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Author Topic: Give Hedd!  (Read 4283 times)

Kingfisher

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Give Hedd!
« on: February 05, 2007, 12:25:08 AM »

What do you guys think about Crane song HEDD? I never had a chance to demo one but lot of people just seem to love it. Glenn Meadows speaks highly of it. I guess tape SIMULATION generally doesn't have a very good reputation but when so many leading mastering houses seem to be using this unit, I think I could probably use some Hedd myself having decided not to go the tape way.

...And what about the Portico 5042? I haven't even checked the specs yet but been told it sounds great. But I guess it is something you might want to use in a mix rather than in mastering.

Cheers
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Peter

Adam Dempsey

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2007, 02:05:55 AM »

Love the HEDD for its subtle processing. I even found a little of the Triode function useful for the first time the other day on a death metal project - it just hadn't been suitable for anything else up 'til then (it made me wonder how many of us work away, faced with so many processing options yet refrain from actually using certain processes or parameters until they're really needed? It's a good feeling. Perhaps for another thread..).
I find the Tape function certainly has its time and place - for want of the enhancing effect it can also have on the low mid range. And, to me, a good example of how the dsp can sound best running at higher sample rates.
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Adam Dempsey
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Matt_G

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2007, 02:26:23 AM »

Kingfisher wrote on Mon, 05 February 2007 15:25

What do you guys think about Crane song HEDD? I never had a chance to demo one but lot of people just seem to love it. Glenn Meadows speaks highly of it. I guess tape SIMULATION generally doesn't have a very good reputation but when so many leading mastering houses seem to be using this unit, I think I could probably use some Hedd myself having decided not to go the tape way.

...And what about the Portico 5042? I haven't even checked the specs yet but been told it sounds great. But I guess it is something you might want to use in a mix rather than in mastering.

Cheers


Been using the HEDD here for a few years now & I'm a pretty big fan. At first I found myself using the HEDD's processing on just about every project, over time I learned to here the negatives & since then I mostly use the A/D & D/A conversion & the Pentode knob these days in moderation. The triode knob hardly ever gets used & the tape knob gets largely ignored now that I have a real half inch ARIA equipped ATR-102.

The new converters are excellent & these alone are worth the price of admission imo. If you can use the other processing then it's an added bonus.

Matt
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Matthew Gray Mastering

Brisbane Australia

Bob Boyd

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2007, 02:30:55 AM »

The HEDD 192 is a great unit.  As I've placed more analog processing in the rack over the last few years, I haven't reached for it quite as much but when I need it, nothing else I have can do what it does.  Definitely a great tool to have around.  It can do warmth, add presence, and easily help the average level of master without creating overs.  

Dave's "Phoenix" plugin (TDM) is great to have in mix sessions as well.  Both products are easy to love.
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Bob Boyd
ambientdigital, Houston

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lowland

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2007, 03:19:00 AM »

I like the HEDD for the  processing (mostly Pentode with occasional tape, I've used Triode only once), but for me where it really scores is in the excellence of the converters used as the analogue send and return, all in 1U. The ADC clips very gracefully and this is sometimes handy to have alongside other loudness strategies.
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Nigel Palmer
Lowland Masters
Essex, UK
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Kingfisher

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2007, 05:42:49 AM »

This is what Bob Ludwig says on the Crane song website. I hope it is OK to use the quote here..
Bob Ludwig - Gateway Mastering
The HEDD-192 performs very special function which are emulation of Tube transfer function and tape saturation. There is nothing else like it. When I have to deal with digital tapes that suffer from "digititus" the HEDD-192 can transform their brittleness into a much more musical and satisfying sound. The tape saturation can emulate that analog sound without having to actually transfer sounds into the analog tape domain and back again. The amount of processing is confined to the subleties of the real-world counterparts."
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Peter

Kingfisher

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2007, 05:52:42 AM »

Adam Dempsey wrote on Mon, 05 February 2007 01:05

Love the HEDD for its subtle processing. I even found a little of the Triode function useful for the first time the other day on a death metal project - it just hadn't been suitable for anything else up 'til then (it made me wonder how many of us work away, faced with so many processing options yet refrain from actually using certain processes or parameters until they're really needed? It's a good feeling. Perhaps for another thread..).
I find the Tape function certainly has its time and place - for want of the enhancing effect it can also have on the low mid range. And, to me, a good example of how the dsp can sound best running at higher sample rates.


