Strings - How It’s Made

[Stephen J.]

Even a little PRS content.

 

[AP515]

Thanks, I've wanted to see this. That machine that wraps the wire around the core is fast and accurate. That is the part I wanted to see. I didn't expect it to be hand loaded every string. That's more human interaction than I expected. Pretty cool.

 

[László]

I know I'm a guitar junkie when I watch something like this and think, "Gee, that was really great!"

Hahaha!

A while back there was also an interesting one on making a Neumann microphone.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

A friend/former coworker of mine worked for the engineering firm that built the string winding machines for Martin Guitars. When we were in Nazareth PA he got me a tour of the plant and the string production area - those machines run with unbelievable speed and precision.

 

[RickP]

I know I'm a guitar junkie when I watch something like this and think, "Gee, that was really great!"

Hahaha!

A while back there was also an interesting one on making a Neumann microphone.

I saw that one, too. Although new companies like Rode poke fun at the hand assembly, I’ve always been incredibly impressed with the clarity of Neumanns. I have a U87Ai that is the most revealing mic I’ve ever owned.

I can watch “How It’s Made” for hours, just love that sort of thing. Even better when it’s music stuff!

 

[László]

I saw that one, too. Although new companies like Rode poke fun at the hand assembly, I’ve always been incredibly impressed with the clarity of Neumanns. I have a U87Ai that is the most revealing mic I’ve ever owned.

I can watch “How It’s Made” for hours, just love that sort of thing. Even better when it’s music stuff!

I've always had at least one large diaphragm Neumann in the studio, with very few brief exceptions. My first was a U89i. There's a reason they have their reputation. I like other mics, too.

Speaking of Rode, they make a very fine ribbon mic called the NTR. I think it's the highest fidelity ribbon mic I've owned, including a couple of Royers. So I understand how they feel about their automated processes, and their clean room assembly, etc. They've learned how to make very nice mics.

I had a couple of their current tube models, and liked them, though I felt they lean a little too hard into getting a 'tube coloration'. The classic tube mics were never going for an exaggerated tube thing, they were going for the highest fidelity possible in that era.

However, currently my favorite mics are the Neumann and JZ stuff (Juris Zarens designed the classic Blue mics, and his stuff is made in Latvia; at one point he serviced Neumanns).

 

[RickP]

I've always had at least one large diaphragm Neumann in the studio, with very few brief exceptions. My first was a U89i. There's a reason they have their reputation. I like other mics, too.

Speaking of Rode, they make a very fine ribbon mic called the NTR. I think it's the highest fidelity ribbon mic I've owned, including a couple of Royers. So I understand how they feel about their automated processes, and their clean room assembly, etc. They've learned how to make very nice mics.

I had a couple of their current tube models, and liked them, though I felt they lean a little too hard into getting a 'tube coloration'. The classic tube mics were never going for an exaggerated tube thing, they were going for the highest fidelity possible in that era.

However, currently my favorite mics are the Neumann and JZ stuff (Juris Zarens designed the classic Blue mics, and his stuff is made in Latvia; at one point he serviced Neumanns).

I have a Rode, and I like it. One mic that I got turned onto recently was the Bock Audio iFet. Really, two mics in one, but two really great sounding mics. Very impressive! Mics are almost as bad as guitars... always another great one you don’t have.

 

[László]

I have a Rode, and I like it. One mic that I got turned onto recently was the Bock Audio iFet. Really, two mics in one, but two really great sounding mics. Very impressive! Mics are almost as bad as guitars... always another great one you don’t have.

Nice mic! I'm familiar with it!

I get into some pretty deep worm holes with recording gear, but after 30 years in the ad music biz, that's to be expected.

I recently did an interesting comparison test, recording my Tonare Grand PS > TLM 103 and JZ Black Hole mics > Mogami Gold Quad Core, then Canare Quad Core, and finally the Sommer EMC Quad Core Reference 4 mic cables > BAE 1073.

Let's just say there was a very noticeable difference that everyone who has listened to the tracks heard. I'll tell you about it sometime if you've got some money burning a hole in your pocket, but don't know where to blow it.

Oh yeah...and um...power cables...

 

[RickP]

Nice mic! I'm familiar with it!

I get into some pretty deep worm holes with recording gear, but after 30 years in the ad music biz, that's to be expected.

I recently did an interesting comparison test, recording my Tonare Grand PS > TLM 103 and JZ Black Hole mics > Mogami Gold Quad Core, then Canare Quad Core, and finally the Sommer EMC Quad Core Reference 4 mic cables > BAE 1073.

Let's just say there was a very noticeable difference that everyone who has listened to the tracks heard. I'll tell you about it sometime if you've got some money burning a hole in your pocket, but don't know where to blow it.

Oh yeah...and um...power cables...

