SPL Goldmike, Rane MS-1b or DMP3 for lead vocals?

SPL Goldmike, Rane MS-1b or DMP3 for lead vocals?

  • SPL Goldmike

    Votes: 6 35.3%

  • Rane MS-1b

    Votes: 5 29.4%

  • M-Audio DMP3

    Votes: 6 35.3%
  • Total voters
    17
dickiefunk

dickiefunk

New member
Hi. I'm looking for a mic pre for my studio to record vocals. I have read good things about the DMP3 and Rane MS-1b but haven't heard much about the SPL Goldmike. I have used the Goldmike in the past but not enough to remember how it compared to my VTB1 and have the option of getting one extremely cheap. I will be using the pre almost entirely for lead vocals and my budget is $200 / £100. I also have a Soundcraft M8 but will probably have to sell this at some point because I'm moving into a smaller studio.
Which would you recemmend out of these 3 for recording lead vocals? Or, is there anything else in this price range that would be better?
 
The reason why I'm looking around for different mic pres is because I'm moving my setup into a smaller room and would like to cut down on clutter and have one piece of kit that would do the job more effiently. I currently have a Soundcraft M8 and Studio Projects VTB1 for my pres and am considering having a clean out (due to space) and sell these plus a load of my old Behringer outboard. I would ideally then like to have 2 channels for recording mainly vocals and the option for stereo miking some acoustic instruments (I would eventually look to buy 2 Rane MS-1bs).

The DMP3 and Rane MS-1b have caught my eye because there seems to be al lot of people loving these and tend to recommend these as being about the best quality this side of something like a DAV BG-1, True Systems Solo and Safe Sound P1 etc. They both use very similar electronics and the same Burr Brown op amps which seem highly regarded. The DMP3 costs £104 for 2 channels and the Rane £167 for 1 channel. Is the Rane going to sound any better if the electronics are so similar?

I haven't heard many recommend the SPL Goldmike but SPL has got a good reputation so am not sure why this pre seems to get overlooked? Another pre which costs a bit more than my budget is the ART MPA Gold ( £225 ). A few people have recommended this one aswell but is more than I was intending on spending.
 
I just had another mic pre recommended to me which is made by a company in Sweden called Line Audio. The suggested pre is the 2MP. Apparently this pre compares favourably to DAV and Earthworks!!!??? Am waiting to hear back from Line Audio with price and shipping.

Has anyone had any experience with this pre?

http://www.lineaudio.se/linepre.htm
 
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I'm not sure what the SPL goes for in the UK, but in the US, it is not really in the same pricerange as the DMP3 or MS1b. The Goldmike MKII (the only model I found on Google from a US retailer) sells for $1,200 US - almost 8x the price of the DMP3 ($160).
 
One of my colleagues has one I can have very cheap. Which puts it in the same price range as the others. I haven't heard a great deal about it but have heard tons of good stuff about the Rane MS-1b and DMP3. I'm not sure why there seems to be very little feedback about the Goldmike 9844 or why it rarely comes up on forums as SPL have a good reputation. I did see something about it where someone had one and sold it for the ART MPA Gold. They were using it for serious classical recording & found the Goldmike a little harsh on the high end. The ART proved to be better to this user.
The Goldmike 9844 has dropped significantly over the past couple of years. They are going for £267 over here.
 
scrubs said:
I'm not sure what the SPL goes for in the UK, but in the US, it is not really in the same pricerange as the DMP3 or MS1b. The Goldmike MKII (the only model I found on Google from a US retailer) sells for $1,200 US - almost 8x the price of the DMP3 ($160).
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The Goldmike goes for £260($500).
 
While I'm a big fan of the DMP3 on any stereo micing chore, It's a little too neutral for me on vocals. I would imagine the same for the Rane. It all depends on what you're doing, and what you like, but for vocs I like pres that add a little mojo. I would think that out of the three choices, the Goldmike is the most likely to do that, but I've never heard one.
 
Robert D said:
While I'm a big fan of the DMP3 on any stereo micing chore, It's a little too neutral for me on vocals. I would imagine the same for the Rane. It all depends on what you're doing, and what you like, but for vocs I like pres that add a little mojo.
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I would have thought that it would be best to record as clean and true as possible and add the mojo after when mixing down?
 
dickiefunk said:
I would have thought that it would be best to record as clean and true as possible and add the mojo after when mixing down?
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I agree entirely with regards to compression, EQ, etc. But there are aspects of sound that great input transformers and certain circuit topologies can deliver in a way that just can't be replicated downstream by plugins. Even the input impedance of various mic pres affects how the mic sounds, not just as a function of tonality, but also in how crisp transients are.
The Grace 101 is a good example of too clean and true for a lot of ears, eliciting comments like "too sterile". For others though, it's the perfect clarity they've been after. As I said, it depends on what you like, and what you're doing.
 