Hi Adam,
I am glad you found use for the Triode function! Bob Katz talks about the subtlety of it here: http://www.proaudioreview.com/july01/Crane-Song-web.shtml

By the way, I was supposed to send a project to Tony quite a while ago to get some kick-ass aussie attitude in it! But it has been dealyed. Soon I hope anyway. My greetings to Mr. Bear

Cheers
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Peter

MASSIVE Mastering

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2007, 12:41:47 AM »

The only thing I didn't like about the HEDD was how long it took to get it.  

But yeah, the Triode knob is more or less unused.  
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John Scrip
Massive Mastering - Chicago (Schaumburg / Hoffman Est.), IL - USA

punisher

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2007, 04:13:20 AM »

Matt_G wrote on Mon, 05 February 2007 02:26

now that I have a real half inch ARIA equipped ATR-102.



As opposed to a "fake one"?

While I have a lot of respect for Dave Hill, I never thought that much of the Aria electronics. Especially for the price of entry.

The standard ATR electronics rock!  

And besides I think bouncing off tape isn't as effective as working off a 1/2" master to begin with.

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bblackwood

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #9 on: February 06, 2007, 06:58:40 AM »

punisher wrote on Tue, 06 February 2007 03:13

While I have a lot of respect for Dave Hill, I never thought that much of the Aria electronics.

Really? You would be the first person I've ever heard say this...

Quote:

The standard ATR electronics rock!  

Agreed.

Quote:

And besides I think bouncing off tape isn't as effective as working off a 1/2" master to begin with.

Agree completely.

I like the Hedd, use it every day. In fact, I still prefer it's ADC over anything else I've ever used/tried. I use the processing most of the time, but subtlety is the key here - I very rarely go over '1' ...
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Brad Blackwood
euphonic masters

punisher

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #10 on: February 06, 2007, 07:10:48 AM »

bblackwood wrote on Tue, 06 February 2007 06:58

punisher wrote on Tue, 06 February 2007 03:13

While I have a lot of respect for Dave Hill, I never thought that much of the Aria electronics.

Really? You would be the first person I've ever heard say this...



Well there's always a first for everything. I just can't justify the extra $$$$ for them. Especially in an age where 1/2" masters are becoming fewer these days.

I especially wouldn't get a set for the questionable practice of bouncing files off the tape at the mastering stage.

Hey if it works for those people who do from time to time God bless you.
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Matt_G

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2007, 07:38:32 AM »

punisher wrote on Tue, 06 February 2007 19:13

Matt_G wrote on Mon, 05 February 2007 02:26

now that I have a real half inch ARIA equipped ATR-102.



As opposed to a "fake one"?

While I have a lot of respect for Dave Hill, I never thought that much of the Aria electronics. Especially for the price of entry.

The standard ATR electronics rock!  

And besides I think bouncing off tape isn't as effective as working off a 1/2" master to begin with.




I did my homework on this one, I bought a standard ATR-102 off ebay which had the stock electronics but it was 1/4" so I had it shipped to ATR Services where I had it internally rebuilt with brand new standard response flux magnetics half inch heads (the repro head had to be a different impedance to run ARIA for playback). I'd heard about the ARIA electronics but I wasn't planning on buying them because I couldn't really justify the cost of having it as well as the stock electronics.

