Do you need a separate mic pre? | Austrian Audio OC18 Giveaway | FAQ Friday

[@Producelikeapro]

Do you use a mic pre? If so, what are you using?

[@learnerforever6933]

Golden Age Project Pre-73 MK II, low cost but good quality 👌🏼 better than my built-in interface pres.

[@rudolfbaethge282]

I have an Mtrack II from MAudio. It's not The pre but still can record stuff with it at 48Khz on Cubase 6.5

[@Producelikeapro]

@@learnerforever6933 thanks for sharing!

[@Producelikeapro]

@@rudolfbaethge282 wonderful!!

[@philigran4852]

I use a Neve 1073 SPX and two LAWO VT976

[@HitTheRoadMusicStudio]

"Don't let anybody ever tell you, what you are doing is wrong !" 👍👍👍Thank you Warren, your words are amazing and motivating!!! I Stopped wasting my time on forums, getting directions and "no-go's" from people I never heard and switched to PLAP Channel :D 🤘 Don't limit yourself and get creative, that's how new methods get invented :)

[@patrickkreman5424]

The performance is the most important everything else is secondary. Thank your for the great content Warren!

[@Producelikeapro]

Absolutely Patrick! Agreed 100%!!

[@UncleWalter1]

One of the best investments you can make for yourself as a sound engineer is learn how to use a soldering iron. I was lucky, my step dad taught me when I was a kid. Anyone can learn it. So if I need good cables, I can just make them and I can make them just how I like them. Canare Star Quad, Neutrik connectors. None of the have failed. I especially like that I can heatshrink label them as mine and I can use those Neutrik coloured boots to designate cable length in resistor colour codes: green for 5m, brown for 1m and 10m, red for 2m and 20m, orange for 3m.

[@delvenhamric1200]

This is especially handy if you are building your own project studio. Custom cables, to hook up between your external equipment and your patch bay, are very expensive and you can build better ones at a fraction of the cost. Also, knowing how to solder can save recording session.

[@ORACLEBALL]

Where did you learn to make your own cables?

[@delvenhamric1200]

@@ORACLEBALL I actually got started in my electronic carrier back in Jr High School, by a neighbor that had a Ham Radio setup. I pursued electronics through High School and into the military. When I got out I went to work as an electronic repair tech for the government until I got bit by the computer craze, where I moved to computer programming and support. In retirement I still tinker around in electronics by building cable snakes and repairing guitar amps and peddles. So I have been soldering for over 60 years now.

[@ORACLEBALL]

Delven Hamric That’s awesome! What would be a good resource(s) to look into for building cables? I’ve done a little bit of soldering to repair equipment, would love to use it more

[@delvenhamric1200]

@@ORACLEBALL Prep work first! You need to decide why you are making the cable, to figure out what type of plugs that you will need on each end and how many cable pairs that you will need! Then you need to figure out the length that you will need. Be sure and consider the proper dressing of the cable run, not just point to point. I always add an extra foot or so for plug connections. Cables usually come in 1, 26, 51 pair sizes. I find that 26 pair works well for patch bay connections, but you may want a 51 pair for a long stage snake. All of the electronic stores have closed around here, so I buy on line now. Just buy quality plugs and cable and they should last for a long time. Don’t forget the plug covers and the different sizes of heat shrink and your end product will last a long time and look professional. Good luck.

[@mropeel]

I absolutely love your candid way of explaining things. There's far too much gear snobbery out there. .. mainly from people who dont know what they're talking about ... and it affects you if you get criticised for the quality (more like pricepoint) of your mics or preamps, even if you know they're talking rubbish. I used to crave expensive guitars because that's what you're meant to use as a professional ... wrong ... I have Gibson's and fenders etc but my squeeze these days is Harley Benton ... They do what I need them to do. My studio gear does what I need it to do ... I think ...lol I know how to work it. Thanks for this video. It's just what I needed today.

[@rudolfbaethge282]

Love the simple message : " ....you can still do it...". Nothing beats creativity, passion and common sense. One of the things I'm learning with you videos is How To Listen. BTW, you mention the giveaway contest but can't find the link for that. Cheers Warren and once again thank you for your dedication

[@zachary963]

I love how people like Warren remind us that we have better stuff at our fingertips now, than even existed when our favorite records were made. We don’t have to worry about stuff. We can just be artists.

[@Handd4u]

Wow, I always appreciate folks sharing knowledge. Those seeking info about Mic preamps - skip to 7:50. The beginning 7 minutes consists of a dancing sales job about microphones.

[@johncore363]

Warren. You never let us down. Your videos are so uplifting. Thank you.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much John!

[@vm3699]

If the polar pattern can be changed after the recording it is an outstanding concept those guys have put into work .I never thought that would ve been possible

[@RC32Smiths01]

Always happy to see these on the Weekend! Cheers and hope you are doing well!

