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Gates ’N’ Mom's PT. 2
Soundman James has written in with a complex question. But I have
enough complexes for everybody! I got my persecution complex, my Narcissus
complex, how many more do you need? Then, not one but two individuals
coincidentally wrote in regarding the legendary Mom’s Board that
we discussed some time ago.
Oldsoundman,
YES, JAMES!
I always like to learn more and the only way is to ask.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!
WHY CAN’T MORE YOUNG PEOPLE REALIZE THIS?
THE YOUNG SOUNDMAN THINKS THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD MAGICALLY BE ABLE TO
READ HIS MIND, AND KNOW WHAT HIS FEELINGS AND DESIRES ARE.
I TELL HIM, “YOU’VE GOTTA OPEN YOUR PIE HOLE, SON!”
HE SAYS, “WHAT’S A PIE HOLE, DAD?”
I use gates on the snare and toms and floor tom.
THAT’S YOUR BUSINESS, JAMES, AND DON’T LET ANYBODY TELL
YOU DIFFERENTLY!
I LEAVE THEM OFF THE SNARE, PERSONALLY, BUT THAT’S JUST ME.
Now I've read that you can apply a ducker across the subgroup containing
the toms, having the snare trigger this, so that the tom gates won't
open up, and you don't have to close down the gates so much on the tom
mics to keep the snare from triggering them.
YOU ALMOST LOST ME THERE, BUT I THINK I AM FOLLOWING YOU NOW.
MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS: WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE YOU READ, WHO
DID NOT GIVE YOU A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF HOW TO DO WHAT YOU DESCRIBE?
THAT GUY ISN’T DOING HIS JOB!
ALSO, THIS METHODOLOGY WILL BACKFIRE ON YOU WHEN A DRUMMER PLAYS A TOM
AT THE SAME TIME AS THE SNARE, WHICH HAPPENS PRETTY FREQUENTLY, IF YOU’LL
NOTICE.
DEPENDS ON THE DRUMMER, I GUESS, NOW THAT I THINK OF IT. BUT I’VE
SEEN IT HAPPEN.
IS IT TRUE WHAT EMINEM SAYS ABOUT HOW NOBODY LISTENS TO TECHNO?
My problem is where to hook the patches for this, and is ducking
done with a compressor?
Still Learning,
James
YES YOU ARE, JAMES AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! DUCKING IS
DONE WITH A GATE THAT IS EQUIPPED TO DO SO, NOT WITH A COMPRESSOR.
YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THE ORIGINAL VALLEY PEOPLE KEPEX II. THEY’RE
STILL AROUND! EVEN THE LITTLE PURPLE GUY HAS SOME IN ONE OF THE ROOMS
AT PAISLEY
PARK!
REVERSE DUCKING IS CALLED KEYING, LIKE WHEN THE GUY IN THE COCTEAU
TWINS USED TO SET UP A HI-HAT IMPULSE TO OPEN A SUSTAINED GUITAR
CHORD, SO IT IS ONLY HEARD WHEN THE HI-HAT IS HIT.
SORT OF PEEKING OUT, SO TO SPEAK.
ARE YOU GOOD TO GO?
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE, THEN WE ARE GOING TO GET IN THE WAYBACK MACHINE
AND VISIT MOM’S HOUSE OF FINE MIXING CONSOLES …
I don't have a question old man, just wanted to tell you that I have
a Mom's Board, minus the power supply. But I also have the schematics,
somewhere, to make one.
Peter Theoktisto
Everyman Sound Company
THANKS FOR WRITING IN, PETER!
GOOD LUCK WITH BUILDING THAT POWER SUPPLY, WHEN THE MEDICATION WEARS
OFF AND YOU FIND THOSE SCHEMATICS!
YOUR EVIL TWIN BILL ALSO WROTE IN:
Dear Old Sound Man,
Thanks for the info on my board. Ken
Berger's remembrances were pretty close to mine. Anyway, I've spent
close to a year of my spare time rebuilding a classic Mom's to present
day standards. The closest modern day equivalent is a Midas Venice,
except mine uses P&G faders, Burr Brown IC's (biased class A), and
the best capacitors I can afford. Mixing on anything else is like bathing
in mud.
EWW, YUCK!
SOME PEOPLE PAY A LOT OF MONEY TO DO THAT.
BUT NOT IN MY HOUSE!
You want subgroups?
YEAH, I WANT SUBGROUPS!
You have 8 of them hanging off your hands (not counting thumbs).
WHY DON’T YOU WANT TO COUNT MY THUMBS?
If I need fancy EQ, I just patch in some Sphere graphics, or A+D
Vocal Stressers. The only latency I have to worry about is the waitress.
YOU HAVE A VERY OBSCURE SENSE OF HUMOR, BILL.
Oh yeah, updated White 4001's are the bomb for house EQ!!
SETTLE DOWN, SOUNDMAN!
YOU LIKE ALL THOSE LITTLE TWISTIES,
DON’T YOU?
My point is: while everyone is getting lazy with the newest digital
band aid, the true heart of great sound is still analog; if you can
take the time to rebuild some of the great gear of our youth, you will
be amazed at the punch and presence of the real deal.
Sincerely,
Bill Coe
I APPLAUD YOUR TRUE AMERICAN DEVOTION TO THE GOOD OLD DAYS! THERE AREN’T
ENOUGH GUYS LIKE YOU AROUND ANYMORE, BILL!
JUST TAKE IT EASY ON THAT MUD.
LUV -
- THE OLD SOUNDMAN