So I had Andy Krehm & Mike Wells do some tests for me as they both own ATR's that have both stock & ARIA electronics on the same machine. I sent them a few short mix samples & then got them to run them through both sets of electronics. Everytime I preferred the definition & punch of the ARIA samples as did some other mix engineer friends of mine. Andy & Mike had also said that they use the ARIA electronics over the stock 9 times out of 10 & that the clients also preferred the ARIA in most cases.

To justify the outlay I sacrificed the stock electronics, sure it would have been nice to have both but I couldn't justify the expense of having both & ATR services gave me a nice trade in on the old electronics & the quarter inch heads which helped. Having used it for a while now I don't regret my decision one bit. If I want an old school sound I just run 456 on my 1/4" Studer A807 @ 7.5 or 15ips. With the ATR/ARIA combo running GP9 the sound is big, wide, clean & punchy like modern tape should be. I also have the option of 15ips or 30ips for a slightly different sound. Looking forward to hearing the ATR tape formula soon.

I generally run the Cranesong D/A into the Sontec which is then patched into the ARIA. I don't agree that if it's not mixed to half inch then it's not as good as running it to half inch later. How do you quantify that opinion? If you intend to go analog at some point anyway why not use tape in the round trip to get that sound? Believe me it sounds a lot better then the tape knob on the HEDD. You can set your levels to drive the tape harder or softer depending on the sound you are after. Sometimes I even run my parallel compression into the tape as well. This works very well & the result is very satisfying both to me & my clients. But to each there own...

Matt
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Matthew Gray Mastering

Brisbane Australia

punisher

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Re: Give Hedd!
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2007, 07:52:57 AM »

Matt_G wrote on Tue, 06 February 2007 07:38

punisher wrote on Tue, 06 February 2007 19:13

Matt_G wrote on Mon, 05 February 2007 02:26

now that I have a real half inch ARIA equipped ATR-102.



As opposed to a "fake one"?

While I have a lot of respect for Dave Hill, I never thought that much of the Aria electronics. Especially for the price of entry.

The standard ATR electronics rock!  

And besides I think bouncing off tape isn't as effective as working off a 1/2" master to begin with.




I did my homework on this one, I bought a standard ATR-102 off ebay which had the stock electronics but it was 1/4" so I had it shipped to ATR Services where I had it internally rebuilt with brand new standard response flux magnetics half inch heads (the repro head had to be a different impedance to run ARIA for playback). I'd heard about the ARIA electronics but I wasn't planning on buying them because I couldn't really justify the cost of having it as well as the stock electronics.

So I had Andy Krehm & Mike Wells do some tests for me as they both own ATR's that have both stock & ARIA electronics on the same machine. I sent them a few short mix samples & then got them to run them through both sets of electronics. Everytime I preferred the definition & punch of the ARIA samples as did some other mix engineer friends of mine. Andy & Mike had also said that they use the ARIA electronics over the stock 9 times out of 10 & that the clients also preferred the ARIA in most cases.

To justify the outlay I sacrificed the stock electronics, sure it would have been nice to have both but I couldn't justify the expense of having both & ATR services gave me a nice trade in on the old electronics & the quarter inch heads which helped. Having used it for a while now I don't regret my decision one bit. If I want an old school sound I just run 456 on my 1/4" Studer A807 @ 7.5 or 15ips. With the ATR/ARIA combo running GP9 the sound is big, wide, clean & punchy like modern tape should be. I also have the option of 15ips or 30ips for a slightly different sound. Looking forward to hearing the ATR tape formula soon.

I generally run the Cranesong D/A into the Sontec which is then patched into the ARIA. I don't agree that if it's not mixed to half inch then it's not as good as running it to half inch later. How do you quantify that opinion? If you intend to go analog at some point anyway why not use tape in the round trip to get that sound? Believe me it sounds a lot better then the tape knob on the HEDD. You can set your levels to drive the tape harder or softer depending on the sound you are after. Sometimes I even run my parallel compression into the tape as well. This works very well & the result is very satisfying both to me & my clients. But to each there own...

Matt


Well good for you Matt. You don't owe me an explanation.
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