Advice: High-end Studio Hardware in 2015?

Robboman

Robboman

Fractal Fanatic
Lets say I wanted to step up my home studio game from consumer/pro-sumer gear to actual PRO level gear in my signal chain. Let's say I already have great mics, nice nearfield monitors and let's pretend I have an awesome treated room and the talent (engineering and musical) to do great recordings. (haha).

What sort of gear should I be looking to go between mics and PC DAW these days? Right now it's a Presonus Studiolive mixer, the onboard mic pres are OK and the A\D seems pretty clean, but I doubt this is an A-list hit-record setup.

If money was no object, what's the best move up from here? Until recently I would have thought expensive analog preamps or channel strips, like Neve, API, SSL Manley... You know, transformer-coupled coloration, FET comps, Pultec EQs, etc.. feed all that into high-end standalone A\D converters on the way into the DAW. But being a Fractal user it's hard to imagine spending big money on analog gear. Is digital (VST plugs) finally eclipsing the analog counterparts in the studio too? I mean, I know it will someday, but has it already?

Looking at Universal Audio gets confusing. They have this great looking Apollo line of digital interfaces and all the hardware 'emulations' of classic analog hardware could want. But they still sell a bunch of really nice analog hardware too.

Do pros in top studios still track through analog for coloration on the way into DAW? If so, is that because the gear is already there? Would the pros go all digital if they were starting from scratch?

All thoughts welcome...
 
The Apollo stuff is amazing, and plays very nicely with axeFx, the Unison preamps worth the price of admission alone...
 
As a lurker over at places like GS, you're likely to find a mixed bag of answers ranging from all-vst to all-analog.
If cost were of absolutely zero concern, I'd say analog all day long... If cost were zero concern for me, I might own 200 amps and a myriad collection of high end effects, mics, and cabs instead of an AxeFx... same argument.
IMO, use plugins where you can get away with it, and save the outboard purchases for things like nice converters, a preamp or two that are very flexible with sources, maybe a word clock... the things you will use constantly, whereas having an actual 1176 versus a very nicely emulated plugin version of an 1176 probably isn't going to get you much further, but will likely be several times as expensive.
 
Look at the Antelope Audio gear. I own an Orion32. Very happy. Several steps up from your Presonus conversion in my opinion.
 
I am strictly a home recordist so take this FWIW but I have an interest in this area. I would say add conversion, monitoring (center console) and possibly summing. Conversion and summing are hot button topics. Many people claim they can hear differences in the really high end stuff and others claim there are diminishing returns after a certain quality is achieved. Burl Audio seems to be the hot new crush in town. Summing is also one of those things that some people claim is a difference maker and others claim is snake oil.

Apollo is not ultra high-end if that is what you are going for. I have an Apollo 16 and Dangerous D-Box combo. I love the Apollo and find the conversion to be fine for my ears. Some of the golden ears people at Gearslutz are fine with and others poo poo the conversion. The preamps are clean so that you can use their plugs to color the sound. Beware that their newer plugs like the Neve 1073 are very DSP hungry. You will want a Quad and with anything other than extremely low track counts will probably have to apply the effects on the way in or add a card (I bought an Octo). Bear in mind that if you buy just plain old convertors then you will want to add some good preamps on the front end. There is a mega thread on Gearslutz about the Apollo with sound clips.

The D-Box was a great pickup. The monitoring clarity over the Apollo or my old Fireface 800 was clearly evident. If money is no object, I would look at the Cranesong Avocet or Dangerous Monitor ST to have use of the external controller. I have not used the D-Box for summing yet so I have no comment on that. Burl also makes a monitor section but I don't think it has the external controller.
 
I've been a Metric Halo user for years. Along with Fractal Audio they have both provided career changing audio devices along with the best customer service that I have ever encountered.

I've used a 2882 on a daily basis for over a decade and never had a hiccup with it. I couldn't imagine a better sounding interface.

Then I bought a ULN8. I'm blown away! Everything I'm doing now, as well as recordings I've made in the past, sound so much better that I'm a loss for words. Everything just sounds like it's coming out of a world class studio. The mic pre amps are stellar. Quiet and transparent and plenty of gain. Character plugins can emulate all the classic preamps and desks out there.

I don't even own a mixing board anymore. No need.

The best piece of gear I've ever purchased. I picked it over the AxeFx only because it makes Fractal sound even better!
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm going to look closer at the Apollo and the ULN8 for a front end. VSTs and mixing ITB unless some crazy good deals on analog stuff pop up in my area first.

BTW, Gearslutz hurts by brain :) but good info there.
 
+1 on metric halo. The ULN8 is sweet. The 3D card upgrade will be stupid-amazing when it comes.
 
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