SSLtech
Well-known member
Last week I and amorris ran a line-check on a quick installation in an SSL 9k room. We were setting it up so that some bigwigs from Neumann could make some refrence recordings using some of their new microphones.
We had 8x porticos, and a rack of 8x UA 8110 preamps, plus SSL 9k's galore.
A rather hurried linecheck before the Neumann suits filed in, to make sure that we weren't left looking silly in case or mispatches or whatever (this was a temporary setup of the outbnoard preamps though an improvised ELCO and DL connector chain)... -Amorris was there. Everything worked well enough, so we checked with both dynamic and condensor mics for reasons of common sense. The mics happened to be an SM57 and an AKG C414.
Amorris and I then slipped away before the 'suits' got there, as soon as we were assured that everything was running top-notch. When we got outside, we shared our impressions (which we'd kept quiet up to that point, in order to keep everyone focussed on making sure that things worked, and not to distract anyone into a discussion of quality) on what we heard...
We were both astonished. Struck by how much -in a side by side comparison- the Portico utterly outclassed the UA. I mean, it was shocking. I really didn't think that the UA was all that bad, but alongside the portico, it lacked size, stature and 'majesty' in general. It sounded small and 'vague' by comparison. We both heard it, and I don't think that either of us expected to hear it. -That was what was astonishing.
Don't get me wrong, the UA sounded alright... But great gosh-a-moly... those Porticos are outstanding.
Stunning quality. I wish that I could afford a rack myself.
Keith
We had 8x porticos, and a rack of 8x UA 8110 preamps, plus SSL 9k's galore.
A rather hurried linecheck before the Neumann suits filed in, to make sure that we weren't left looking silly in case or mispatches or whatever (this was a temporary setup of the outbnoard preamps though an improvised ELCO and DL connector chain)... -Amorris was there. Everything worked well enough, so we checked with both dynamic and condensor mics for reasons of common sense. The mics happened to be an SM57 and an AKG C414.
Amorris and I then slipped away before the 'suits' got there, as soon as we were assured that everything was running top-notch. When we got outside, we shared our impressions (which we'd kept quiet up to that point, in order to keep everyone focussed on making sure that things worked, and not to distract anyone into a discussion of quality) on what we heard...
We were both astonished. Struck by how much -in a side by side comparison- the Portico utterly outclassed the UA. I mean, it was shocking. I really didn't think that the UA was all that bad, but alongside the portico, it lacked size, stature and 'majesty' in general. It sounded small and 'vague' by comparison. We both heard it, and I don't think that either of us expected to hear it. -That was what was astonishing.
Don't get me wrong, the UA sounded alright... But great gosh-a-moly... those Porticos are outstanding.
Stunning quality. I wish that I could afford a rack myself.
Keith