Aardvark Direct Pro Q10

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Member Since: Sep 27, 2003

Finally, this looks like just what I've always wanted!

I've done very little home recording but as you all know, it <i>sucks up your entire life</i>. Right now the best I've got is my band's powered stereo mixer (this waaay old one called The Entertainer), going right to my computer with CEP 2.0.
my next purchases are going to be a behringer compressor (probably that 4 channel one), and a studio projects tube blend preamp for vocals, guitars, or other 1 mic deals. of course, drums are the bane of my recording existance. right now i've got no choice but to get all the drum mics balanced and mixed just right on the mixer before it goes into my computer in 1 stereo track. so ugly.

This Q10 looks great though. finally i'd be able to record seperate drum tracks. i wanna know what all of you that have had experience with it think. how are the preamps in the card? good enough that you don't need to bother with external ones? has anyone used it with cool edit pro 2.0 with a lot of success? and finally, is it the best option? (i mean, i am sort of limited on budget, but then again i wouldn't mind saving for this thing if it's gonna be one of those purchases i won't have to upgrade for a LONG time.) of course, i'm not running a professional studio, but i've got that burning desire to get the best possible recording for my band, and maybe other bands i know from the area (start earning a little of that money back, maybe? =)

this is my first post, and surely it won't be the last hehe. now all of you who love your Q10's dearly, now is the time to tell the world why.

Dave

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 27, 2003 09:33 pm

You might also want to look at the Delta 1010 from M-Audio, or the Layla from ECHO. they are both a little more stable driver wise and dont have any compatability issues with any software recording programs that I know of. I have heard some issues with the Ardvark unit. But I have also heard good things about it when it is compatable with everything.

Freeleance Producer/Engineer/Gtr
Member
Since: Aug 11, 2002

Sep 27, 2003 11:27 pm

i have NO complaints with mine... i have had it about 6 months now and have recorded about 4 bands with it. it is a very convenient unit since you will have no need for an external mixer. i could list many options it has here but i'm sure you've done your homework as i did, but if you have any specific questions list them here and i'll reply to the best of my ability. i use the 8 xlr/line in combo connections to track drums while the spdif is connected to my pod pro for scratch tracks. i'll be selling mine soon (hint, hint) to convert to a pro tools setup because of certain needs but i'm sad to see it go. if i wasn't changing things up i'd buy another for more tracks. i have used it running Win XP and asio drivers with Sonar 2.2 XL and Vegas and had no problems.

hope this helps

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 28, 2003 10:42 am

I was hoping you would chime in, I coulsnt remember who was using it, And if it was with Sonar or whatever. Thanx dude.

Member
Since: Sep 27, 2003

Sep 28, 2003 12:33 pm

thanks for the input from both you you. i checked out the 2 other units noize recommended and they look alright, but the fact that the aardvark has XLR-1/4" combo inputs is a real deal breaker for me. i don't have enough adapters to plug all my mics right into 1/4" inputs.

I'm also running windows XP on my computer (built by me, so no stupid built-in proprietery non-sense to screw up compatability).

To el musico, have you ever used other preamps you own or have you been happy with what this one has in it already? also, i am interested to know you are selling yours soon, perhaps we could talk more about that=) you can feel free to email me, it should be in my profile. i'd also like to know for what reasons you are switching over to pro-tools, if you want to tell me.

thanks again for the help, guys.

Dave

a.k.a. Porp & Mr. Muffins
Member
Since: Oct 09, 2002

Sep 28, 2003 01:47 pm

Yeah, the Echo layla and the Delta 1010 don't have built in pre-amps, that's why they don't have the combo inputs. Echo does make a card with preamps called the Mona, but it only has 4 inputs rather than 8 and costs more than the Aardvark. I would go with the Aardvark Q10 and if you decide you want to use better pre-amps I think you can just leave the Q10's down all the way and use another one. I've heard good things about the Q10 pres, though.

