Joe Meek Twin Q or Presonus MP20?

[Foo-bu]

I'm looking for a good high end pre and am stuck debating between the Twin Q and the MP20. i'm kinda leaning more towards the twin Q simply because of all the different features it has on it. anyone have any experience with these two units? is there anything else in the same price range i should look out for?

thanks

 

[famous beagle]

Foo-bu,

I was just getting ready to ask about the Presonus MP20. I've got an opportunity to snag one for $400, and I'd like to know if the RNP would be a better deal for a little more (about $60) money.

Anyone have experience with the MP20?

 

[sdelsolray]

The MP20 is a decent pre, better than most budget pres. It's better with the Burr Brown op amp mod and the Jensen tranny mod (some of the earliest MP20s have the Jensen trannys).

 

[Supercreep]

I've got a TwinQ and am very pleased with the sound. Having a nice comp and eq, along with the pre and transformer option it is versatile. I don't have the MP20 so I can't really compare the two.

 

[jeff0633]

Anyone

Anyone know when the Twin Q and the 6Q will be out? AMS says they will have the 6Q on the 15 (tomorrow) and 30th for the TwinQ. These dates are on their web site and I don't know if they are updated or not. I am ready to buy an RNP, but I am still researching. Even though the twinQ is 799, I could use the payment plan and put my $400 down.

Jeff

 

[mshilarious]

Anyone have experience with the MP20?

Do I search, I describe my old MP20 and modding it in detail. It's been out a number of years, so you can score a used one for $300.

Now I'm the proud owner of a M80

 

[NeoMagick]

I was researching the same comparison a few days ago, and thought I'd share that I settled on the TwinQ. Haven't bought it yet, but everything I've read says the extra couple of hundred will be well worth it. I've read the mp20 is a great piece of hardware for the buck, but it doesn't sound phenomenal, whereas the TwinQ is couple of grades higher. A Neve or Avalon it may not be, but a bit more cost gets you that much closer, which means it might last through that many more upgrades.

Course it's also good to keep in mind that the TwinQ is also a set of channel strips (thanks to Ritchie for pointing this out to me a short while ago...). It's not just a preamp, but each channel has an EQ and a compressor, and it goes digital out. So the added $300 or so for the TwinQ means you don't buy more gear to put in the line between the mic and the deck.

but, i have 6 studio mics to use for recording my group, and after the twinQ, i'll only have 4 preamps, so I may get an Mp20 for the hell of it as well... (my flute player doesn't need higher end stuff, does he? Not when there's a violinist in the house... )

 

[jeff0633]

Damn, it will be hard for me to fork out 799 for a twinQ when you can get four channels of Sytek at the same price. Do any of you guys think that the TwinQ pres are close to the Sytek? Even if they are equal, which is hard for me to believe that the Meek could be on par with a Sytek, you still get four channels of Sytek against two for the TwinQ. I know you get the compressor and EQ, but damn, I would rather not get lower pre quality just to have a compressor and EQ. Would you? If the twinQ pres are on par with the Sytek, tyhen it would be cool.

Jeff

I'm looking for a good high end pre and am stuck debating between the Twin Q and the MP20. i'm kinda leaning more towards the twin Q simply because of all the different features it has on it. anyone have any experience with these two units? is there anything else in the same price range i should look out for?

thanks

 

[chessrock]

I would rather not get lower pre quality just to have a compressor and EQ. Would you?

Depends on how important the comp and EQ were to me.

If I already had some good mic pres, then I might like having the extra options. Buying a Meek for the mic pres is kind of missing the point anyway.

 

[jeff0633]

You mean you would pay 799 for a compressor and EQ from Meek? Not me. I would NEVER take a lower quality pre to get a compressor and EQ. After getting the brick, I see now how important the pre is. If it is lower quality, you can bet you are still paying a chunk for it. Why not spend the 799 on a dedicated compressor and EQ? I simply can't see paying money for a lower-quality pre when you have the money to get better pres or better compressor and EQ. Where am I going wrong? Are there no better compressors out there for 799?