[@Producelikeapro]

Hi RC32 thanks ever so much my friend!!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@Producelikeapro You are always welcome my man!

[@GarryNichols]

That's exactly what I always say, track it clean. You can always colour it later.

[@KeenApollo]

Not the same as running your signal through a transformer etc though. I tried forever to just use a interface and plugins and it sounds good but I was looking for that depth so I went ahead and invested In external preamp

[@legacyShredder1]

@@KeenApollo I agree with you, but in regards to the video we can still add transformer and tube saturation after the fact by running it back out of the I/O.

[@nugetta]

Hello, what model?​@@KeenApollo

[@drewg3087]

This is my go to as well.

[@paulEmotionalaudio]

In this crazy time and still giving away a schnizzle tonne of top notch gear as well as courses and multitracks and ALL the great stuff in the academy. Love your work. Hope to one day get in on one of the masterclasses! Amazing. Rock on! 🤘🎛🎤🤩

[@williamwhite5960]

Thanks for all the positive vibes and all the knowledge you share. Very much appreciated these days. Cricket references are also fine.......but don't think us Americans will understand very many. Mention the Queen as and when you feel necessary!

[@MarcBecker_Music]

Great FAQ video. Thank you, Warren. I can't wait to see your video using the Austrian Audio OC818. I fell in love straight away with the design. Looks vintage and modern at the same time. Some might say that it it's all about the sound and not the design but I always have the feeling that you can get a little bit of performance boost out of an artist when she or he thinks they're using cool and good looking gear.

[@VOByRobbins]

bought my audient id44 because of your channel and just got my soyuz 017Fet mic too-- you have helpful insight for recording and mixing, thank you!!

[@jim2010mopar]

Anytime I doubt my methods and or equipment I tell myself Warren or Chris could make it happen so I keep recording and mixing. Thank you for saying it.

[@Producelikeapro]

Yopu're very welcome Jim! I'm so glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@abemillettmusic]

Oh, and I’m quite happy with my audient Id22 and you are so right to get a nice clean signal and tweak it after the fact. And I love the Brainworx stuff. Love the 9000j. It’s legit. I have a good friend who is a fellow pro musician that uses the revstars. They sound amazing. I personally love my squier jazzmaster - sounds great and plays in tune. I get compliments on my tone all the time. You have most definitely saved me money- love your advice. Love the channel!

[@danialdevostmusic]

Love hearing about the Austrian Audio mics, especially the single capsule one. Get the sound of an old 414 for a third of the price of a new one? Brilliant!!! Also some interesting crossover in technology with Lewitt

[@demantim]

It's not exactly the sound of a vintage 414. It's a little more transparent. I like it more actually! (This is from an OC18.)

[@srobson2797]

you're right it's about trying to create your own sound your own style of mixing and what works for you this is something I have been working on and struggling with 4 years I still doubt myself everyday but I know eventually I will find my sound my mixing Style and technique so thank you

[@altbouch]

Warren you are amazing! I don't know if I publicly acknowledged my appreciation for what you did on our Blue Coupe record (Million Miles More) but your mixing was on the level of the best mixers I've worked with, and as you already know, I've worked with some great ones. I also want to thank you for this Produce Like A Pro channel because I binge watch you every time I'm compelled to mix something. The idea of how you feel about the tool your working with is something I was just talking to Richie Castellano (Blue Oyster Cult) and he was saying that he got an EVH style guitar and it was one of the nicest playing and sounding guitar he ever had. It made him play better. I had the opportunity to play that guitar in 2016 during the BOC AOF anniversary recording when the string on my SG broke and… I felt the same way. The guitar was so nice that I felt like I was playing better. I had the same experience using a Manley Gold Reference. It made sing better. Another mic might have made someone else sound just as good as this one did but I have it in my mind that this is the best mic I have ever heard for my voice. I think having that belief makes me sing better. It might be just the way you hear things. I have however sung in many great mics with amazing engineers getting my sound and having used this mic for an entire 12 song album my feelings about it haven't changed. Still best.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow! Thank you ever so much my friend! Thank you for your incredible compliment! That means so much to me! Thanks ever so much for sharing your experiences with us, it helps so many people!

[@TenisDimants]

Bought a cheap guitar cables of aliexpress and one end broke first time plugged in the amp, with the part stuck in the amp.. Had to pick apart the whole amp to get it out. Im never doing that again. Another great episode, thank you for introducing me to Wilko. Amazing!

[@ytb917]

we don't need to buy a $250,000 console anymore. so the least we can do is spend some money on some first rate preamps and mics. get a neve for coloration, a millennia or gml for clean, a fearn if you also want a tube preamp, and you are suddenly quite competitive with the big studios at that point. they still have you beat on room acoustics and monitors, but they don't have you beat on signal chains.

