SCA preamps in the mix-song sample for your ears

[Greggy]

Guys and gals, I have posted a draft of a song using SCA preamps on all guitars. Would love to have your opinions on mix and such. I've been padding the mic input between 15 and 20 dbs to drive the pres harder. My ears haven't adjusted yet, so I don't trust my own assessments, yet. Link to the post follows: http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?p=3919512#post3919512

[elambo]

Which preamp(s) in particular are you using?

[Greggy]

2 channels of T15s on the clean strat (dual amp recording setup), T15 on the crunchy guitars at the beginning, and the A12 on all lead guitars (the tele bridge pup lead in the middle of the song and the LP neck pup lead at the end). I padded the A12 only, the T15s are recorded with guitar mic straight into the mic input.

[drfrankencopter]

I'm guessing that the A12 is an API 312'ish preamp. But what is the T15??? I'm racking my brain for a 'classic' preamp that begins with T, but am coming up blank other than Trident (and I thought that they were more known for their EQs).

Cheers

Kris

[Greggy]

I'm guessing that the A12 is an API 312'ish preamp. But what is the T15??? I'm racking my brain for a 'classic' preamp that begins with T, but am coming up blank other than Trident (and I thought that they were more known for their EQs).

Cheers

Kris

The T15 is in the ballpark with the RNP, Trident S20, and the dav bg-1, so it is said. That's what Tim Ryan compares it to. The design uses THAT corp. 1512 and 1646 IC chips, which Tim says is unique.

My take: clean and open sound, no mush or harmonic interference going on here. What I really like is that for a clean, open, almost clinical preamp tone, the top end is tame and not spikey. Sounds smooth in the top end and open and spacious in all registers. Acoustic guitars cut thru the mix well with this pre. At the same time, my exposure to other pres is limited, so take that into consideration.

EDIT: yes the A12 is modeled on the API. Uses CineMag input and output transformers.

[mtlin]

How would padding the mic input help overdrive the pre? Wouldn't that make it harder to drive?

[Greggy]

How would padding the mic input help overdrive the pre? Wouldn't that make it harder to drive?

The pad is inline between the mic and pre input. If I lower the input into the pre by 20 dbs, then I have to compensate by increasing the preamp gain by 20 dbs, thus I am driving the pre harder (not overdriving its input). Sometimes I pad and sometimes I don't. Just experimenting and training my ears. So far, I am not noticing a great difference between the 2, although the padded tracks seem warmer yet with more midrange and it is pleasant to my ears.

[mtlin]

Isn't that like cranking your amp but turning the volume on your guitar down? We all know that won't drive your amp harder.

[Greggy]

But in that case, the amp is adding more gain to the final output signal, i.e., is accounting for a greater proportion of final output gain and is therefore working harder. Imagine you are examining a final output signal, and you divide it by source of contribution to final gain. As the signal source (guitar volume, microphone, etc.) is padded and the gain circuit of the amplifying device is increased, the amplifying device will account for increasing proportions of the final signal gain (the amplifier is doing more of the work in generating the signal).

[Bassomatic]

Gee Greggy, that's a *lot* of compression on them drums. There's a lot of strident top end in the mix (or mastering) making it tricky for me to really isolate the guitars. Any chance of soloing them up?

[Greggy]

Hey Basso, here's my position. I have no interest in tracks in isolation, regardless of whether the intent is to assess equipment, chops, etc. The only relevant inquiry for me is how it sounds in the mix. As you know, solo tracks that work in the mix may sound like arse solo. So solo analysis of tone, preamps, etc. means little to me. But that's me, others may disagree and it's no skin off my rump.

About them drums and high frequencies. The drums are a pumpin, aren't they. That's intentional, and may or may not make the final mix. The 1176 plugin I'm using can get ridiculous if needed or wanted. Thanks for listening.