Stereo Steel Users ?

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 12 Mar 2005 8:18 am

I would appreciate input from anyone going Direct to Board with GD's SS rig in the studio. I'm thinking about leaving the speaker cabs at home and just plugging in the XLR's out. Any experiences? Drawbacks? Benefits? Thanks JO.

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 12 Mar 2005 8:23 am

I've done several gigs that way. People said the sound was great out front, but I was never happy with the sound from the in-ear monitors I was stuck with. It sure is easier loading in and out though.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 12 Mar 2005 8:40 am

Thanks Jim. I too have done some gigs too using the lines to FOH but always have had my speakers for my monitors. I was wondering about getting a good quality mix and control over my own volume and tone in the headset.? I guess it might be a good idea to take 1 speaker along if we have room.

Randy Carson · Post by **Randy Carson** » 22 Mar 2005 9:21 am

Dont want to speak out of turn since all I bought was the SS pre/amp since I had a great power amp and speakers,
but I really think the secret to the Walker system is his speakers,
I was very disapointed with the pre by itself as already stated above going direct. IMHO

Or its everything the amp also, you need the whole rig, remember the crowd is getting something in the ballpark of what the monitors are giving you, not exactly but in the ballpark.
RC

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 22 Mar 2005 9:37 am

I have had more than one confrontation with a recording engineer because of control over my input......but it doesn't matter, because whatever you "send" the final mix will change it to whatever "they" think is appropriate.
www.genejones.com

T. C. Furlong · Post by **T. C. Furlong** » 23 Mar 2005 5:57 am

I bought a Stereo Steel preamp also and I have not been able to find a direct tone that I like. To me, it sounds too close and dry no matter how much reverb and/or delay you use. It's probably just too clean. But when I add a speaker. OOO LA LA! it sounds great. I have spent a ton of time recently comparing speakers and amps. I agree with Randy. You have to lug a speaker to the session. I am going to start lugging a smaller lightweight speaker cabinet for sessions. I think the secret to a good recorded sound is having the speaker's cone, with all of it's phase anomolies and non-linearities, messing up the clean electronic sound. I would assume that G.D. designed the amp to sound the way it does, when it is to be used with a cone speaker.

BTW, I recently did a record session direct with an Avalon tube DI that had selectable tone settings on a knob. It sounded pretty good.

TC

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 24 Mar 2005 3:20 pm

I always use both speakers but I don't trust our nearly deaf sound man. He prefers to mike rather than go direct but take that with a grain of salt. Something I tried and liked at home but have not tried on the job is using the Walker amp as a pre amp into my Cain Sho-Bud amp. Maybe it's just the D-130 I like? Sounded good to me.