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes, rather well said indeed!

[@videoriatto2011]

Good Philosophy

[@lovecraftmusic8717]

What mix-pre if I wanted to record a guitar amp and achieving an old school 80's rock-metal clichè sound like Boston or Iron Maiden?

[@derwinkle]

Both room acoustics and monitors can be offset by working in the box. Also with necessity to "mix for the listener" and the listener spending an average of $60 on headphones....there's almost no use in heavy spending on headphones if you want an honest representation of what the audience will hear

[@derwinkle]

Signal chain and good pair of ears is 90% of studio success. I happen to know that one of the recent Grammy performances was mixed and mastered in protools with a Scarlett 2i2

[@back2the80sradio]

This is such important information. We all sometimes get caught up with the tools more than with being creative. Thank you for the content!

[@davebeingdave]

Hit the nail on the head. Covid binge watching your channel, good stuff 💪 Subscribed

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much!! I really appreciate it

[@learnerforever6933]

Question for next FAQs : any tips or advice for studio cleaning and maintenance? How do you clean cables, desk and especially areas behind racks & patchbays!!! I have a small studio but suffering from dust 😭 can’t imagine how you can keep things clean gently without damaging knobs or faders, or without pulling wires from some devices by mistake 😅

[@PuRe_AdDicT]

If you don't want to move anything , a handheld hoover and a can of compressed air, but you should move and clean everything, the dust will eventually kill something.

[@johncox2552]

I use Lysol wipes to clean my cables ( I was freaked out over how nasty they were,... seriously!) and those wipes do a great job. Then I use Armor All wipes to add some protection and you can feel it making the cables more "supple ", or "flexable", and then shiny. As far as connectors you can purchase Deoxit (an electronics cleaner) at big box stores. There are other brands. I found some in Walmart's automotive section. Just spray the TRS cable's tip and wipe. You can spray this into the TRS jacks on electronic equipment then work a TRS plug in and out for a few seconds. Then wipe clean.

[@learnerforever6933]

Thank you very much Paul & John, appreciate your ideas 👌🏼

[@RicardoTolbert]

I always try to use external pres when I have the chance. Plus doing so made me understand the emulations better.

[@delvenhamric1200]

I feel that having different mic pre's would be the same as having an expensive mic for your studio. Being able to say that you offer these may be a draw for clients to your studio. But you are right that by just getting a quality recording is the most important thing, you can add character in the box.

[@squoblat]

I bought myself a few channel strips with variable impedance that I use as pres, had good results but rolling in compression and EQ on one strip is quite nice. Had good results with a pair of modified ART Pro channel II's feeding into the line ins on a Focusrite 18i20. Preamps definitely gave me way better results than the standard Focusrite mic pres.

[@flavanthensome]

Warren, I really appreciate how you seem to always answer my questions. Thank you for all you do.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow! Thank you ever so much!! Glad to be able to help!

[@You4Final]

I guess that was the longest but also clearest answer I ever heard about that question. Thanks for not saying "you need to buy this and that, ..." At the end it´s always creativity, I agree 100%

[@sonicsquare]

Just bought this mic yesterday. Man the sound is crisp and translates just awesome. Guitars sound magical with the dual capsule recording capability. I was going to buy Townsendlab L22 with kind of the same features and changed my mind when I heard that it can't utilise the Unsion Technology of the Apollo. More over this Mic sound extraordinary for its price.

[@Take-the-Ticket]

Thanks for the reminder of freedom. GAS sometimes intimidates me. I'm sure the producers of plugins and hardware like that...sometimes the lack of everything convinces me of inability and I want to hear a message like this, especially from a pro that could have nearly anything.

[@andynonimuss6298]

I'm happy to now know about Austrian Audio mics!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@ecedorsay]

Found a Gap pre 73 where i live. Didnt want to spend a fortune on a Neve and its double the price in my Middle east country Turkey. So a Gap Pre 73 and my Shure ksm32 will sound cool i believe. 🙏🙏 wonder what u think Dearest Warren Hurt? 🙏🙏

[@vm3699]

You are the first thing that I see after waking up today what a way to start a day . U are my guruji 🙏🙏

[@Producelikeapro]

You're very kind my friend! I'm so glad to be able to help!

[@KenjiKitahara]

I agree about the gear thing. It can take the focus away from the music... apparently Bruce Swedien was raving about some new great sounding cable he got, and Quincy Jones said out aloud to everyone in the session "Bruce is having an AES convention!". And later he said to Bruce, "it's ALL important"... what I get is that great gear is important, but don't forget the present moment we're capturing. But as for my favourite cable, I like Evidence Audio. I recommend trying the Lyric HG as a XLR lead, and for guitar/bass.

