Best pre-amp on a budget with phantom power?

What would you guys recommend? I just dropped $175.00 for the RNC compressor (due to so many good reviews here) and now I need a Pre-Amp so I can power my mic into the compressor.

Any ideas? What's a good combo? I am just now starting to build a rack. I record everything into my AW16G for now and edit in Cakewalk (I'll need help there on effects, etc.)

Also, aside from micing my Marshall and Cabinent, what's the best box to get the "brownest" guitar distortion that I can plug right into the recorder?

Thanks all!

[teainthesahara]

If your looking to a preamp to help get some of the 'brown-sound" (i think i know what your talking about, since that is the way i describe it as well), pick up a 49$ ART mp along with whatever other mic pre you get. It's forward in the low mids, and distorts DI instruments quite pleasantly to brown that tone out! They are well worth it for the price they go for these days!

[tollbooth]

hey mr surfer!

i'm going to bang that gong for my old mates TFPro again! (I really don't work for them - i don't even get a discount, they did make me a coffee at a recent show i guess, so i have perks!)

TFPro do a really nice lil pre called the P3. I used to use them when they were called JoeMeek (you have JoeMeek in the US now, but it's really not the same company and the stuff hasn't been designed by Ted Fletcher and i think they made a hash of the redesign). i started with them in their VC series formats (VC3Q and VCv2 - both of which, if you can get on ebay are really nice lil units) - but the new red P3 is the same design almost as the the old VC3Q. It has a really nice optocompressor on it, which is colourful and you need to hear it, but i really like it.

you can put pretty much anything through it, and it is fantastic for bass DI!

i've stayed with Ted Fletchers designs all through and now have their bigger P2 and it's lovely. i track all my vocals (and pretty much most of my analog instruments) thru it and it's wonderful.

hope it helps

paul d

[OneArmedScissor]

Uh he said he needs a pre on a budget. Now I don't know how much it actually costs, but the tfpro p2's list is $1,099, so the p3 is likely several hundred.

Also, it's not even listed on the website, and I couldn't find anywhere that sells it.

You might try a Studio Projects VTB-1. They're about the only cheaper tube pre that people tend to like a lot. I don't know how it would work for doing distorted DI guitar, but it is worth looking into.

[tollbooth]

the P3 used to sell for about £100 uk sterling - so i guess that goes to about £160-ish. though you are right - logically the pricing should lead you to think much higher. i said tfpro were good - just not imaginitive!

i mentioned the P2 because i'd seen one kicking round ebay for a couple of hundred and i considered getting another one myself as i'd been so happy with everything else from the guys.

older VC3Q and VC3v2 units should pop up on ebay from time to time - and i'm guessing would go for maybe under $100 or so. both these are really good units -was using one only today!

sorry - WOW - just looked on ebay.com (not .co.uk which is my home) and there is a VC3v2 (the older one of the two) for nearly $250!!!!!! can't believe it - that's way over the original price in the UK even given a generous exchange rate!

apologies!

i'm a bit worried about TFPro, as i saw something on their website about changes in administration. didn't sound too good.

thanks for putting me right as i won't recommend these as the budget option again - however - they were my first ones and they were really good value in the UK - i promise!!!!!!

have fun

[tollbooth]

...and to demonstrate my disbelief - i just emailled tfpro to find out what's going on - if i find anything out, i'll post it.

be assured my avatar will next be seen with its tail firmly between its legs!

have a good evening!

peace and good happiness stuff

pd

Originally Posted by tollbooth

...and to demonstrate my disbelief - i just emailled tfpro to find out what's going on - if i find anything out, i'll post it.

be assured my avatar will next be seen with its tail firmly between its legs!

have a good evening!

peace and good happiness stuff

pd

Thanks. What do you think about this Pre-Amp:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...se_pid/180589/

[Michael Jones]

You already have an RNC, why not get the RNP to go along with it?

[tollbooth]

hey there

i have little direct experience of ART pre's though i used to use their FX units quite a bit. i know the DPSII didn't get such great reviews in the UK on its recent release, but i think most of that wasdown to a confusing layout.

this unit advertised looks like fantastic value for money though - looks like list used to be over $550! must admit, it's the way i buy a lot of my gear - not so much second hand, but just wait till new models are about to come out and wait for the clearance models to plummet!

however - i would agree with michael and maybe stick with the RNP. i never really had it proved to me that sticking with one manufacturer's signal path is a good thing, but it's always FELT like a good idea! i've used the RNP and it turned out a nice set of vocals on a mobile job i was on recently.

happy hunting

paul d

Originally Posted by Michael Jones

You already have an RNC, why not get the RNP to go along with it?

Price. The RNP is very expensive.

Also, I am thinking that I can daisy chain the RNC to the ART and get a really good compressed sound without squishing it. The ART is getting good reviews from people who have used it and value wise, it's amazing! It's getting hard for me to say no!

That's why I am so desperate to talk to someone here that has either used one or owns one. I'll check HarmonyCentral and see if there are any reviews.

Thanks!

[tollbooth]

btw - i did promise with my tail between my legs to get back to this thread re the tfpro stuff.

it would appear that the P3 was far too similar to the device being marketed by the US company that now owns the JoeMeek brand (though Ted Fletcher who designed it is still the one behind the TFPro products!). as part of the cessation of the 'old green' series, TFPro agreed to also stop making the P3.

The closest device they now have at an entry level, will be a Twin Channel 1/2 rack unit, though this is not quite out yet and will retail at much higher pricing than the old P3/VC series.

Ted's drive is really now to go back to producing higher end devices - which is a shame, though completely understandable. i just looked at a system for mastering which would basically comprise their P8 and P9 modules, and even at the good prices we can get in the UK, this will be almost £3K!!!!

would be my dream rack though!

as for the US pricing - it was not explicit, but implied that this is also something to do with the discussions between TFPro and JoeMeek.

hope this helps. TFPro were lovely about explaining this, and i completely stand by my recommendation of them - Ted Fletcher is a great circuit designer and a true guru of the subject.

oh - and they don't do my favourite pre now either - the P2!!! you were right!

hope that makes things as clear as mud again!

all happiness

paul d

[BlindCowboy]

I think everyone's had an Art TubeMP over the years. They're great little single channel pre's.

I've got one that I bought a couple of years ago for about $80. Since then, they've come out with several different versions. I still use my MP alot, and it's never given me any problems. I've compared it to every other pre I can get my hands on under $300, and haven't seen enough significant difference to justify another couple hundred bucks. I have modded it since original purchase, adding a EH12AX7 tube. Little difference.