Jeff

Depends on how important the comp and EQ were to me.
If I already had some good mic pres, then I might like having the extra options. Buying a Meek for the mic pres is kind of missing the point anyway.

 

[therage!]

Anyone know when the Twin Q and the 6Q will be out? AMS says they will have the 6Q on the 15 (tomorrow) and 30th for the TwinQ. These dates are on their web site and I don't know if they are updated or not. I am ready to buy an RNP, but I am still researching. Even though the twinQ is 799, I could use the payment plan and put my $400 down.

Jeff

As usual AMS is full of it. I don't know where they get some of those dates at.

check out this thread

http://www.pmiaudio.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=63

 

[chessrock]

I simply can't see paying money for a lower-quality pre when you have the money to get better pres or better compressor and EQ. Where am I going wrong?

Nothing wrong with your logic. It's just that some people might see that combo as being very valuable, as Joemeek has a certain reputation and sound that some people really dig. It's not for everyone. It caters to a niche audience (the meequalizer and the compressor have a certain vibe).

And I'm sure there's nothing inherently wrong with the mic pre section. It's higher grade Joemeek, if that means anything ... but I wouldn't necessarily compare it to the Sytek. The Sytek is a very different beast all together. It's just four very transparent and clean mic pres. No bells and whistles; more for the value-conscious (read: very smart with money).

 

[NeoMagick]

I gotta go with chessrock on this.

it's personal preference. y'know, like religion or something.

for me, i'm looking to use the twinQ mostly live as an instrument pre with some light studio usage. Having something that can preamp, eq, and compress in 2 rack units and sound good (from what I read) is worth a fair amount of change to me. Otherwise I'm looking at $400 for a moderately decent pre, maybe another $200 for a dualchannel EQ worth more than salt, and another $250/$300 for a vla pro compressor, all the while hauling around literally 3x the gear. Yes, the train of thought is present that the more things a unit can do, the less properly it does each thing, but I have it on what I take to be pretty decent word that they're a solid investment and produce a quality sound.

Why not spend the 799 on a dedicated compressor and EQ? I simply can't see paying money for a lower-quality pre when you have the money to get better pres or better compressor and EQ.

Because I don't have pres I trust on stage yet, and I'm not going to buy a $2/$300 preamp, which would get me much lower quality imho, so I can save $400 or $500 to buy a quality EQ and a quality compressor. One package, bit higher price, ~half-Avalon quality, the math adds up for me.

You mean you would pay 799 for a compressor and EQ from Meek? Not me. I would NEVER take a lower quality pre to get a compressor and EQ.

Thats your perspective, and you're entitled to it. But I'm sure you've done many things in your recording career that I wouldn't agree with, either. Live and let live.

 

[jeff0633]

I see what you are saying. If you are going to use it live, then that's a different story, though most discussions here are about recording, so I assumed that's what it was for. zyeah, I have owned a VC3Q in the past, and I thought it sounded pretty damn good, and had a color of it's own. The pre in the Twin Q is the same one in the 3Q. I juts wanted to know why you would want pres that are probably 75 bucks worth of parts. I am a live musician soloact myself, and I understand about having less equipment to lug around. In that case, it makes sense. For recording, I simply would never choose 2 preamps that are in the 3Q instead of a Sytek with four pres just to get a Meek optical compressor and an eq, and pay the same price as the Sytek. Opinions are great, but they only go so far. It could be that someone's opinion is that the Behringer T1953 Tube amp is as good as a Manley, and that he got a great deal. Just because someone *Feels* that they got a good deal doesn't mean that they did in reality. What I am saying is that there is NO WAY that the Meek pres can come close to comparing to the Sytek, NO WAY, no opinion can make it so. If someone chooses to believe it, that's their choice, but it doesn't make it so. For live use, no doubt about it, having less stuff is great. For recording, if someone buys the Meek (happy about it or not), they still got pres that are far lower on the chain than the Sytek. I am not talking about colors or anything, I am talking about the components themselves. The Sytek pres are clearly higher quality pres, no opinion can change that.

