I'm pleased to see how many people feel as I do, that the endless pursuit of the most expensive gear is actually a distraction from the preferable goal of understanding your gear, and doing something interesting with it.
Or maybe we all have different bars of sound quality ?
I do not buy your argument that cheap equipment can sounds as good as expensive (more good equipment) it is nothing then a plain lie and that is attitues like that
I think is the last thing ambient artists needs...
WTF, who are you talking to?
"A plain lie?" First of all, I never said cheap equipment sounds as good as higher-quality equipment. Nobody else said that, either -- the closest was Paul saying it's possible to make good-sounding recordings with less expensive gear if your really know what you're doing.
The nearest thing I said was that it's more important to use good equipment and understand how to use it, than to endlessly chase the most expensive item in each category. I guarantee you haven't heard a decrease in the sound quality of recordings I've mastered since I sold the Cranesong and started using a Presonus Firestudio as the interface with my computer. One box cost $4,000, the other was less than $1,000, yet the switch from one to the other does not result in worse-sounding recordings coming out of my studio, either my own work or the albums I master here. You might argue that the newer recordings MUST sound worse, because they went through a less expensive converter, but that simply isn't how it works in the real world.
Seriously, Immersion, I appreciate your intention to argue in favor of using good gear, but your tone is extremely condescending toward several people who certainly know more about audio recording than you do, and who have been using that knowledge to release ambient recordings into the world for many years. You're entitled to your opinion, but philosophies dreamed-up in a studio that doesn't actually record or release any work, no matter the price tag, simply don't match up to philosophies derived from practical experience.
I have explained that the craft how to use the equipment is more important, but you come to a limit where the equipment becomes a limiting factor.
You say you hear no difference now then when you had your HEDD, well are you only talking about the converters I guess so..
I am sure it would be hard to tell the difference if you have good converters. There is a big difference between good and bad converters, but you come to a point where the converters are not the most important thing but other things in your chain, such as pre amp, transformers how hard you drive them, or even tubes if you use it. Soo many other factors. All I am saying I do not like people who look down on people who prefer the best possible sound quality, I understand most people are more interested how to cheat the best possible sound with cheaper stuff and mask it in different ways with mixing technique it is nothing wrong to that, but I prefer to have the best possible sound chain as possible I am almost picture the electrical current inside my mind, picturinge the whole audio chain for me it is a spirtial experience when I know that all these electrons pass thru the best circuits possible it give me a inner sense satisfaction, when I know the whole chain is clean. I can of couse respect that a lot of people think this perspective is total nonsense and that I should spend money on some magic plugin instead, But I get this kind of emotional attachment to the equipment and it givies me driving force and inspiration, that is why a lot of people like analogue gear they have an emotional attachment to it, it is hard to feel the same way with all digital . As I say I understand that people think it is nonse, and that the only thing that matters is the final output and they do not car about the sound on an electron level, as I said we all have different respect of the sound and perceive it different.
I say again how important the monitors are, the better monitors you use the more details you will hear.
The need for better equipment is not really needed until you have "can hear it" for that you need enough good monitors.
Difference between monitors as we know...are huge...
Mike, well you say my tone is condescending to people well I am sorry for that, but I feel the same when people look down on professional equipment, seeing it as redundant equipment and stupid, cause it is better to buy cheaper equipment and cheat with different mixing techniques to mask it's flaws. I think it show no respect to professional audio at all with that kind of attitude, when we here people say "why should we buy this and that", well if it sounds better it should be reason enough, yet one have to argue about why to buy professional and good sounding equipment.
I use a lot of plugins to I have said that, but my VA plugs I want to use real analogue equipment, to color and saturate sound, driving transformers hard, create harmonics etc, this kind of "magic" can to some degree but done already in the DAW but all these VA plugins make my computer sink totally, I can't use it for anything else and I get scratches in the sound constantly, when I use them. Just one instance of Lush 101 takes almost too much already. The main problem is that every plugs use only one core...
I do not appricate you comparing and say that this and that know more then you about audio, just because he have released and album ?
I have been recording for many years too, it is just that I have not released anything, but there is no reason to go the sandbox level and start with personal attacks,
I have not been giving any one any personal attacks, but as you said I am entitled to an opinion I am grateful for that Mike, thank you so much.
I am very sorry that I stood up to defend good sound quality.
I understand most people have tight budgets I have too but I prioritize..
But it is really sad that one have to defend himself about good sound quality, it is sad that it is only about getting away as
cheap as possible, it is ok but what is not ok is when they say that it sounds as good as more higher end equipment.
To compare soundtoys with the H8000FW is like night and day..
I stand what what I say that soundtoys is more of sound mangle tools. But with that said it can still be useful..just don't say compare with the H8000..
that can be seen like an insult to some I can imagine...the same goes with all other equipment that is "nonsense" to buy it is also and insult of people
who invested in it...
And it is too much talk about converters, pre amps, microphones, summing, and effects all make more difference then converters,
there are marginal difference, unless you buy a BURL which I intend to do it has a transformer which you can drive with optional level..
This kind of converter makes difference but it is really the transformer that makes the difference, but some converter might ad some kind of colours while
most are made to be discreet.
Alright I am tired now, of defending myself and sound quality as I said I find it sad that people do not have more respect for the sound and treat it as the cosmic phenomenon it is... and try picture it on a sub atomic level in your mind...it is beautiful.