[@kingdan6776]

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I keep trying to find a good mic pre thinking that will give me the cleanest signal. I appreciate the advise of 65% interface gain. I have tons of plugins that emulate mic pres but I was getting alot of bad advice online about how to get the most pro sound. I will continue working on what I can afford like my mic booth and just use what I have for now.

[@DavidD-un5oy]

I love the id44. Mic pres are great, lots of connections, two headphone jacks. Can’t beat it.

[@tootory9506]

Just want to let you The new lighting looks fantastic. Warm, cozy and classy!

[@ctnb_ph1577]

Hi Warren... I'm so thankful to you for refreshing my memory as I saw Wilko Johnson in concert in Brussels back in '76. On the day after, my brother bought a second hand Telecaster. Dr. Feelgood was so huge on stage. "...Come along with me ... That's - a stupidity!"

[@Jeremy_Kinsey]

Excellent reply to the mic pre question, talk about a genuine answer! Keep em coming, Warren ~

[@neovxr]

Thanks for mentioning these Austrians! (I visited their office together with a friend who knew some of them well, in the old times before the company got sold. Very happy to see this kind of comeback.) But shouldn't we say _these_ are true experts? ^_^

[@mdoyleproductions9358]

I love the message that we don't need expensive gear to record with. It's very true. I try (and it is difficult) to stick to the mantra that you have what you have...so just go use the shit out of it and stop worrying that you can't accomplish what you want to because yours isn't "expensive" enough. It doesn't matter. Performance and good playing is the key ingredient, above all. Now, that being said...hearing yourself through an awesome mic or pre-amp, or both can be insanely inspiring (especially vocs, where most people are the most insecure with themselves). So, I say split the difference - get some gear that WILL be quality and make you sound better AND play better, right out of the signal chain...but don't live beyond your means, nor let price fool you into total paralysis. Either way...just keep doing shit. Eventually, you'll piece together what you always hoped for.

[@Hassan_Omer]

Before I got seriously interested learning about audio engineering I once had the chance to record songs on a Rupert Neve Portico II Channel Strip, everything i recorded through that strip sounded better to me than my recordings through a audio interface which was a RME Fireface UCX. Besides the colouration from the channel strip all my mixes sounded so good even after knowing little about proper mixing. The sound was big and the vocals were upfront. This i never was able to achieve from any audio interfaces i used before. So it made me believe that high end pre amps do make a big difference. All the sounds fitted so beautifully jelled together that was a huge surprise for me. I have a focusrite 6i6 2nd Gen right now but i always find that if i record especially vocals by setting it's preamp gain at around 65% i hear clipping in the recording which sound quite bad. In this case i think the performance of the singer was always great and we always did take care of gain staging. I am still learning to get the best results possible through my Scarlett interface but i am also going to get a 500 series module of Neve 511 pre amp.

[@splashesin8]

Reassurance since it's awhile that I recorded. Everyone asked what I used and I wrote back, "a microphone and line in." That was all. I had no idea how to use anything else. Thanks to you, there's so much more I can do now next time if I want. It's just nice to know that I don't particularly need a mic pre. It's kind of like secretly knowing that this is, my natural hair color. 🙂

[@manicstations1790]

Love the videos and the knowledge you share! Thank you for everything you do, really helps me develop my own skills for my own work with what you share!

[@J-DUB-F1]

ABSOLUTELY!!…...use what you got, and get to getting!!. No excuses.... Create!! All my mics, pres, compressors, and 90% of my drums....all are at a friends place where we record. Since We're all quarantined I'm not getting it all. I dug around at home and found an old Radio Shack PZM, and it works fine. I'm going to use it in conjunction with my Zoom Q2n. I'll adapt and make it work! ;:-)

[@SupraphonicsSurfCombo]

Just getting into outboard mic pres. Spent a long time just using pres in the interfaces. My RME interface has lovely pres. I use the outboard ones for character and specific sounds. Many are great and not expensive. My new fav is a $200 unit (Soyuz Launcher... wow great on SM7 mic). And the saturation plug-ins (e.g., URS saturation) can add color after the fact regardless. Love what PLP is saying here. Everything has its place. Don't need to spend a lot to get great sounds. Most important thing is to make the sounds with whatever you got.

[@cozmovox]

working around things is an excellent learning process, and in the end if you're passsionate enough you'll end up buying hardware knowing how to use it. I bought external quality preamps and now I'm finally rid of some working around because they give me the sound I want and I'm looking for.....same goes for plugins...once you have hardware and know how to use it things get pretty easy and inspiring. We're living in a time where those things become affordable for those who want to go for it.....