Jeff

I gotta go with chessrock on this.

it's personal preference. y'know, like religion or something.

for me, i'm looking to use the twinQ mostly live as an instrument pre with some light studio usage. Having something that can preamp, eq, and compress in 2 rack units and sound good (from what I read) is worth a fair amount of change to me. Otherwise I'm looking at $400 for a moderately decent pre, maybe another $200 for a dualchannel EQ worth more than salt, and another $250/$300 for a vla pro compressor, all the while hauling around literally 3x the gear. Yes, the train of thought is present that the more things a unit can do, the less properly it does each thing, but I have it on what I take to be pretty decent word that they're a solid investment and produce a quality sound.



Because I don't have pres I trust on stage yet, and I'm not going to buy a $2/$300 preamp, which would get me much lower quality imho, so I can save $400 or $500 to buy a quality EQ and a quality compressor. One package, bit higher price, ~half-Avalon quality, the math adds up for me.



Thats your perspective, and you're entitled to it. But I'm sure you've done many things in your recording career that I wouldn't agree with, either. Live and let live.

 

[chessrock]

What I am saying is that there is NO WAY that the Meek pres can come close to comparing to the Sytek, NO WAY, no opinion can make it so.

Yea, but, um the Sytek's compression and EQ can't come even remotely close to that of the Joemeek ... because it doesn't have any. You're not comparing apples to apples, jeff. I'm not saying the Joemeek's anything great -- that's more a personal judgement call, but a channel strip and a set of mic pres are two different things with two completely different purposes.

 

[alanhyatt]

I'm looking for a good high end pre and am stuck debating between the Twin Q and the MP20. i'm kinda leaning more towards the twin Q simply because of all the different features it has on it. anyone have any experience with these two units? is there anything else in the same price range i should look out for?

thanks

The new mic pres in the new Joemeek are not anything like the old Joemeek products. Most of the comments you will get will most likely be based on the old units.

Every Joemeek with the exception of the threeQ has a custom wound transformer you can couple by simply pushing a switch called Iron. When doing so, it adds another dimension to the sound of the mic amp.

Rather than me commenting on the sound, I think Ritchie Monroe, Kronosonic, Paul White at SOS, and a number of other reviews from industry professionals and end users have said it all so far. These are not budget mic amps by any means.

Buying a new Joemeek is not just about the compressor or EQ, which is also miles above the older products in sound and features. It is also about a pair of good quality mic amps in the twinQ, sixQ and oneQ.

It would be a mistake to dismiss the new twinQ mic amp based on comments of the older units by people who never used the newer ones. Ritchie Monroe and Kronosonic have used them, as have Supercreep. I think those are the opinions you should listen to.

 

[jeff0633]

Hi Alan. Don't get me wrong, I know that the new Meeks are different, but I also know that you yourself said that the 3Q (which you left out above?) has the same pre in it. That unit is can be had for around $150 and it has a compressor and eq as well. What i was saying is that the pre simply can't be a very hard core pre if it is in a $150 dollar unit with a compressor and eq. And it was you yourself who said that the components of the pres themselves are the same in the TwinQ and the 3Q. Make no mistake, I really liked my old Meek Vc3Q, in fact, I was afraid to buy the 3Q BECAUSE I was afraid that you guys got rid of that special color that I liked about it. I liked that pre without the compressor or eq in the mix. It just had a sweet feel to it somehow. You may find that you have a lot more customers who are loyal to the older Meeks, because they fear that the new Meeks will not have that special color that the old one had. I am not talking about the color of the compressor or the eq, but the color of the pre itself in those old Meeks. Don't discount those who actually liked those units, and some of them might be afraid that you guys have turned the pre into the equivalent of the DMP3. That's what I am afraid of. It is possible that I will buy the TwinQ if that classic Meek sound can still be had. Again, my VC3Q was cool as hell when I would turn the compressor off and maybe use a little eq. The DMP3 I had was totally different, and kind of sterile, and it kills me to think that the new Meeks have turned into the same pre and that now you have to use the compressor to get any color. The VC3Q had color WITHOUT the compressor being used. So please don't get me wrong, it's very possible that I may have a twinQ myself sitting in my rack since AMS carries it and has the payment plan. Really, it will be between that and the Presonus MP20, which I would put the Burr Browns in. Maby the 6Q might fit my needs as well.


