vocal pre around 1k

[jhag]

Looking for a 2 channel preamp for around 1k. Suggestions??

[Teacher]

www.seventhcircleaudio.com

2 of there John Hardy Clones should do you fine

or the API or Neve 1272, but the Hardy is clean and thats what I like more then not on vox

[Richard Monroe]

I like Toft ATC-2. Relatively clean, usable compressor, excellent EQ, all the I/O's you can stand. I'm still waiting to hear a new twinQ. I've had very good luck with the old one.-Richie

[jhag]

Teacher, which model is the John Hardy clone? Haven't really been able to grasp thier concept yet.

[wheelema]

The John Hardy clone is the J99. HOWEVER... once you add in the power supply, and the chassis, the cost comes to $925 for a single channel, while the cost for the Real McCoy at Mercenary is $1,050 for a single channel w/ the VU-1 20 segment LED meter card with separate peak LED for monitoring preamp output (the Seventh Circle has no meter), and Jensen's JT-11-BMQ output transformer (their best). Note if you cherry pick to the same specs as the Seventh Circle the price would be lower, though I cannot say by how much.

The incremental cost to add additional channels to the existing frame(s) are $574/$595 respectively.

Now, note that the Seventh Circle frame accomodates 8 channels, while the John Hardy only accomodates 4, so assuming you need 8 channels, the cost per channel comes out to $639/$709 respectively.

Now, if you are a soldering savvy kind of guy, you can save some real money going the Seventh Circle route, and you can mix Neve clones and John Hardy clones in the same chassis, which would be kind of nice. But if you just want to grab and go, I really cannot condone the Seventh Circle route. Strikes me as a false economy.

[Middleman]

That would be the J99. Sorry teach, it was on the tip of my tongue.

The A12 is the API clone, the N72 is the Neve clone and the J99 would be closest to the John Hardy with its "Jensen Twin Servo design".

Ouch... Wheelema beat me to it.

If you are handy with a solder and not concerned about potential resale value then you can save about $150 per channel going seventh circles route.

[wheelema]

Originally Posted by Middleman

...Ouch... Wheelema beat me to it...

That's right, Middleman, and seeing how as you can afford to live in freaking Mission Viejo, take THAT, and THAT, and THAT!!

You also make an excellent point mentioning the resale value. A John Hardy will hold it's value very very well, while a home built Seventh Circle rack... well...

[Dot]

There's a two-channel Sebatron vmp-2000e on Ebay right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3756514183

Some pretty serious pres for that kind of money.

[Middleman]

Originally Posted by wheelema

That's right, Middleman, and seeing how as you can afford to live in freaking Mission Viejo, take THAT, and THAT, and THAT!!

I live in the poor part of town

[ozraves]

I suggest the DAV Broadhurst Gardens No. 1.

http://www.davelectronics.com/bg1.htm

[tollbooth]

hey there jhag

i'd like to put in a good word for the TFPRO P2 - they used to be Joemeek in the UK, but i think an american company now has the rights to the name and the colour (oh, what a bizarre world we wander round).

however - ted fletcher had little to do with the current range of JM stuff and released his own TFPRO range.

the UK price is about £550 and so i guess it would come in somewhere in the $750 mark. they are not up with the Avalons and MAnleys, but I really like mine.

they are clean and lively. the optocompression isn't everyone's cup of tea but i've always found it musical though characteristic. great EQ and nice big meters (though they are moving coil not LED - though for some reason i find it easier to see transient peaks that way - that really probably is just me!)

the stereo linking is a bit odd as it only links the compressors, not the EQ - i guess Ted had something specific in mind when he designed it that way.

it means you can then leave one meter in input mode and set the other one for gain reduction.

and it's bright red, which looks both cool and distressing in the racks against all the black and brushed ally!

i use a Blue mic and GT67 into my P2, and it warms the Blue up a little (which i love but tend to find alittle bright from time to time) and adds a little glisten into my GT67 which i have the opposite feeling about!

hope it helps. i think tfpro have an international website at www.tfpro.com

hope you find something you like.

best regs

paul d

[lumbago]

Focusrite Trakmaster.

[Tim Ryan]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for keeping our stuff in mind, but I'm not sure where your prices and comparisions are coming from. We just lowered the price of the J99 full kit to $299 yesterday, so you may not have noticed. A pair of J99KF modules (full kits) with CH01KF chassis and PS02KA power supply comes to $899 before shipping. Op-amps are not included, but the boards will accept any 2520 style amplifier module. If you wanted to use Hardy 990c op-amps, they'd run you an additional $200 ($50 each, two for each channel), for a total of $1099. The closest John Hardy equivalent would be the two-channel "Jensen Twin Servo 990", which Mercenary lists for $2350. The cost for additional channels of J99 is roughly $399 (assuming Hardy op-amps), while for the Hardy 990 it appears to be $900.

It's not really correct to call the J99 a "John Hardy clone" however, since we've made no attempt to duplicate the details of Mr. Hardy's fine work in our design. Presumably the starting point for both "Twin Servo" designs is the public domain schematic found on Jensen's web site, but the details required to turn that schematic into a working preamp are unique to each product. The J99, like our other preamps, is designed primarily as a kit, and therefore to be as simple and straightforward as possible. Although we offer them as assembled units, we sell far more to DIYers who realize it's possible to get uncompromising performance at substantial savings by doing some work themselves.

Evidently, we still need to do more work on the web site to get the message out and make all the options less confusing. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, I'd be very interested to hear them.

-Tim

[moeses]

vintech 1272...it's dope

[Middleman]

Hey Tim, thanks for checking in with us lowlies. I know, speak for myself.

I do have a question; if I buy the following:

CH01KF 2RU Chassis Kit, Full $299
PS02KA PS02 Power Supply, Assembled $169
N72KF N72 Module Kit, Full $299
J99KF J99 Module Kit, Full $299
A12KF A12 Module Kit, Full $259

Do I have everything I need for three preamps or are there other parts I need? Also, wanting to save as much as possible and able to assemble these, is this the path of lowest approach?

[Tim Ryan]

You'd need a single op-amp for the A12, and two for the J99. Of course, I'd recommend one of our SC25 discrete op-amps for the A12, for an additional $40. If you want the best possible noise performance out of the J99, I'd recommend 990c op-amps from John Hardy. Keep in mind also that you'll get a $167 complete kit discount if you buy the chassis, power supply, and at least one full module at the same time.

-Tim

[Middleman]

So with the discount it looks like around $600 on a N72 setup. But there is the matter of California tax. Can you guys move outta state?

Thanks for the response.

[wheelema]

Originally Posted by Tim Ryan

... I'm not sure where your prices and comparisions are coming from...

Well, I just hit the price list for Seventh Circle and Mercenary. I admit that I was in error comparing your product to the bottom of the line Johy Hardy, but it was an honest mistake. Apologies. Very happy to hear you have dropped your prices. Kind of makes me forget about resale value.

If I understand you, one J99 (assembled), a 2RU chassis (assembled), a PS02 power supply (assembled) will now cost $775. With the two John Hardy 990c op-amps, the cost goes to $875, and this unit is the functional equiv. (more or less) of the John Hardy Jensen Twin Servo 990 Single Channel for $1,450. Do you assemble with the 990c op-amps, or does one have to buy the kit and substitute the two 990c?