[@loudogrestudios]

I wonder how much I have to study to become as good as you!! Btw great vid, you are really inspiring!! And you "Mix in the Box" was reeeally amazing!!! Helped me a lot with my mixes for my YT Channel!!!

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much my friend! I am so glad to be able to help! Have a marvellous time recording, many thanks Warren

[@Martin-kn6vc]

I used to get so hung up/stressed out over gear in my early 20s thinking that I needed to get the expensive stuff to be a "real" engineer. Now I don't care about buying new gear at all really - I'll only buy something if it solves a problem for me or improves workflow. A few external mic pres/outboard pieces are cool for sweetening the source tone, but really the performance and backline is the most important, in my opinion.

[@peterbrandt7911]

It's a shame, that AKG moved. If they had built a second workshop for more inexpensive stuff, ok, but giving up the company tradition is sad. I wish Austrian Audio the best of luck. I still love my 414, which got fixed and maintained by an ex AKG guy in Vienna not long ago and with this new company this craftsmanship will stay alive over there. Regarding mic pres, I just like to have one with character and a real tactile feeling, although I also print clean or with an Unison plugin.

[@ChrrZ]

exaclty peter, its really a shame!

[@graxav]

Cheers for that Warren! My problem is gain. Presonus seems to lack gain on the input, so I run dynamics through my old Roland VS880 just as a pre and may iclude a bit of eq .. gonna have to get something less of a hassle with 48v for my Cmic. Love that Austrian!!

[@raymiller8487]

Warren, I am using an ID44 interface. Knowing that you’re a guitarist, experienced engineer and use that very same interface, you are the perfect person to ask: when recording DI electric guitars that may or may not be re-amped, do you use the DI on the interface or a separate DI box?

[@ConnyConrad]

since I'm starting soon with some Vocal recordings for a project, to win that mic would really help now :)

[@back2the80sradio]

I have learned so much from you for the radio show. Thank you for all the information. Greetings, Warren from Back to the 80s radio!

[@dustinf11]

Man I like this guy. So likable and inspiring.

[@TxBassMan31]

I could really use a nice microphone! Thank you Austrian Audio and Produce Like A Pro for the opportunity. Good luck everyone! :)

[@BullFunkZoo]

Great video as usual Warren! On another note, I also use a hybrid setup running into a 32 channel summing box with a bunch of outboard. My question is or can you make a video explaining how you have routed your hybrid setup into your SSL? How is it routed from your convertors (how many channels) into your SSL? How is it going out of your SSL (how many channels) back into your convertors? How did you organise your sum outputs? example my 32 channel summing has kick, snare, kick-snare comp, bass into mono outputs. Drums, Lead Vox, Backing Vox, Gtrs, Loops, Percussions, Keys, Acosutic guitars, Vocal effects, Drums effects, rear bus comp into stereo outputs... What is the work flow you run on? I have not found or have not stumbled upon a video with the above. Would be awesome if you can do that. Happy Mixing and stay safe :)

[@1VERZHN]

Great video warren. I like you endorsing the audient stuff. I recently bought an id44 abd i love it! But all the comments about not listening to what others tell you is whatt i need to hear. We just did our 12 song album on cheap presonus mic pres, so its good to just get it out there and let the world let you know whats good.😎

[@paulphilippart7395]

My favorite guitar is an Aria procat II,from an animal rescue second hand shop,£15.00,got it to brush up on fret dressing skills,did the electrics replaced bridge pick up,it turned out so well its my go to guitar everyday I love it,the tuning stability is unbeleivable.

[@ecedorsay]

Love you. Great videos. 🙏🙏🌞🌞

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@nefdsnet]

Warren, please make sure to appropriately compress/EQ/highpass/whatever the _Wiener Schnitzel_ out of your tracks recorded with Austrian Audio microphones. 😂 Greetings from Austria! 🖖

[@adammusic1124]

I "Really Needed" to hear your confirmation Warren, on being able to make clean sounding recordings, sound like they went through high end gear... Interestingly enough, I had a recording done over 10 years back now when I knew nothing of recording at all, and when I first got into home studio recording, could never get that "magic" that this one album had (albeit it was done by a top engineer as a prize I won, never could afford that level otherwise) and I reference those tracks, to mine done at home, I could never get the vocal sound until I come across Antares Mic Mod, which modelled the Neuman U87 they used, and then I used an emulated Neve Mic Pre, a Puigtec EQ and 1176 and 2A compressor and went ... OMG that's 95% the tone!... I've since been obsessed with getting that magical tone of hardware imparts from various plugins, at my humble little home studio, and am just blown away at when you know the "mechanics" of what's going on with settings and HOW these great engineers (including yourself Warren) are doing, whether on plugins or hardware, that experience IS the real "Magic" not the gear... There was a mix of yours I was learning from in your academy one time, and I did everything you did move for move at one stage and still couldn't get the sound out of my computer, yours just sounded "BETTER" as close as they were, but I put it down to your experience and doing something I missed, there's no replacement for experience...

