So my old interface went to hell so I purchased an USB Apollo Twin. The thing is that I have a dbx286s & Fethead fresh in the box that I was going to set up with the old cheaper interface, but now I am not sure what to do with them. Should I link them both to the Apollo or should the apollo be enough? Also, are there any UAD plugins that would also also remedy my situation further?

 

Phelps, your mission, Richard, if you choose to accept it...

SM7B into Fethead into 286s into Apollo. You might not need the Fethead if the vocalist (you I assume) is loud and boisterous, though if using it with a quieter source like an acoustic guitar might need the extra juice. I believe the 286 has 60dB at the ready, but in my experience hungry dynamics like your Shure and my EV RE-20 appreciate the clean push even if the preamp is as quiet as a mouse at nearly full throttle, the extra headroom afforded a mitzvah. You'll also have some more gain at the output stage/makeup stage on the far right of the unit, so you'll have to experiment which you prefer the sound of.

This post will self destruct in five seconds.

 

Add a Cloudlifter CL after your SM7B before anything else,

 

Only drawback with using the dbx is you won't have the opportunity to try Unison preamps and channel strips because you'll be using a line in and they only work on mic inputs.
Also, as far as UAD plugins you have until June 30 to get them around half price. Demo all the Unison strips and see what suits the Shure.

 

Yes, it has 60db of gain but as i know it's not enough for mic like sm7b! you'll get that unwanted noise
Best regards,

 

sm7b, fethead, pre. Works great here. "Proper"!
Clarification: the DBX286 after the preamp ofc, or as an external (outboard) effect in your DAW.

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2020

Agreed.

If you ask me, I would keep both setups because DBX286 has a special and nice colour to it. Especially on voice, but also ac. guit. I have to admit I've only heard, and I'd like to buy, 286A version, but I assume 286S doesn't sound that much different. [anybody can chime in here?]

Fethead is a piece of equipment you buy and have for the rest of your life - you'll need it at some point, especially with a low output mic like SM7B and if you like dynamics in general, like I do. You'll always find it useful.

I'd also buy those UAD plugins Lenny Belardo mentioned. Half-price is a decent discount, and UAD plugins always sound good.

In conclusion, having more colours to play with will do no harm, exactly the opposite. But that's my opinion. I love combining different preamps, DIs etc. Sometimes an old dusty preamp or a DI with an old Russian transformer will provide you with just the right thing. Make that "often", actually.

edit: fuckin grama argh

 

Last edited: Jun 15, 2020

Sure yeah, if you see my first comment i said "Add a Cloudlifter CL after your SM7B before anything else,"
this means that after cloudlifter the signal can go to the chain with a good level and clean sound.

 

I have been reading that a lot of problems occur with the apollo on Windows. when using multiple sources that are using the driver at the same time. I want to use bluecat patchwork for some plug-ins. Anybody have any experience with this?

 

Probably a relatively dumb question, but should the pre on the Apollo be enabled as well??

 

Either way, depends how loud you want/need it.

Neve bundles are great for Vox tracks, as well as, well, everything lol... AK of the Chili Peppers uses this exact chain.

Can't see why Bluecat would be an issue?

 

As Baxter's lawyer I have advised him not to speak to the press and so shall answer on his behalf. No. It's an either or situation. Use the FetHead and experiment with which sound that you prefer.

 

You ofc use the preamp on the audio interface. Otherwise you wouldn't get a sound. The Fethead is just a booster. Without preamplification you don't get enough signal to record anything.

 

I would go ...
fethead (if needed depends on the loudness of the source) -> SM7b ->apollo twin. Get rid of the 286s. it is a nice piece of gear for its price but so are the unison preamps. I am not aware of the technical numbers of the unison preamps, but I know that the 286 equivalent Input noise is in between a Behringer UMC202HD - 129.1 dBu | dbx 286 -128.7 dBu |and a Focusrite scarlett 2i2 - 128.2 dBu. All theese numbers are really low noise. But I assume the UAD preamps are on another level. I assume even clean the unison preamps outperform the DBX. And you can use the mic preamp emulations of UAD if you want to.

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2020

are you SHURE you're setting it up right?

amirite boys, amirite!? amirite................................................ i'll go now...

 

As i know the dbx286s has line out but not "mic out" i'm curious to know how you send the line signal to the apollo and use unison preamp and then there is a signal?
maybe you meant apollo preamp by your first comment? >>

if you meant that one so it's all confusing because i think people thought you meant dbx286s by that "pre"!

am i wrong guys?

Best regards,

 

I've been fired. Anybody need a lawyer?

 

I overlooked the compressor part. If you have a dedicated preamp you can go preamp->compressor->audio interface. But with the Apollo I would just setup an outboard effect routing in the DAW, so you can use the compressor "as a compressor insert plugin". That means routing it out to the compressor and routing it in on your audio interface.

I updated my previous post.

Edit: Shit. I confused the DBX286 with DBX266. The 286 is a preamp AND compressor. Just use SM7->Fethead->DBX286->Apollo if you want to print the compression. Use output routing (Apollo line out 3/4->DBX286->Apollo line in) if you want to apply compression in post.

 

Last edited: Jun 18, 2020

That depends.
I don't know the specs of the mentioned devices. Ultimately, the fethead only benefits you if its EIN is greater than that of the preamp or interface. The fethead will not change the noise of the SM7B. Both devices should already offer sufficient gain reserves.

Two thoughts that always come to mind when someone asks such a question:

• Why do you have a coloring preamplifier and then send a preamplified signal in it?

• If 60db gain reserves are not enough, why you use an SM7B? For soft whispers it's the wrong microphone choice.