I find it difficult to analyse this recording.
I would say there are two things:
it is overall too midrangey and lacks dimension.
I think the lack of dimension come from the fact that the mics are too close to the instrument. Placing them a little further should improve this, provided the room has good acoustics.
The midrange exaggeration is what I find difficult to pinpoint; is it the character of the instrument or is it due to the recording setup?
The role of the spot mic is a bit mysterious to me. Was the pair of 414's placed in AB, XY or MS?
To me, the dbx386 does not seem to be adequate for the job, unless the modifications you mentioned have improved the noticeably high distortion introduced by the tube section.
I would say there are two things:
it is overall too midrangey and lacks dimension.
I think the lack of dimension come from the fact that the mics are too close to the instrument. Placing them a little further should improve this, provided the room has good acoustics.
The midrange exaggeration is what I find difficult to pinpoint; is it the character of the instrument or is it due to the recording setup?
The role of the spot mic is a bit mysterious to me. Was the pair of 414's placed in AB, XY or MS?
To me, the dbx386 does not seem to be adequate for the job, unless the modifications you mentioned have improved the noticeably high distortion introduced by the tube section.