What rack gear could you not live without in your mixes?

[Whoops]

A Sound on Sound review on the Enhanced Audio mount:

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/enhanced-audio-m600

 

[Barry Hufker]

I totally agree that "hearing is believing".
I can do an A/B comparison of the same mic with the Enhance Audio mount against the Neumann's schockmount.
What instruments would you advise me to record so that the difference that you found is more revealing?

That's really hard to say, but I do a lot of choral recording so that's when I am used to hearing the difference. For instance, if I feel the sound needs a little more bass (fullness), then I use Schoeps. If I want the Schoeps but without that “fullness,” which I sometimes hear as “tubbiness,“ then I put them in the EA mount, and that quality disappears producing something more neutral. I use to demonstrate this to my class just by speaking into different mics mounted first without the EA, and then with. It seemed everyone could hear the difference, but being students some might have said they heard the difference just so they wouldn’t be the “odd man out.”

So I guess the best place to hear the difference is using a “simple” acoustic sound such as spoken/sung voice or acoustic guitar. Sorry not to be more help here.

EDIT: Looking at the Sound on Sound review: I disagree. I think the difference is obvious and worthwhile.

 

[andYz00m]

I’ll stick to the original prompt:

I built a pair of Pultecs years ago from kits put together by Ron (RecProAudio) and they are my favorite. I think they would be the last to go if I had to get rid of all my outboard mixing gear. (I use them for tracking too..)

 

[Mr. Moscode]

I would record frequencies that excite mic body resonances and compare the effects of each mount. Close cabinet micing of a bass or guitar could rattle the cage body .

In a speaker the only thing that should move is the cone, not the cabinet. That's why people use spikes to rigidly couple the cab to the floor. Now translate that to a mike. The only thing that should move is the diaphragm, not the capsule or body that contains the capsule
Adding mass is a way to do that.
Let us know how it goes. Thanks

 

[totoxraymond]

People use spikes between cabinet and floor to prevent vibration of the cabinet to transmit to the floor. That's called decoupling though spikes might not be the the most effective. Spring loaded feet should be better but more expensive / hard to tune. Another way is to put your speaker on a sand filled stand, which should absorb most of the energy.

To make sure cabinets don't vibrate, we use heavy material to build them. That is partially why it's difficult to make a good yet lightweight speaker.

Thomas

 

[cyrano]

Mmmm...

I see I'm not the only one that's confused about spikes. In my, largely intuitive understanding of acoustics, spikes should make matters worse, not better. By using spikes, you're transferring more energy into the floor, I reckon.

For speakers, you need to transfer as little energy as possible, I believe. At least, on wooden, hollow floors. Laminated stuff on concrete might be a completely different story.

And if the speaker cabinet itself vibrates, it's a bad speaker, I reckon.

What am I forgetting? I'm kinda good at overlooking and forgetting...

 

[Mr. Moscode]

People use spikes between cabinet and floor to prevent vibration of the cabinet to transmit to the floor. That's called decoupling though spikes might not be the the most effective. Spring loaded feet should be better but more expensive / hard to tune. Another way is to put your speaker on a sand filled stand, which should absorb most of the energy.

To make sure cabinets don't vibrate, we use heavy material to build them. That is partially why it's difficult to make a good yet lightweight speaker.

Thomas

Spikes make the floor part of the cabinet. If the floor is not solid then don't use spikes.

And the heavy cabinet theory applies to the mic and weighted mic frame.

 

[CwilleA]

Today’s Rack, will be tracking for the next week:

View attachment 107495


And a very nice stand for the keyboard and mouse, like most commercial studios nowadays:

View attachment 107496

Love the Harrison! What’s the name of this studio?

 

[MicMaven]

Spikes make the floor part of the cabinet. If the floor is not solid then don't use spikes.

And the heavy cabinet theory applies to the mic and weighted mic frame.

I believe one should use floor protection pads with speaker spikes to protect the support surface. JHR