Putting a bunch of $$$ into preamps seems like a waste to me. I did sound on sound's blind test of pres and couldn't tell the difference between an API and an ART. With their panel doing a blind test the ART actually outperformed all sorts of pres costing 2, 3 and 4 times as much.
I have an RNP, a meek TwinQ, an Audient ASP008, and a Mackie 1604VLZ from 1992. You would think the Mackie gets destroyed by the others. Nope. It sounds different (just as the twinQ sounds different than the ASP008) but not lower quality necessarily.
very true to all my comparisons too and love the SOS shootout, really well done.
i even bought the ART MPA they used with the other tubes 6072? with the blue lights. it sounded great, had some really nice ability like the impedance knob.
through my comparisons though i was lead to the compressors doing the real dirt.....it wasnt the preamp.
actually the Mackie Board did fine in the SOS shootout too hahaa...up there with some big $$$ preamps...but a board you get what? 12 or 14 of them!!
I love the JoeMeek old stuff but the new was plastic sounding to me, the transformer IN/OUT button is a great idea but I couldnt tell the difference at all hardly. The old Joe Meek stuff has some personality but I think again its the compressor and/or eq.
theres a jones for the MPA and VLA, they get great praise but they look cool and have the right functions covered. Not too complex and yet a few nice things on the panel, and really for 2 channels of PreGain and Comp at $575 thats hard to beat. imo.
I went through a bunch of pre's last year and the difference became ZERO when I went straight in to my interface and added a PreAmp and LA2A VST strip.... once the drums started it wasnt even important.
The "magic gear" that makes peoples track sound like a mastered #1 Billboard recording immediately, by just plugging a Mic in doesnt exist it seems, thats why so many buy Neumann U87's and then are let down or even a $2000 mic pre.
McCartney did vocals with a SM57, O.A.R top Billboard with MXL990, Stevie Wonder RE20...etc..etc.. these are not $2000 mics, Ill guess preamps are the same deal.
I do understand, or my perspective , is yeah a U87>Neve 1073> 1176/LA2A works really well and is consistant (and expensive as hell) but the chain works so a lot of people use it....just like slapping a SM57 on a guitar amp, it works really well for some reason? we can try three thousand different flavors but the old Ketchup and Fries works well, the Sauerkraut on the Rueben works.
swellborn, you have the GR which is Neve-ish as I read it. you might want to try some clean-machines pre's to widen the ability. ..or you find out the GR does it all and get a second GR for dual mode.