Meek VC3Q--Why and How?

[crawdad]

Many here exclaim the virtues of this pre-amp. For those of you who own it, why do you like it (low noise, great sound, clarity, etc)? How does it stack up to other pre's in that price range--especially if you just use the pre-amp and not the compressor or EQ? Is the EQ and compressor part of the magic, or does it deliver great results without these functions? Finally, has anyone tried its succesor--the MQ3?

I know--too many questions, maybe. I just keep hearing about this box. Does everybody love it, or are there some who consider it just another cheap pre?

[Gidge]

I have 2 VC3Q's.....love em.....to quote me, "the Joe Meek sound is a sound you either love or hate"....they can be a tad noisey, kind of a low hiss.....and the compressor is part of the Meek sound....without it you just as well get a $79 midiman audio buddy.....havent had a chance to try the mq3 yet so Alan if you wanna send me a demo to review id be more than happy.....

[jimistone]

the meek pre by itself sounds really good...(above average IMO) ....i haven't had any problem with hiss. You have alot of head room with the joe meek...you can get a good recording level without having to crank the output of this unit very hard. The optical compresser sounds real good and I think alot of people get carried away with it. The compresser really poured on thick is what colors the sound.

[bongolation]

They closed out VC3Qs at my local GC last month for $99.99 and I missed out on it.

Amazing...

[crawdad]

Gidge--Do you use your Meek all the time, or just when you are looking for that certain "Meek sound?" How about the EQ? Do you use that very much?

Thanks to everybody for the comments so far!

[Clark_Griswold]

Like Gidge, I picked a couple of these up at the $99.00 thingy... I have used them fairly extensively and love them! I use the compression when tracking bass, but otherwise I do not. I get a nice sound, I think. Better and different that the stock pres in the Digi001. Also I like it better than the Blue TUBE or Art.

[Nutdotnet]

I picked up a MQ3 recently for a steal of a deal. I wasn't in the market for a Mic Pre but it was one of those, "too good of deals to pass up." kind of things.

I like it a bit more than my Blue Tube, although my Blue Tube with a GT Tube is pretty nice. I mainly use my Blue Tube for stereo tracking my acoustic guitar and use the MQ3 for just about everything else. Its cleaner, quieter, and has a better sound.

The only thing I have a problem with is the damn compressor. Still trying to figure out how to properly use it.

[spectoar]

I have one and like it alot, I rarely use the eq but I like the sound of the pre/compressor. It did take me while to get a handle on dialing in on the compressor, all the knobs kind of effect how the others react to the sound. It works out well actually because it makes me use my ears more instead of getting lazy and dialing in the ratios, etc. that my head knows should sound good on 'regular' compressors. With the meek I kind of zen out and watch that little green light while listening hard. Like it on vox, kick and bass.

[Gidge]

crawdad,

if im not gonna use the compressor, im obviously looking for a clean sound so i reach for my Delta DMP2.......

disclaimer: i dont have a lot of time in with these VC3Q's so i havent really sussed out all what they are capable of.......

[chessparov]

crawdad, I had a VC3Q that was sold to a young musician to
help him with his demos for $100 (mint condition) before the
Guitar Center "blow-out". I missed that little box so much it
was great to get another one at the same price!
My nickname for it is the "rockbox"-great for rock and blues
style recordings where you want some attitude on the track(s).
The compressor is preset at a 3.5:1 ratio BTW, a very popular
setting for this type of material. The pre section works best with either a condenser microphone
with a good output, or with a dynamic microphone (since the
phantom power is off-lower noise floor).
The MQ3 is supposed to be even better as the "current sensing"
technology creates better signal headroom.

[alanhyatt]

Originally posted by Gidge
Alan if you wanna send me a demo to review id be more than happy.....

Did you say you had a check for me?

A few other notes on the VC3, VC3Q, and MQ3. The ratio is floating. It will get higher dependant on the level of input it sees, so you can achieve higher ratios by slamming the input. You will hear distortion if you hit it too hard, if you do, bring it down, but with almost 36db of headroom, you can slam it well into the last red LED without distortion.

The compressor controls are a bit tricky and take some time to get used to, but in the end it is a great little channel strip for the money. The MQ3 adds the CS mic pre and the mic/line switch, so it is a step up and the retail price has not changed. It is not a stand alone mic pre, but it is one of the best low cost full channel strips out there.

Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group

[Nutdotnet]

Alan- out of curiosity, what do you mean by, "It is not a stand-alone mic-pre?"

Thanks!

[Dolemite]

Originally posted by alanhyatt
...with almost 36db of headroom, you can slam it well into the last red LED without distortion.

Alan,

I've heard that the gain structure (low gain initial stage) of the VC3Q and related models is such that it provides incredible headroom specs, but relatively poor S/N ratio. Not to mention that you'd never really want to overload an SSM2017. Any comment?

The MQ3 adds the CS mic pre...

I've read all there is on the Current Sense thing on the JM website...from what I gather, this is some circuit that tries to match impedence between the mic and the pre, right? Anything you want to elaborate on?

[crawdad]

It sounds like this box has a pretty strong fan base around here. Again I appreciate the responses and info. The opto compressor sound like the key to it--right?

I have some experience with optical compressors. I have often run my Tube MP into an ART Levelar, which is also an optical device with minimal parameters. Works great on bass, some vocals and an acoustic--if you want a sort of driving sound. Like the Meek, it is touchy. A little goes a long way.

Anyway, I think I will just have to get one and see for myself what it sounds like. I like the idea of the new MQ3 with the current sensing pre, too. Hey, didn't the original version of this thing have an exciter instead of a EQ section?

[chessrock]

It's just got such an attitude to it.

Think of that chick you used to have a crush on in third grade who used to beat the shit out of all the guys at school. It will be noticed.

When the meek rears it's head, look out!

Your guitars will like it, and so will voices that sort of "lack something."

[chessparov]

Alan, thanks for the clarification, it's been a while since reading
the manual. I had thought only the soft knee curve was changing
due to the input level amount.

chessrock, maybe a better nickname for the VC3Q is "Xena"!

[alanhyatt]

Originally posted by Nutdotnet
Alan- out of curiosity, what do you mean by, "It is not a stand-alone mic-pre?"

Thanks!

What I mean by that is the Meek is a channel strip that incorporates a mic pre, but unlike the the ART Tube MP, Audio Buddy, and my own VTB-1 when it comes out is a dedicated mic-preamplifier. The Meek adds a compressor and an EQ.

Alan Hyatt

[alanhyatt]

Originally posted by Dolemite
I've heard that the gain structure (low gain initial stage) of the VC3Q and related models is such that it provides incredible headroom specs, but relatively poor S/N ratio. Not to mention that you'd never really want to overload an SSM2017. Any comment?

This is true with the exception of the 2017. As long as the the pot taper is steped correctly and the design around the 2017 is good, you can slam them all day long, so don't discount the 2017. One of the Burr Brown Chips is just like the 2017. Burr Brown only makes two through hole chips...the rest are surface mount.

Originally posted by Dolemite
I've read all there is on the Current Sense thing on the JM website...from what I gather, this is some circuit that tries to match impedence between the mic and the pre, right? Anything you want to elaborate on?

Well what it does is sense the current of the incoming signal then the circuit compensates for the amplified signal. The result is very good. The circuit works and the mics tend to have more extended frequency response, both higher and lower. All I can say it it works.


Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group

[Atwork]

Crawdad,

the original VC3 had an Enhancer. Here's a description of what it does:

"The final, and perhaps most unusual, section of the Pro Channel is the enhancer, which seems to combine the controls of a conventional enhancer with a parametric EQ. The Drive control sets the level of a filtered signal fed to a separate compressor inside the enhancer circuit, while the 'Enhance' control sets the amount of processed signal mixed back in with the original. To change the character of the processed signal on which the circuit operates, the user has access to a Q or bandwidth control, linked to the filter circuit. A basic, 5-LED level meter monitors the signal prior to the output level control (two separately buffered, but otherwise identical, outputs are provided on unbalanced jacks). Setting up the enhancer involves turning the Drive control until the Enhance LED lights briefly on signal peaks, and using the Enhance control to set the intensity of the effect.

For those unfamiliar with enhancers, the process adds a sense of brightness and transient detail that EQ often fails to achieve. Different enhancers work in different ways, but this one seems to work by selecting existing high frequency information, then compressing it to increase its average level. The Q control has to be set by ear; the higher the Q, the more the high frequency harmonics appear to 'hang on'."

And it was instead of EQ, like you said.

[crawdad]

Thanks, Artwork, for the great reply. As I now see, this box has gone through several changes and now exists as the MQ3. Anyway--thanks again.