[@Whoor]

Having worked in and out of the music industry for 35 years, the best approach to take, if you want to stick out, is use what no one else is using. That means, amps, effects, mics, channel strips, drum heads, pre-amps, etc. It is very hard to sound unique when you use the exact equipment the majority of other musicians and producers are using. I had written 2 songs out of 100's that sounded different, like no other artist. It was those 2 songs that caught the attention of president of A&R at Electra, Carole Childs back in the early 90's that made her take notice and call me asking for all the songs I had recorded. So, if you do nothing else, be different!

[@fabricator.seattle]

Any way to listen to those 2 songs?

[@grsfhhytff]

Wilko Johnson.... LEGEND! I once spent a bit of time trying to emulate his style (without the pick doing the sharp chops up and down)! It HURTS, haha! He's probably the best living Rock 'n' Roll guitarist! A mad, energetic genius!

[@Producelikeapro]

Fantastic! Yes, I'm a huge fan!! One of the best live shows I've ever seen!

[@grsfhhytff]

@@Producelikeapro There's some good footage of him playing a festival with Madness! He's had some life! He wasn't even supposed to still be alive right now and he still tours!

[@rebeliirecords9189]

I have used super expensive mics but I have come to find that my favorite mics ever are a used set of MXL 990/991's that I bought a few years back for something like $75. The large diaphragm condenser (990) has a super smooth clean tone, yet with the feel of a vintage mic, that allows you to really drive it and give it that vintage saturation that we all love without the big worry of possibly blowing a capsule. the 991 is probably my favorite mic of all time only because it sounds almost identical to a Neumann U-47 but in pencil style and it picks up low end better than just about any small diaphragm condensers I have ever heard. for a home studio, they are super affordable, and for professional studios, they are that one secret weapon.

[@jackstanton1091]

Thanks, Warren. Fantastic insight as always

[@CaffeineFC]

I wasn't expecting a Wilko Johnson reference with the curly cable. Figured we'd get another Brian May dissertation (which I'd have been grateful for haha) . IDK if you've ever answered this on a FAQ Friday but - you often reference Geoff Emerick as being 19 or 20 and inexperienced when he started working with the Beatles. Is there anyone on the other end of the age spectrum (ie early 40s-ish lol) that a person like me can look to for inspiration as someone who got into mixing/engineering later in life? I've long been fascinated by the process but for a variety of personal reasons just never took the plunge. Is it too late? Thanks for being a fantastic resource and educator. Your infectious passion is really what's got me thinking about trying to learn this stuff. Stay well.

[@The_Absurdistt]

I'm in my late 40's, been changing careers to audio engineering for the past 5 years... it's a huge struggle but well worth the effort to pursue ones passion. It's never too late. Let nothing/ nobody stand in your way, especially yourself. Cheers.

[@chrisdixon7321]

Re: cables - Check out Audio Envy out of Fort Collins, CO. In a world full of over-priced snake oil, they're making amazing cables at a reasonable price. Thanks for this video! It answered a lot of questions I've been mulling over. Cheers!

[@tedpaine1465]

YES! I found the Audio Envy build quality and sound to be above industry standard, so natural and surprisingly cut down on mixing fatigue... Just excellent:)

[@jacquelamontharenberg]

Thank you for telling me that Austrian Audio has essentially continued the high quality products that was once AKG in Vienna. I really dislike the idea of companies selling out to the Chinese labor market because everyone else has done it and to increase profit margins but at a loss to consistent quality. I try to avoid all Chinese made products. It definitely matters to me if they are US or Euro based companies. If it is made in China then forget it, I will not buy it. My professional tenor saxophone is a Keilwerth SX90R which was made in Germany. My Royer ribbon mike and Shure condenser was made in the USA as well as the majority of my equipment is non China manufactured. I could go on and on, but I know many artists like myself are willing to spend a little more money to get quality products not made in China. I was in the process of trying to find an extra set of AKGK240s for my studio, but was really disappointed when I heard AKG sold out and went to China. So I bought a new pair of German made Beyerdynamics DT 880 PROs instead....! I am definitely going to check out Austrian Audios product offerings. Sorry for the rant. Thanks for the heads up Warren. You have a great channel and I appreciate your ability to educate. A really big help to me.

[@MartinLuxen]

Thank you Warren! Marvelous questions, love the first one and of course the answer. Anyone these days, even on a tight budget, can make great music! Even if you only can mix/record on headphones and need to do everything in the box because of noise/neighbors! So much wonderful digital stuff (emulations) these days! Do I need my Fender Deluxe Reverb tube-amp? Probably not, not even live, but I love it and I don't mind dragging it around!

