Good quality front-end pre??

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Oldmate

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Hi everyone,

I use PT 8 on iMac and have a tiny MBox 2 mini. Am chasing a nice warm tube sound for vox and Ac guitar.

I have my eyes on a UA 710 Twin Finity, apparently they're pretty good and new they're about $1200 in OZ.

Any experiences with this pre??

Any suggestions for equivalent quality and versatility??

Cheers,
M ;)
 
I haven't tried the FMR RNP but it gets recommended over and over on this site.

I have used the Summit TPA=200B and I like it a lot but it's expensive. I have a few Summit products that are near 20 years going with no repairs except for free lightbulbs they sent me. I haven't tried their small 1/2 rack mic pre but I would look at if I were you (based on my experience with them I seriously doubt it isn't great), it's the 2BA-221. That with a TLA-50 compressor would be probably a nice front end pretty cheap.

I normally use a Jensen mic pre into a Summit TLA-100A tube compressor as my front end, and I like using a tube compressor on the way in.

The Seventh Circle stuff looks very interesting too.

Maybe get a tube compressor and use that after a pre. The Art Pro VLA II compressors sound like a cheap possible solution, I can't believe I'm talking about that company but a lot of people have said that it's a cheapo that sounds good. Maybe that would give you the sound you want.
 
The twin finity is one channel - does that work for you? I've been thinking about getting one for a while - the reviews were apprehensive at first, like it would be gimmicky, but I have yet to read any bad reviews from someone who has one. (actually, I haven't really read about anybody who has one) - really, UA makes great stuff, I'm sure.

Of what I got right now, I think I'd award "most versatile" to the Great River MP-2NV - there's a one channel version (1NV, I think) that goes used for cheaper than the price you mentioned - maybe new, too, not sure, and not sure what the Oz prices would be.

No tubes, but it does have transformers and offers different ways to drive/load one of them. I'm actually using mine for drum overheads at the moment, running it really clean - works fine for that - also sounds good in other configurations with vocals and guitar.
 
Oldmate said:
Hi everyone,

I use PT 8 on iMac and have a tiny MBox 2 mini. Am chasing a nice warm tube sound for vox and Ac guitar.
Click to expand...

...IMHO, what we often refer to as "warmth" is actually good quality "harmonic distortion"...and the best examples of such are the results of transformer coupled inputs and outputs, rather than tube circuits (which in the best examples tend to be very clean)...

...so based on that assumption, I'd second the recommendation for the Great River ME-1NV or the much more affordable GAP PRE-73 (both based on vintage Neve 1073 design)...as they say "Iron In, Iron Out"...that's warmth!...once again, IMHO... ;)
 
Front-end Pre??

Sikkis said:
+1 for the 2ba-221 summit......
Click to expand...

Very cool, fellas. Thanks for your suggestions . . . . . gives me a starting point. Cool gear (affordable) can be a bit hard to track down in the LDU.

M :rolleyes:
 
kidvybes said:
...IMHO, what we often refer to as "warmth" is actually good quality "harmonic distortion"...and the best examples of such are the results of transformer coupled inputs and outputs, rather than tube circuits (which in the best examples tend to be very clean)...
Click to expand...

+1 This is so true.
 
If you want a great Pre, and I mean great... JMK audio JM-130. Extremely warm, tons of headroom, just really everything you want in a great preamp. Hand wired, point-to-point. It's unreal.

Just search JMK audio, you'll find them.
 
Jmoon79 said:
If you want a great Pre, and I mean great... JMK audio JM-130. Extremely warm, tons of headroom, just really everything you want in a great preamp. Hand wired, point-to-point. It's unreal.

Just search JMK audio, you'll find them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback...
 
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