Color Difference - Tube Mic & Neve Pre ????????

B

Bahris

New member
Hope this is the best section for this.

I have a tube mic now....it definately accentuates the low-mids.

Can anyone tell me what KIND of a color DIFFERENCE I will see in how a tube (for instance in a mic) will color the sound as opossed to the iron and whatnot in a PREAMP that will color the sound.

What is the COLOR difference bettween a TUBE MIC and lets say a NEVE PREAMP? (seems it would be similar-both accentuating the low-mids, but ive heard the neve-class A accentuates certain harmonics that make a world of difference) ???

Andre
 
You'll get better answers from some others with more experience than me, but I'd bet that the tube in the mic has less to do with the low mid sound than the capsule.
Wayne
 
What model of mic are we talking - is there a transformer in the mic or pre (model ?) somewhere ? Just curious - I don't have a tube mic so I wouldn't be able to tell you either - but I might pick up some info...kylen
 
It has been my experience that solid state can have a tighter bottom although it can really depend on the preamp. The tube will normally sound smoother.

This really can change per the sound of a particular unit. Actually some tube equipment is tight in the bottom and some solid state is loose in the bottom.

Really there is no one answer. Maybe if you specified models of preamps you could get more discernable answers.

Beez
 
I have a CAD M9 tube mic going into a Grace 101. I'm wondering what kind of difference bettween that sound and lets say running my Blue Dragonfly into a Brent Averil 1 ch Neve Pre. (if i ever kicked out the $1000 and paid for that pre) Grace = transparent
Neve = Very Colored, Blue Dragonfly = very transparent, clear, bright, Cad M9 = Not as clear as Dragonfly but nice mid-lows.

Does that help with my question.

Thanks

Andre
 
I have a CAD M9 tube mic going into a Grace 101. I'm wondering what kind of difference bettween that sound and lets say running my Blue Dragonfly into a Brent Averil 1 ch Neve Pre. (if i ever kicked out the $1000 and paid for that pre) Grace = transparent
Neve = Very Colored, Blue Dragonfly = very transparent, clear, bright, Cad M9 = Not as clear as Dragonfly but nice mid-lows.

Does that help with my question.

Thanks

Andre
 
There are 40 different "toob mic" sounds, and only a Neve modules sounds like a Neve module.

A tube in a microphone is only one element of the amplifier design, and a fairly minor element in a microphones overall design. Tubes are excellent marketing devices that enable some less than competent manufacturers to sell less than stellar crap for way more money than it's worth because it has a "toob".

Evaluate things for what they are... not what some advertisement told you it might be.
 
Hey Fletcher

Fletcher,

Thanks for the reply. I didnt buy the mic or pre on the basis of some ad, I did do my research. And I know the tube only contributes in part to the overall sound. But as it is, more than not, a tube does give you a warmer-lowmid sound, right? If so,
then will the color pruduced from the unique NEVE sound be a similar warm-lowmid sound, or will it be different. In other words -tube sound & Neve sound = almost identical, very similar, the same, not that much alike, or not alike at all? IN GENERAL TERMS.
I know, it all depends, and there are many tube sounds, but IN GENERAL.

A lot of my research is done on this site. So any input at all would be most appreciated. Thanks Fletch.

Andre
 
Well, you tell us . . . apple & orange = similar fruit, dissimilar fruit, or almost identical, not that much alike, or not alike at all? In general terms.
 
Well Chessrock,

You sortof answered my question with your post. An apple and orange are completely different. Thats what I needed to know - a tube sound and Neve sound are completely different...but are they at least in the same CATEGORY, as far as warmth-larger than life type of sound???....

An apple and orange are both fruit, they are both sweet.......just a different kind of sweet, different kind of texture/flavor.

at least were not talking bannanas and candy bars.....

Whats similar, whats different?


Andre
 
Bahris said:
An apple and orange are both fruit, they are both sweet.......just a different kind of sweet, different kind of texture/flavor.
Click to expand...

Now you're getting warmer.


I guess I would think of Neve as a more aggressive kind of sweet -- like a green apple or a citrus fruit. And a tube sound would be a smoother, less-assuming kind of sweet -- like a pear or a blueberry with whip cream.

But this is all speculation, because certain tube sounds can be very aggressive (think overdriven, guitar amps, etc.), etc. etc. None of these sounds exists on an island or in a vaccum. A lot depends on how it interacts with whatever is on the adjacent sides of the signal chain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top