[@EddieVanAidan]

I’ve got a DiMarzio and a Neutrik jack cable that have lasted 12 years. Saved me a few quid for sure!

[@Hue_Nery]

Thank you for this. It needed to be said.

[@Wizardofgosz]

I would recommend making your own cables. Go to Markertek or a company that sells bulk wire and Neutrik connectors, and you can learn to solder making cables, and get world class cables for half the price.

[@crosstownsound]

I mostly use the mic pres included on my RME interface. They are clean and uncoloured. I also have a Focusrite Octa-Dynamic and an Audient ASP 880 connected via light pipe which are used when recording a whole band. When I do want a bit of tube colour, I have a dual channel Sebatron mic pre. But I find the mic and it's placement makes for more of a difference over the pre. But of course the performance of the players and the instruments themselves are the biggest influence on the sound, not the mic nor the pre. When I started out, I recorded pretty much everything with SM57s and 58s because that was all I had or could afford.

[@BrashFink]

What do you think about Cloudlifters and fetheads? I just bought my first “nice mic”, a SM7. I was shocked at the horribly low volume for vocals. I had no idea most people used something to bring them up.

[@kodykindhart8230]

It’s called a pre amp 😜. But yes some mics have lower output

[@bradylasserre9320]

Cloudlifters give 20 dB *if I remember correctly* so you would still need to crank gain on presumably your interface. A mic pre investment while more expensive, will be the far superior solution. Sm7b's really sing when driven properly.

[@RyanMcMusic]

Love the positive message around 14.30

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much Ryan!!

[@yubarecordingstudio7578]

Wilco was on 80’s Rockschool ( remember that?!) Curly wire into amp and ‘ I strum it wiv the back of me nails’ re pick technique

[@Producelikeapro]

Yes, I remember it VERY well! Huge fan!!

[@richardaling5278]

In fact i do track drums most of the time, i'm a drummer;). And i track 21 channels at once (17mics, 1 metronome and the stereo out). I use the Soundcraft Signature 22mtk at 48K. Nobody ever mentione that interface and i love it! I only drum with headphones on and it sounds great! 4 kickmics (e901, d6, at2035 resohead and subkick), 3 snaremics (top and bottom Audix i5, otk-mic at2035), sidesnare, 4 toms, ride, overheads and roommics... For the rest i use the Behringer UMC1820 with the Midas preamps. Also great! I cannot imagine using an other interface for recording drums and having the best monitoring on my Beyer Dynamic dt770pro!

[@Alien-qw5ks]

I make all my cables myself, when you're on a budget and you know how to solder, it is the best option. You can make high quality cables for a fraction of the price, just order neutrik like connectors and signal cable with a inner wire diameter of 0,5mm2 and you will have made yourself hi conduction cables. Carbon shielded cable is even better but more expensive. For speaker cable it is best to use oxygen free copper cable, or silver coated cable with a diameter of 2,5mm2

[@borndrumming1972]

Great video as usual. Sometime back I purchased an a r t m p a 2. It is a 2-channel preamp with all kinds of cool little bells and whistles. When I got it home I did an upgrade to the tubes. I don't process everything through it but I love the sound of an overhead mic warmed up just a little bit. I also love to route my DIY guitars through the preamp. By doing this I am defeating the instrument cable altogether going into my interface. So my guitar plugs into the preamp and on the back side it is coming out balanced XLR. The unit will allow you to choose the proper decibel rating for the output as well. This gives my di a little bit of tube flavor before going to an amp Sim. I never use it on Kick snare Tom auxiliary percussion or any other line instruments. Mainly just the ones that you want to add that color and flavor to like vocals and guitars/ Bass and definitely over heads or a flavor enhancement to a room mic. For a hundred and fifty bucks plus the cost of new tube I have been completely satisfied with having at least the one channel of tube saturation for particular instruments and voices. Great video is always cheers.

[@borndrumming1972]

Also one other point. When using the preamp to bypass the instrument cable or mic cable input on the interface with the art unit, I am able to adjust for different Mike impedances. If I take a microphone and plug it straight into the interface I am stuck with the mic impedance that they have chosen for General use and purpose. But, by going into the preamp first I can choose the proper mic impedance and then that signal is processed and then routed into the interface. This allows one more level of honing in on the richness and flavor of the microphone.

[@TheOnlineBusker]

Hi Warren, with a SDC such as the Lewitt LCT 140 Air, should you ALWAYS close mic the acoustic guitar? I am getting a better image by moving it back a bit, aiming it on the overlap of the fretboar where it joins the body, like you would with a LDC mic, this goes against all your advice for recording acoustic guitar.....thanks for any words of wisdom!

