Beck’s new album “modern guilt” would be a good example of using noise to an advantage.

a few tracks off that 2009 album are pretty good.

Don’t worry about the noise the gear adds. I think in this age of fairly precise digital recording, we can’t stand to hear any sort of circuitry noise. Sometimes noise in a recording can be good, especially if the song is good it won’t matter. Some of that noise ads character that is lacking in a lot of modern recordings.

What I’m getting at is embrace the noise, it’s not always a bad thing. But don’t take my advice, I’m going to start using a wax cylinder to record to. I’m taking it really old school! Plus it will narrow down my mic choice to just the horn.

I had a studio cleanout of old crappy gear i had in bands since i was like 15, and called a bunch of people to come and just take gear away that i didnt need,this unit was given away.

it turns out after i really started purchasing plugins this issue kept coming up. outboard gear, i wish I would have kept it, i wont go and buy it though.

what i don’t like about entry level outboard gear is the “hiss factor” that some of the old effects units, it reminds me of the early days of home recording on a 4 track…….

completely different from recoding from a minimog with noise in it…
I really notice it in recordings especially where the dynamic range is at a low point on say a ballad. i guess sometimes u can get lucky with a well conditioned unit that sounds clean.

You guys almost made me cry revealing some truth’s i didnt want to face about my setup. Yet I am very happy with it, knowing all the limitations. still, the sounds I am able to produce in my mixes tells me i know I dont suck.

Maybe I would feel better if we had a 3rd category.

Maybe it could go like this,

(I find myself in the “project studio” category by the way)

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(home studio)- no physical timbers were erected. Possibly in a bedroom or basement or garage with no pro sound treatment.

(project studio)- an existing facility not made for the soul purpose of recording music. However, physical timbers and partitions put in place with the soul purpose of building a studio. Sound treatment and or sound proofing has been implemented, new electrical wiring, room for musicians or bands to record in seperate rooms or together all at once to capture whatever performance is required. Power treatment and or power conditioning with backup power. locked facility with security in place and so on.pro level mics and preamps, stock instruments, amps, mics, pro level daw or tape reel in pro working condition. In general, pro level gear that is above consumer quality.

and then is:

(Pro studio)- a purpose built facility to record music. it lives up to its name in everyway, these are the highest charging studio’s on average of the three.
—————————-

i own a cheap roland dep5 it’s incredible, the room is great for 808/909 kick drum and the plate is nice too.

it sound really dirty and “plastic”

i knew that my homestudio sucks, now i know why