Robert D said:
I agree entirely with regards to compression, EQ, etc. But there are aspects of sound that great input transformers and certain circuit topologies can deliver in a way that just can't be replicated downstream by plugins. Even the input impedance of various mic pres affects how the mic sounds, not just as a function of tonality, but also in how crisp transients are.
The Grace 101 is a good example of too clean and true for a lot of ears, eliciting comments like "too sterile". For others though, it's the perfect clarity they've been after. As I said, it depends on what you like, and what you're doing.
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Fair point! I really like it to be totally uncoloured that is as accurate to the original source as possible. I also like it to be very detailed and totally noise free with no harmonic distortion. The SPL Goldmike that I heard had a harsh high end with the Rode NT1a and Studio Projects B1 that I used and didn't sound to pleasant.
 
100 views and 6 votes? I would really value and appreciate votes and opinions from users who have had experience with these pres.

Thanks
 
dickiefunk said:
Fair point! I really like it to be totally uncoloured that is as accurate to the original source as possible. I also like it to be very detailed and totally noise free with no harmonic distortion. The SPL Goldmike that I heard had a harsh high end with the Rode NT1a and Studio Projects B1 that I used and didn't sound to pleasant.
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Just a thought, could the SPL Goldmike just be showing the harsher qualities of the Rode NT1a and Studio Projects B1?

There is a balance required for matching up mics and mic pres; as it has been said a million times, “Not all mics sound the same through same mic pre.” Some mic pres do a great job hiding the poor characteristics of a mic and others may enhance the great quality of a mic. Unfortunately, it takes a bit of trial and error to allow you go gain experience how to find the balance you are after.
 
Fishmed_Returns said:
Just a thought, could the SPL Goldmike just be showing the harsher qualities of the Rode NT1a and Studio Projects B1?
Click to expand...

Sure could. Again using the Grace 101 as an example, one reviewer wrote something to the effect of "it will let you hear every detail of your mic, good or bad". Really fast circuits like the Grace 101 are kind of like high def TV. Sometimes you can end up seeing imperfections you'd rather not see, every little skin blotch and pimple....... stuff that has makeup artists working overtime.
 
Thanks for your replies. I understand the shortcomings of my mics and fully intend to add a few more this year. I'm quite keen on the DMP3 at the mo because of it's price and the fact it has the Burr Brown INA 163 chips that the Rane MS-1b and Grace 101 use.
From my understanding it is the mic that will make the biggest difference not the pre? If this is the case I also like the fact that the DMP3 is extremely uncoloured like a wire with gain.
I'm surprised no one has voted for the DMP3!?
 
I have several of the DMP-3s.
I like them very much, particularly for acoustic instruments.
Sometimes they don't have a lot of headroom for really explosive sources such as close miced drums, and even some voices!

I had some screamo-punk style voices I just could not record with the DMP-3s. I have several channels of RNP from FMR Audio, a few ART Pro MPA's and MPA Golds and a Joe Meek.

I use the DMPs for the bulk of my acoustic sources, the ARTs and Joe Meek are too colored for my taste. I love the ARTs on drums and the Joe Meek on Bass Guitar.

I have never used the Ranes. If I could fine a few I'd pick them up. But Around here 1 channel of Rane costs the same as 2 channels of DMP-3 ($150).

Hope that helps some.
 
Thanks for your replies and advice. One thing that I've heard about the Goldmike is that the opamp chip used can be a little harsh in the higher frequencies and the Burr Brown INA 163 chip is meant to sound smoother in the high end?
 
dickiefunk said:
Has anyone tried both the Rane MS-1b and DMP3? Is so, how do they sound different?
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Yes, I have both. Neither one sucks, given their low price. The DMP3 has a few more bells and whistles (Gain pad, low cut, phase/polarity reverse, DI input, VU monitoring) but, to my ears it is a little noisier at max gain. The low cut and VU are pretty worthless, however, and if you use it on a lot of tracks, it tends to sound a little blurry.

The Rane is simple and utilitarian. It's pretty quiet at max gain, but the sound quality gets somewhat crunchy past 8 on the dial, even when you're not clipping. Otherwise, it seems to stay out of the way, soundwise.

Both have about the same amount of available gain (+66dB) and can drive ribbon mics and low output dynamics just fine. If I had to choose one on sound alone, I think the Rane is slightly better. However, the DMP3 is more versatile and has 2 channels. My advice is to buy them both. They're cheap and, if you buy used, you can sell either one at no loss if you decide that you like one better.
 
Hi Scrubs. Thanks for your reply. I would like to buy both but I'm gonna need the cash for a wedding next month!! I have tried to find either second hand on ebay but can't find any over here in the UK or anywhere for that matter so I'm gonna have to buy new. I did see a MS-1b in the USA but I would then have to pay for shipping, shipping tax and probably have to get the power supply changed?

scrubs said:
If I had to choose one on sound alone, I think the Rane is slightly better.
Click to expand...

Is the difference in sound really noticible or am I splitting hairs? How would you describe the sound differences?
 
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