Going Hard (help!)

[perfect cadence]

I discovered this forum yesterday, and can't seem to pull myself away from it. Thanks for being so generous Steve with the samples etc, it says to me your in it for the love of music rather than cold cash!. The amount of care you take with your work is noticable and i hope to learn more over the oncoming future.

I started producing 4 years ago when i gave up dj'ing because of a noticable decline in the trance scene. I'm a classical guitarist also and my influences are The Thrill Seekers, Trouser Enthusiasts,Vincent de Moor, Ferry Corston And Above And Beyond. These artists always produce tracks that evoke such emotion, which i believe is the point of Trance production.

I have always used a software environment because it's more viable financially, however i'm really starting to feel the need to develop the quality of my productions and i believe that the staple sounds found in the Virus B and Jp8000 could help(with editing), and a nice Lexicon Reverb outboard.

I have got a good handle on the rudimental aspects of mixing and do use my present tools to there potential. I just feel that i'm missing sparkle in the top end and a certain sheen that could be achieved with a real reverb instead of those clinical lifeless Wave ones.

I understand that i'l need to work in a different way and it could take a while to get used to that but i think it will be worth it. I want to buy the above items, not because i want to sound like everybody else, but because i can't find a more emotive pluck than that of the virus, or a more aggresive detuned saw than that of the JP8000.

My question is that because i'm used to just bouncing down from the computer, and doing everything from that environment, is it best to buy a Dat machine or CD recorder for my finished tracks or just route audio back into pc(loss of quality?),. Also does anybody have any general tips for making the transistion?.

I'll post a track over the next week or so. Feedback will be appreciated.

Sorry about the essay.

Thanks in advance

[Steve Helstrip]

Thanks for the kind words. When I record my final mix, I simply route my mixer back into my PC. I usually insert my TL Audio C1 compressor between the desk and PC, which tends to smooth out any rough edges and add a little warmth. As for that elusive top-end sparkle, that's very difficult to obtain in software alone. But generally, you want to be boosting in the 14-16kHz region with a tasty EQ. The best software EQ I've come across for this is the Pultec on the UAD-1, though I'm sure there are others. Forget the standard EQs in Cubase, etc... they'll just make your top-end sound harsh and grainy...

welcome aboard!

Steve