normally* business deliveries, to offices and industrial estates. These tend to be as regular as clockwork, with the same drivers on the same routes every day. Of course these places always have 'somebody there' so delivery times aren't usually important. Home deliveries, being less common and more variable, are fitted in 'as and when'. If the depot were to phone the driver to ask the ETA of certain parcels, both depot and driver would spend all day talking about parcels and not delivering them!

I'm sure you'll have your gear soon! :biggrinthumb:

[Jinglemaster]

Thanks but wrong. They didn't put the rest out fgor collection, thus they are still at Digital Viallage's Warehosue - where they can sodding stay. 2nd time in two days and incompetant company has messed me around. I am not in the mood for any company to shaft me about today and will jump from a very great height on the next one that does!

[JBVoice]

I buy EVERYTHING from BSWUSA.com now. I use to buy off other sites or ebay but when I have the money, I go with BSW

 

Been ripped off too much so, I'd rather pay a little extra

 

-JB

[Jinglemaster]

Ok. Some things are here and others are not.

 

So, I ordered a Behringer 1204fx. I get a Behringer 1202fx. What is the difference? The 1204 has faders, the 1202 has knobs. Actually better. I will do a review sometime.

 

I ordered an ART Stuio V3 mic pre-amp. I get a Behringber MIC200 mic pre amp. The difference? This is CRAP!!!!! Well, I say crap, it is great if you really like a loud buzzing in all your recordings. Back it jolly well goes!

 

I ordered a Mic arm. I get a mic arm. Superb.

 

I ordered a Shure SM7b mic. I get a Shure SM7b mic. It is ok, but I still miss my Neumann!

 

So. My home studio is looking a little better now.

[Arfa B]

I Bought an old Eela S190 off the net some time back, Penny and Giles Faders, Love the whole damn thing.... got to build a power supply for it when time allows (very soon)

 

There are links on the net to them. I used one years back, but can't remember the station it was on? (According to popular belief, I should have at least a few more months left before this damn senility sets in!!!!)

 

I Know Veronica in Holland and many Dutch stations used them. Lovely "Brick Outhouse" (polite version there) jobs.

 

From memory, they sound bloody natural too. My new toy will be installed soon, built the cabinbet and mounted it up. Got to arrange the auto speaker cut-off stuff and all that.

 

Might even start playing Deeeee Jays again soon!!!! I fancy doing afternoons or drive on something I enjoy soon.

 

Off topic slightly, three stations in London have closed/ are closing: South, Time and the thing on 558kHz AM (Spectrum?) is going soon too I heard from a friend.

IS THIS THE END for analog radio?

 

I strongly suspect it may be!

[carlwelden]

Welcome to Shure SM7B club.

 

So what have you done with that squashed Neumann carcass?

[Jinglemaster]

Hey Carl!

 

Thanks for the welcome buddy. The Neumann was left at the studio with the new owner. I am now operating from my home studi, so scaled down everything. it was a great mic, but overkill for what we do. more akin to high quality singers than gruff old me.

 

I would appreciate a heads up on this mic. I have it set at the moment with the rear switches as follows. looking straight at the rear of the mic, both switches up. I have no idea about curves and lines, just it sounds ok there. Is that where you set yours?

 

Also, the pre-amp. They sent me this awful behringer MIC200 thing. It is truly terrible. All it does is make a buzzing and nasty additional noise. I am finding just the Behringer 1204fx on its own sounds about right to me. Any thoughts?

[carlwelden]

The two dip-switches located at the back of the SM7B are a bass roll-off ® and a presence boost (L). Picture the lines as an EQ spectrum and shape the curve accordingly.

This level of tailoring at the source has saved me from adjustments later down the road. Currently mine are both switched down, providing bass roll-off only, whereas your setting would be presence peak only. Here's a YouTube review:

 

As far as your preamp goes, it sounds like you need to get them to send what you asked for. I looked at the spec sheets for it and while the numbers add up for the supposed +60db signal, if the gain is not clean, it's not doing its job. What's your preamp budget? I'll get back to you with some of the best options for the money (like a used DBX 286A). The ART Project Series Tube MP that I use can push +65db of clean gain and has a USB port. Very affordable and does the job.