[@treborretlaw]

yeah Austria! We got two great companies going..Lewitt and Austrian Audio

[@Psychonautilus]

Warren, which version exactly are you giving away? At 7:17 you say it's the 1000$ OC818, but the video title and link to the giveaway both mention and, in the case of the giveaway link, show the (black) 700$ OC18. Don't get me wrong, both are fantastic prizes and it's great the you and Austrian Audio are giving one away for free! Just looking for some clarity here. Cheers! Thomas

[@TheSuperUnknowns]

love this vid and always get inspired by Warren...trouble is half way through every vid I find myself loading up a project and digging in to it haha

[@paulphilippart7395]

Did live sound for Wilko in the early ninetys,with the Blockheads backing him,one of the best bands Ive ever done live sound for,so goood,wilko just used his black tele and a roland twin amp,a 57 just tied over the handle pointed just off centre of the dustcap,had to do that cause he was so crazy on stage all over the place darent put a mic stand up,just fantastic sounding unique style crazy stuff really funky too.

[@Producelikeapro]

Amazing! Yes, incredible live show!!

[@Producelikeapro]

That must have been wonderful to be able to work with him!!

[@paulphilippart7395]

@@Producelikeapro Yea a real blast,He was kind of quirky then didnt say lot,said it all on stage,will never forget that,as the blockheads turned up early and just wanted to jam.They were getting ideas together ,it was something to behold what a band,what an off the cuff privilege,if I remember I recorded it for them to take away ideas,wish I had a copy of that,only had a cassette at the time,the drum track would have been priceless it was so freaking groovy.I had a thing of getting the rig set up around lunchtime so I had loads of time to hear the Blockheads jam and tweak things,it was magical...marvelous............BTW I wasnt their regular sound engineer I was sub contracting doing a lot of live acts around that time.

[@timmorris5117]

I got the Revstar 720B...Excellent value guitars !

[@zb-music4278]

Lewitt and Austrian Audio - the better AKG mics these days. I have 640, 640TS and an Austrian Audio is also on my wishlist.

[@docrob9004]

Hey Warren, Whats up Robert here, I worked under you YEARS ago at SwingHouse Studios. Thank you for everything! So I got a question about mic pre's, what are your top 8 outboard mic pre's? If you had to choose 8 what would they be?

[@Desperado94520]

A song is the king, not a mic pre ;) Thank you Warren!

[@alcatrazkidz1982]

Hi Warren. Love the videos. I'm looking to record an E.P on my old tascam digital portastudio and get the best quality sound from it. I want to do as much as I can with hardware before I put it into my DAW and mix it. What would you recommend using, ie outboard eqs and compressors.

[@asabrown1430]

Great info, very inspiring, God bless to you and yours 🙏🏾✌🏾

[@austinmillerae]

Crazy how the polar patterns can be modified like that! Might be a dumb question but is it possible to even change the sound after it is recorded by modifying the mic polar pattern?

[@urltom]

@Deadicewhite yes, you can record two discrete signals and blend them later. (smart question!)

[@tomkennedy2415]

These videos are great, Some man for one man Warren!

[@Shadowsreach1]

awesome channel! I love the positive attitude and all the great information! Thanks!

[@TheBobyMusic]

Awesome, as always! But what kind of camera are you using, because it's looks amazing! Thanks Warren!

[@kennygibson8538]

Very well said Warren.

[@Producelikeapro]

Thanks ever so much

[@domminney]

I recorded 2 albums for Wilko! Great guy.

[@Producelikeapro]

Wow!! You did? Amazing! Tell me more!

[@domminney]

Produce Like A Pro back when I was much younger I had Rogue Studios in Bermondsey and was also the promoter at the Amersham Arms in new cross. Wilko was a regular booking at the Amersham, and one night I brought my comparatively large mobile recording setup to record his gig. As it happens we never used that recording but it seeded an idea in them. They came to rogue and bashed out their entire set live in the same room in a couple of days, did some vocal overdubs and left me to mix it. I think they picked the best tracks and sold it, it must have done ok because they came back and did it all again. So many cracking stories that I’d tell in private, Norman is a legend on the bass, he plays like he’s perfectly compressed, just sits in the mix. From what I remember it was all pretty messy sounding overall, loads of spill and mistakes but it captured them at that moment. 2002/3 maybe. I’ll dig out the files and do a review! Love your videos by the way, I see the odd mutual friend crop up in them. Next time I play LA (usually yearly but the virus is screwing that up) you are invited of course. Last time we did the Greek, that was great to play!

[@tarkett8529]

just use what you have or can reasonably afford, you'll get better results by improving miking technique and training your ear. Can't fault the Audient gear (been using a ID44 for a while now) and have a Golden Age Project R2 which sounds pretty nice on a cab with a Sennheiser e609, both of which cost me less than £200 together.