Freeleance Producer/Engineer/Gtr
Member
Since: Aug 11, 2002

Sep 28, 2003 10:28 pm

well as far as the pres go they are pretty decent, but there are better. for vocals i a bellari preamp with my rode nt2 mic. i really dig the sound they acheive so i just hook it up to the aardvark via the 1/4" jack and have the gain setting to line-level instead of mic1 or mic2. this is still putting the signal through an extra gain stage but "if it works for you, then its good"... that's the rule i follow for everything i do. you can hear stuff i've recorded with it here: www.nowhereradio.com/beyondthenow

forgive the mixes as they were rushed and never revisited (oh yeah... only the aardvark's preamps were used).

as far as why i will be switching to pro tools, it's because my drummer and bassist have a Protools TDM system and they get better sound with all of their gear. so for convenience i am converting so we can share projects more easily. And for some ungodly reason (in this town anyway) having pro tools seems to be a business booster/prerequisite. i have had to turn down 3 jobs already in the last 4 months for remixing protools sessions and have bands roll their eyes at sonar/vegas and leave for name recognition. yes it sucks and yes i will be spending more money in the long run but hopefully the money made will justify the means. of course i still have soundforge and all my plugins!!

Contributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002

Sep 28, 2003 10:42 pm

"and have bands roll their eyes at sonar/vegas and leave for name recognition"

These types of 'clients' piss me off :)

Member
Since: Sep 27, 2003

Sep 28, 2003 11:17 pm

i don't know any guys in bands around here that wouldn't be pretty impressed with a shock mounted microphone. forget looking down their noses at the program i use hehe.

i went to that nowhere radio site but i couldn't figure out how to listen to your songs (i don't see them anyhwere). it does say something about all the live radios being down, though. maybe that's the problem? probably not, i'm probably just missing something really obvious. i wanna hear those songs though.

thanks again for all the more advice. i told my drummer about the Q10 today and he got way too excited. saving money is hard when there's so much neat stuff to buy=)


Freeleance Producer/Engineer/Gtr
Member
Since: Aug 11, 2002

Sep 28, 2003 11:38 pm

actually you go to discography... well here's the direct link www.nowhereradio.com/arti...84&alid=661


Eat Spam before it eats YOU!!!
Member
Since: May 11, 2002

Sep 29, 2003 08:19 am

I've been useing a Q10 for about a year an a half. I've horribly abused it. It spent three months in a fileing cabnet full of water on the back of a army truck at a port facility parked within view of the ocean... so my left monitor channel and the HiZ inputs have machine noise ...which still isn't bad enough to really notice... plus it could just be my wiring right now.

no need for other preamps... I'd save your money and get an Avalon or Universal...cheap tubes are worse than no tubes...

Member
Since: Sep 27, 2003

Sep 29, 2003 10:20 am

"three months in a fileing cabnet full of water on the back of a army truck at a port facility parked within view of the ocean"

that's terrible hehe.

i was right, i just missed something completely obvious. i looked at the discography page before but didn't realize "demo" was a link. story of my life. i like these songs, but i had to listen on lo-fi stream. i'll set them to download today so i can really give them a good listening to.
Rememberance = kick ***

i wish i could save up for a good expensive preamp but i'm on a spending budget of a measly $300 a month (although i could fudge a little on my promise to save half my paychecks for school. ahh vile tempations ^_^), and i still have to buy a compressor and a good pair of isolating headphones. anyway, i did read a lot of good reviews about this www.musiciansfriend.com/s...l/base_id/89454 the studio projects tube blend preamp. would i really be making a mistake in buying it? it may be a while before i can get the aardvark and i don't think i wanna do vocals and guitars through the crappy pre's on my mixer again.

Freeleance Producer/Engineer/Gtr
Member
Since: Aug 11, 2002

Sep 29, 2003 01:00 pm

if you're looking at studio projects then check this out: www.presonus.com/studioprojectspresonusbundle.html i can't give any info on this, i just came across it while reading up on the digimax lt

...bringing sexy back
Member
Since: Jul 01, 2002

Sep 29, 2003 01:41 pm

lol 'indy dave' - top name!

can i be 'indie flame'? nah, maybe not....

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002

Sep 30, 2003 04:25 pm

Its amazing how many people still flinch if someone doesnt have Pro-Tools. I am with jues on this one. I use Sonar 2.2XL and soon upgrading to 3.0. I dont have any trouble with people coming in here and crying about no PT, especially after we get tracks down. Take my word for it PT is going to be a limping dinasuar oneof these days as people start to get fed up with the cost and added costs of keeping a TDM system upgraded. Both hardware/firmware and software are getting way to expensive for PT. And as far as mixing down a PT session,convert it to wave or send it out to dat and then you import it into your DAW. I have done many sessions this way and not had any complaints at all.

Member
Since: Sep 27, 2003

Sep 30, 2003 07:32 pm

you can be indie-anything you want. it's all a state of mind =)

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