Yes sir, there is no end to the depths of sound gear. I’m not a pro recordist, having spent almost all my studio time on the loud side of the glass, but I do love chasing the elusive great performance. It gave me a great appreciation for mics and placement, and the folks who know good from bad. When I decided to get a few better mics than the basic low end ones I had, I went to some knowledgeable folks for advice. Ultimately, I got a the Neumann, Bock, and a 414. They’ve got my needs covered, and in truth I am very overgunned for the range I’m shooting. I like that. Lol

 

[László]

They’ve got my needs covered, and in truth I am very overgunned for the range I’m shooting. I like that. Lol

I like to think of it as Semper Paratus.

 

[sadmoodyfrazier]

Here is why D'Addario strings sucked for many years. Because they were touching the new strings with bare hands over and over again. Maybe the actual quality raised just because they've got that they have to use gloves to pack the strings.

 

[RickP]

I like to think of it as Semper Paratus.

Good way to look at it! Better one too many than...

Here is why D'Addario strings sucked for many years. Because they were touching the new strings with bare hands over and over again. Maybe the actual quality raised just because they've got that they have to use gloves to pack the strings.

Yes, strings are a personal thing. I used their XL110 set for a while, and liked the feel. The Elixir set I use now is similar, but last longer.

 

[Kiwi]

I've always marveled at the basic fact that we can bend the livin' shirt out of our strings - and they are elastic enough to take it and return to tune, for months and years at a time.

How on earth do they make metal so elastic that it can do that?

=K

 

[eliju]

I'm surprised they touch the strings with their bare hands. Guess that's why I got a set of Ernie Ball's last year that had one string kinda pitted in places. Someone probably didn't wash their greasy hands after lunch.

 

[Black Plaid]

I like how they measure every core with a micrometer and test its breaking point before they make each string, but it's confusing how they make nickel coated wire, but only use bronze wire to wrap the strings.

 

[Prina]

I recently did an interesting comparison test, recording my Tonare Grand PS > TLM 103 and JZ Black Hole mics > Mogami Gold Quad Core, then Canare Quad Core, and finally the Sommer EMC Quad Core Reference 4 mic cables > BAE 1073.

Let's just say there was a very noticeable difference that everyone who has listened to the tracks heard. I'll tell you about it sometime if you've got some money burning a hole in your pocket, but don't know where to blow it.

I've been upgrading my signal chains and have guitar pretty well done, with the PRS/Van Damme cable going into either the amps or the Apollo/FM9 (which are connected via digital S/PDIF) and am now looking into mic cables.

I looked at the crossover (wire to wire) capacitance of the Sommer, Canare Quad Core, Mogami Gold (Neglex) & Gotham GAC-4/1 cables which were 35, 150, 97 & 55 pF/m respectively. Since I can get a 3m mic cable with the Gotham at about 1/4 the price of the Sommer EMC Quad Core Reference 4, I'm seriously considering trying that out.

Thoughts @László?

 

[László]

I've been upgrading my signal chains and have guitar pretty well done, with the PRS/Van Damme cable going into either the amps or the Apollo/FM9 (which are connected via digital S/PDIF) and am now looking into mic cables.

I looked at the crossover (wire to wire) capacitance of the Sommer, Canare Quad Core, Mogami Gold (Neglex) & Gotham GAC-4/1 cables which were 35, 150, 97 & 55 pF/m respectively. Since I can get a 3m mic cable with the Gotham at about 1/4 the price of the Sommer EMC Quad Core Reference 4, I'm seriously considering trying that out.

Thoughts @László?

I used a grey colored, thin Gotham cable with my Neumann U89i for at least 15 years; it came with the mic as part of a package deal - I don't know if it was a Neumann package deal, or just my pro audio dealer's package deal.

I used it with a pretty expensive Focusrite Red 7 mic preamp, so there's that part of the equation. A great mic preamp makes a difference, and that preamp ran about 4 grand back in 1994. They don't make it any more, but it'd be more expensive today I'm sure.

Unfortunately, I don't have the U89, the mic preamp, or the cable any more to make a comparison. Also, I didn't do any of my mic cable comparison tests using the mic preamps on my Apollo; I did all the tests using the BAE1073 DMP.

However, I wouldn't hesitate to use the Gotham cable with a good mic and mic preamp; I recorded vocals and acoustic instruments on plenty of successful sessions using it, and never had a problem. I'd probably choose it over the Canare and Mogami, too.

 

[Prina]

However, I wouldn't hesitate to use the Gotham cable with a good mic and mic preamp

Great. Sounds like the way to go for an intermediate range between Monoprice and Sommer Reference 4 for my kit which isn't quite at your level. And learning about the benefits of quad core in noise cancellation was nice.

Thanks.