Rick's bloggings.....

Really into all things expensive...audio, acoustic music, Bluegrass and Photography.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Why I decided to write

While writing software for MXL/Marshall Electronics, I can spend weeks in my office, working long days to late at night, not talking to anybody. Reading this software blog how-to-write-without-writing  talks about how import it is to communicate/write, which really something I avoid at all costs. Communication in general, is not my strong suit, so I have decided to break out of my software shell and start interacting with the world.  If something goes wrong in my life, I usually just work harder and "shut-the-f..k-up". I don't think that helps communication.

Recording acoustic music is extremely challenging, I love playing/recording with new recording gear, hopefully writing will open up dialogs with other musicians or audio engineers. There is so much to learn and no place to really learn it online, or to even look over a shoulder while an important session in underway. Recording appears to be a who you know business, and holing up in an office writing software in Chico doesn't create the environment for learning about recording.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

M600 Dinosaur mixing console project,

Ebay is a exciting place to get vintage and new recording equipment, which I am using to record Rock Ridge Bluegrass Band. I am taking a Tascam M600, which I bought new in 1998 and hacking in different channel strips from the better vintage and newer consoles. Oddly, they are still making new analog consoles...... This picture shows two D&R Orion strips, 1 MCI strip and a very old Langevin AM16 sitting on top of the Dinosaurs power supply.  I need take the time to hook up my o-scope fix the Langevin, which use to work. I have another that is still like new.


The AM16 was probably built in late 50s, early 60s. There was a time when transistors were used with transformers on both the input and output of the mic pre-amp. McIntosh amps did this for a while also. Now, they usually use a cheap capacitor on the output to AC couple.

When I bought the Tascam M600, it was the last one shipped from Japan and they sent all the spare modules from the factory. Interestingly, the M600 has discrete Mic pre-amps and sound very good, the EQs are a bit harsh but I have recapped them to make them sound better. These consoles are found in some pretty high end studios around the world, and have been modded and used by some big names, but here in the states.....it's just a Tascam.

New Mic Pre

Just wired up this 1976 Mic Pre Eq made by Ward Beck (460b). Sounds better to me (fatter) than the Neve that I have, and other Pres I have owned, and currently have. These pres have discrete transistor pre-amps similar to Neve, bit a bit fatter.