Hi Harvey,
First off, let me say that I have been reading and enjoying much of what you have shared in this and the HomeRecording forums. Much Thanks!!!
I was wondering if you could give some advice...(I'm sure you don't get that line too often!! ; )
I have a couple of decent mics(km184, mc012, ksm44), and am in the process of recording my families music: traditional Persian music. This is all acoustic intruments, some plucked, some bowed. Vocals as well.
My setup is a Motu 896HD, with Audiodesk, and that's basically it going into an iMac. For now, I only have plugins for effects(including dynamics, compression, etc).
While I have a ton to learn and experiment with in regards to mic placement, mic choice etc, I am wondering if there are a couple of key pieces of gear that I would need. Specifically, for violin and vocals, would I benefit a lot from running a preamp such as the Peavey VMP-2 before the 896hd? I find the sound of the pres on the motu a bit cold and stark. If so, what do you think of the Peavey? Any other pres you recommend?
Also, should I have outboard compression while tracking/recording live in the siganl chain before the motu? I have heard greaet things about the RNC.
Lastly, can I get a decent sound for violin (our music should have a darker, warmer tone than say fiddle) using the mics that I have. SHould I look into a ribbon? Would a ribbon require a preamp such as the peavey?
Sorry for bombarding with all the questions! Feel free to only answer what you have time for.
Thanks