Does expensive gear always sound better?

Evaluating the studio equipment we buy has always been challenging. Auditioning gear at a retailer is especially problematic. Unless we are able to borrow equipment prior to purchase and use it in our own studios for a few weeks, we can never be sure if it will work for us or give us the results we need.

It's no surprise then that many of us reply on reviews and reputation when we make our choices. There's less risk and if we lack confidence in our choices there is less chance they will be ridiculed. We may ask ourselves, which gear that we own did we audition prior to purchase? Look around your studio now and count them.

Another problem is that the differences between some types of equipment, such as transparent mic pre-amps, and analogue to digital convertors, can be vanishingly small, if perceptible at all. So how are we to differentiate?

Perhaps simply buying the most expensive equipment is the easiest solution. After all, it's expensive so it must be better! We can get on with recording and not worry.

The Hairball Audio 1176 revA - an affordable DIY project and superb sounding clone

For many manufacturers, reputation is everything, and they trade on it for decades. Sometimes it's warranted, but sometimes it's not. The forums are full of timid would-be sound engineers asking others for advice on the best this or that, but can they be sure the advice they receive is impartial?

Also, most gear is different, not better or worse. We can measure (but often not hear) the amount of distortion in an A to D convertor, and attempt an objective evaluation on which to buy, but who's to say a Neumann U47 is 'better' than an SE4400a?

This week Neve have introduced yet another take on the hugely expensive 1073 mic pre. How many do we need! The truth is that the 1073 has a certain character that some like (not Trevor Horn though!), but it is also true that since Rupert Neve sold the company decades ago Neve have struggled to develop and sell new products that are as successful as the 1073.

It's also true that sometimes expensive gear is better made, more robust, and ergonomically superior, but it's as well to remember that it doesn't always sound significantly better.

The Sound Skulptor MP573 - an affordable DIY project and superb sounding 1073 clone

The audible differences between gear almost always have less impact on the 'quality' of the recordings we make than the technical and artistic decisions we take when we record and mix.

So yes, by all means buy premium products, but remember you may be paying for reassurance rather than an improvement in sound quality.

Thanks for reading
FairFax

Studio gear longevity and Mackie Controls

It is a fact of life that once you have accumulated all the gear you need and want, there will always be one or two items in need of repair. When we plan our purchases we tend not to think about having to repair it, but if you want to keep using a piece of gear for 10 years+ it will need maintenance. This requires the long term availability of spare parts and partly explains the popularity of devices like the 1176 and LA2A.

Other devices are more problematic. A recent case in point is Mackie's line of control surfaces, the Mackie Controls. Although cheaper than alternatives offered by Avid and SSL, these devices are expensive, especially if you buy the newer Pro line.

We have a setup consisting of the original range and understandably given the amount of usage they get, they need maintenance. This is  a problem because 3-4 years ago they were discontinued as was all support and availability of spare parts. When you've spent between £800 and £2000 on gear this is not a good state of affairs.

These older models regularly appear on eBay and go for good prices, but we wonder if the buyers really know what they are letting themselves in for?

The biggest issue is with the Penny & Giles motorised faders. As we all know, anything with moving parts wears out and so it is with these. They can be cleaned, but if the string assembly has broken the only course of action is a replacement. However, they are no longer manufactured and parts have been scarce. Many owner have resorted to buying duplicate models from eBay and cannibalising them for parts, but many of these parts will be nearing the end of their life too.

As it happens, help has arrived in the form of a new european company with stocks of parts. We immediately purchased 2 spare faders. They were expensive, but considerably cheaper than the £2000 or so it would cost to sell our devices and upgrade to the Pro range.

Professionals wouldn't necessarily consider the short lifespan of this kind of gear a problem, because they can afford to upgrade, but for the project studio owner it's a major concern. Some of us don't want to upgrade. We find and become familiar with a device we like and want to keep using them for the rest of our music making lives. Perhaps this is not realistic?

Sometimes we wish we were guitarists with Les Pauls and Marshall amps. We can't imagine parts availability and maintenance is a problem for them!

Thanks for reading.

FairFax