Jeff

The new mic pres in the new Joemeek are not anything like the old Joemeek products. Most of the comments you will get will most likely be based on the old units.

Every Joemeek with the exception of the threeQ has a custom wound transformer you can couple by simply pushing a switch called Iron. When doing so, it adds another dimension to the sound of the mic amp.

Rather than me commenting on the sound, I think Ritchie Monroe, Kronosonic, Paul White at SOS, and a number of other reviews from industry professionals and end users have said it all so far. These are not budget mic amps by any means.

Buying a new Joemeek is not just about the compressor or EQ, which is also miles above the older products in sound and features. It is also about a pair of good quality mic amps in the twinQ, sixQ and oneQ.

It would be a mistake to dismiss the new twinQ mic amp based on comments of the older units by people who never used the newer ones. Ritchie Monroe and Kronosonic have used them, as have Supercreep. I think those are the opinions you should listen to.

 

[DJL]

I'm looking for a good high end pre and am stuck debating between the Twin Q and the MP20. i'm kinda leaning more towards the twin Q simply because of all the different features it has on it. anyone have any experience with these two units? is there anything else in the same price range i should look out for?

thanks

I'll most likely get flamed by PMI-AG marketing or their internet followers for telling you this but... many Joemeek TwinQ problems have been reported... noise problems, production problems and etc, etc. If I really wanted a green lemon... I'd at least wait until after they work all the bugs out. Personally, I think you get better equipment with separate units... i.e... RNP/RNC, etc.

 

[alanhyatt]

Hi Alan. Don't get me wrong, I know that the new Meeks are different, but I also know that you yourself said that the 3Q (which you left out above?) has the same pre in it. That unit is can be had for around $150 and it has a compressor and eq as well. What i was saying is that the pre simply can't be a very hard core pre if it is in a $150 dollar unit with a compressor and eq.


Jeff

Jeff,

I understand what you are saying, but the mic amp on the threeQ is still quite good. Again, you need to find this out for yourself. It is of course my opinion that it is miles better than the old one, and when you do step up, you add in the transformer which brings you to another class yet.

The fact that the threeQ is is about $199.00 does not mean it has a bad mic amp because it is only $199.00. Remember we like so many other companies build our products in China. We get excellent rates. So my point is if we built it in the USA it would be $600.00. If it was, perhaps more people would feel better about thinking you would be getting a better mic amp for that money, but the fact is it would still be the same mic amp, and a good one.

All I am saying is it is a very good mic amp. Maybe not the one for you or some others. The testamonials and reviews have been quite good with the exception of DJL, but he as always speaks from ignorance.

So just some food for thought to consider.

 

[Markd102]

I'm looking for a good high end pre and am stuck debating between the Twin Q and the MP20.

There's an oxymoron for you. (No offence Alan).
The term "high end" in my book doesn't really go hand-in-hand with either Joemeek or Presonus.

Presonus I've never been a fan of. Plain sounding preamps in noisy units.
The new Joemeeks by all reports will probably very happily find their way into many semi-professional rigs (and maybe the odd pro studio as a filler).... but I'll be very surprised if it ever sits comfortably in with names like Manley, Avalon, Neve, Great River, Hardy, Chandler....etc. etc. ..... tried and true "high-end" preamps.

Sorry for sounding picky, but I think terminology is important here.

All that said, out of those two choices, I'll have the Meek in a heartbeat.

Peace