Channel Strip or just Pre-Amp?!

[guismarques]

Good sound + reasonable price = Preamps. No channel strips.

Think about it - A $500 preamp might have a preamp worth $500.

A $500 channel strip is a going to have a cheap preamp, a cheap EQ circuit, a cheap compressor, etc. "all in one." It's not a bargain if you're compromising the most important part.

That said - There *ARE* some budget-friendly channel strip units out there at around $500/channel... Someone mentioned the Toft ATC2. Great unit. Fantastic EQ. "Nice" compressor, "good" preamps.

THAT said, if I wanted a powerhouse front end, I'd go with your original thought of a pair of Grace 101's or (even better, IMO/E) a pair of True P-Solos. I'd rather capture an amazing sound and EQ it in the DAW than capture a mediocre sound and EQ it with a mediocre EQ circuit on the way in (only having to EQ it again later anyway to fit it in the mix).

The pair of great preamps takes away your excuses.

Oh yeah... thanks very much for the suggestions! I`m really inclined to get that combo of 500 series, but i think just because that way i can expand my rack with good pres and for a reasonable price as you said... but it`s sad to buy a thing that fits 11 modules and just 2 inside lol! Now i think i`ll have to work for more modules!

Talking about 500 series... which two pre`s would be good to me? i don`t want anything that sounds alternative... just want a powerful sound, classic sound, with depth and more versatility as possible (i mean, not so much color)!

2x OSA`s MP1-C (or A), or 2x API512C or, or, or... which one?!?

ty!!!

 

[dkelley]

Talking about 500 series... which two pre`s would be good to me?
2x OSA`s MP1-C (or A), or 2x API512C or, or, or... which one?!?

I use APIs all night at a commercial studio (just going there now actually), I am in love with api 512s. nothing wierd, no unpredictable color, nothing like a UA 610 for example (color galore), those API 512s are smooth, beautiful, high gain, clean, just amazing.

And I totally agree with massive's suggestions, once you get out of the $300 mindset you get into mid priced gear, for what that's worth, and it IS is a different level in many ways. To me, mid level is close to high end stuff but without getting into esoteric wierdness. I figure exotic stuff that's $2000 per channel is really high end, and great pres that are $500 per channel and up (API for example can be in that range, or close to it) are just soooooooooooo beautiful, and are priced reasonably for what you get (sort of the best of mid level stuff - again, which is non esoteric high end for the way I think about gear).

Not something we all need in a home studio mind you, but for those of us making a living at this it is a great investment. If I had to use my own gear for all my projects I'd have much higher end stuff than I do, but for my needs in my own studio my cheapo stuff does great per buck per mile.

Don

 

[Seeker of Rock]

Not something we all need in a home studio mind you, but for those of us making a living at this it is a great investment. If I had to use my own gear for all my projects I'd have much higher end stuff than I do, but for my needs in my own studio my cheapo stuff does great per buck per mile.

Don

Great point.

guismarques, if this is for a professional situation where you will be recording several flavors of music from several flavors of artists, clean and quality would seem the logical way to go, more of an upfront investment that business revenue will regenerate for you. For me, I only record myself in a small, stand-alone recording chamber I just built and I have certain 'flavors' that have grown as part of the sound I like to hear. Much like my guitar amps...a Marshall is a one-trick pony, a Super Reverb is a two-trick pony, but each has a distinctive sound that is carried through as part of the sound that I want and I'm happy with that. I use a Joemeek VC1Qcs for vocal tracking and love it. But JM sound is not for all and the older models such as mine are probably much less versatile than the newer models or other pres or combo tracking units.
Also, I am not commercial or professional; I just record music kind of like an audio diary, with the dreamer part of me still wanting someone big to notice me and tell me my songs are going to change the world and make me filthy rich and famous. That and my dreams of winning the lottery, the latter of which is probably more statistically feasible . Anyway, I think it is important to have decent equipment in home recording situations to get what we all strive for, that "professional sound" on a non-professional budget that we all seem to want; but also keep in mind when considering spending money on recording toys, the importance of mic placement and room acoustics, which will SIGNIFICANTLY affect the sound of your recorded tracks.