$3K to spend on pre's. What to buy?

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mpweiss07

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So I am in the early stages of building my home studio and I have most everything figured out except for the pres. I have $3k to spend and want to get the most for my money. I will be using a Tascam 1884 and would like to have at least a pair if not more of external pres. I will be recording guitar, bass, drums, and vocals, so I would like something that can work well with all. I have been searching around the forums here for the past couple of months and have some ideas of what I want, but would appreciate some opinions on what you would do if you were in my shoes. Thanks.
 
How many tracks do you expect to record at one time?

If it is more than two, you might want to get two channels of very high quality preamps, and then spend a little less on any more channels. That's to fit it into the $3,000 budget. So maybe a Neve Portico and a DAV BG-1, something like that.
 
API 3124 used for $2000 - 4 Channels for Drums/Bass/Guitar
Sebatron 2000e tube pre - 2 channels for Vox and Bass

6 channels total of high-end tube and solid state pres. Can't go wrong there.
 
Depending on the number of channels you need, you might want to look into various options with the API 500 form factor.
 
2 channels of neve portico 1649$

4 channels sytek mpx4aii 889$

2 channels fmr rnp 475$

total 3013$
a very respectable 8 channels set up, i guarantee it.
 
It's amazing how many different recommendations these threads seem to entice. Bottom line is get what you think you need. Most of these mid to high level pres are very good. I think people tend to recommend what they have anyway. I'm sure there are a few who have tried alot of different pres but most just recommend what they know. Here's what I have.
Manley Langevin DVC - great on acoustic guitars and vocals
2 ADK AP-1's also very good but different on vocals. Pretty good on just about everything.
4 channels of racked and rebuilt Yamaha PM1000 - excellent on drums and also vocals, electric guitars.
So many out there to choose from. For 3k I personally would start with a channel of Great River and go from there. Best advice would be to mix it up depending on what you plan on tracking.
 
I sure wouldn't mind having the $3K to spend, but I'd spend more on mikes than preamps! I'd probably spend most of it on a stereo ribbon mike like the AEA R88 and the rest on their TRP ribbon pre. Sorry, that's probably not at all helpful. Good luck whatever you decide!

Cheers,

Otto
 
Hi there,

I recently asked the most successful producer that I know (Mack Damon - 5x Grammy nominated....) a fairly similar question and the following is a snip from the message he sent me in response:

"I'd recommend heading over to vintage king and checking out the 500 series pre/eq's and getting a 6 slot rack. This allows you to add pre's one at a time for about $750. With pres it's all about colors. You could have 1 API 512C (the API everyone has to have at least 2 of), one purple audio pre, 1 neve, 1 a-designs, a shadow hills GAMA pre (I'm buying the 4 channel next month...platinum producers say it's the new holy grail). This is initially expensive for the first channel, but it will allow you to grow cheaply and get the multitude of tones you want. You want to record ALL GUITARS through the API. The purple pre will be a great vocal pre with a ton of character, the purple compressor fits in the rack as well, and if you record vocals through it, everything gets a 1000% upgrade."

I don't think it's fair to be selfish with advice like this....hope it helps you as much as it has helped me!

edit: Forgot to put a link: http://vintageking.com/Shop-New-Categories/500-Series

They have a deal where you buy any 4 modules and get the API 500B6 6 Slot Lunchbox for free....not a bad deal at all!
 
TyphoidHippo said:
Hi there,

I recently asked the most successful producer that I know (Mack Damon - 5x Grammy nominated....) a fairly similar question and the following is a snip from the message he sent me in response:

"I'd recommend heading over to vintage king and checking out the 500 series pre/eq's and getting a 6 slot rack. This allows you to add pre's one at a time for about $750. With pres it's all about colors. You could have 1 API 512C (the API everyone has to have at least 2 of), one purple audio pre, 1 neve, 1 a-designs, a shadow hills GAMA pre (I'm buying the 4 channel next month...platinum producers say it's the new holy grail). This is initially expensive for the first channel, but it will allow you to grow cheaply and get the multitude of tones you want. You want to record ALL GUITARS through the API. The purple pre will be a great vocal pre with a ton of character, the purple compressor fits in the rack as well, and if you record vocals through it, everything gets a 1000% upgrade."

I don't think it's fair to be selfish with advice like this....hope it helps you as much as it has helped me!

edit: Forgot to put a link: http://vintageking.com/Shop-New-Categories/500-Series

They have a deal where you buy any 4 modules and get the API 500B6 6 Slot Lunchbox for free....not a bad deal at all!
Click to expand...

500 series stuff is rad and there are tons of companies developing modules for them-- pres, eq's, compressors, headphone amps and various other tools. if you're doing drums, it would probably be wise to get doubles of at least one of the pres for overheads, and in case you seriously consider the option, neve doesn't make a 500 series pre. vintage design and avedis each make pres that are reported to be very neve-ish (i'm waiting for an avedis ma5 myself)...
 
I don't really understand the lunch box concept yet.

How does the compatibility work?

If I buy an "ACME Co." series 500 lunchbox rack, does it also run the "XYZ Co." lunchbox inserts, as long as they are "500" series?
 
I can't justify the lunchbox yet. From vintage king a lunchbox with two channels of API and two channels of A Design would cost $2950. I could find a used API 3124+ for $1900 and and a used Pacifica for $1400 and for $350 more have to more channels of API preamps, and the Pacifica preamps are suppose to sound a little better than the P1s.

PS: That's probably what I would do with around $3000 to spend on preamps.
 
that's true, but part of the lunchbox appeal is the versatility. you'll never get to pull the preamp cards out of a 3124 and stick a channel of 525 compressor, or a 550a eq in there. you can get lunchbox pres and use them to track and then swap them for eq's and use them to mix at a lower price than having all of those as outboard.

the pricing works the opposite way too. the purple action compressor, which is reportedly reminiscent sounding to the purple mc77 costs $675 vs. around $1650 for a mc77 (i can only speak to the action which is awesome). there are differences in sound, but you could have two actions and an a-designs 500 2 space rack for the same price as one mc77. two channels of great river mp-500nv-- which are reportedly "identical" in sound to the mp-2nv plus a lunchbox costs about $1925 vs. $2150 for an mp-2nv.

it's great to have options based on whatever your needs are. rather than fill my lunch box with pres, i'm trying to make an awesome channel strip to complement my langevin dvc. so far i have an a-designs p-1, a purple action comp, and an avedis ma5 on the way (to contrast the p-1). i'm either going to add an eq down the line or maybe sell the p-1 to get money for an eq-- and there will be some awesome choices.
 
there are defiantly some cool pieces for the lunchbox. If I was a freelance engineer I would totally invest in one, because I could carry it on to plans or it could comfortably fit in the front seat of the car with me.

But if I'm investing in just preamps, I think rack units are a better option.

Actually, for some reason, I thought you were just looking for preamps for recording drums. I'd like the revise my choices a bit, all used prices again:

Universal Audio M610: $700
Vintech Dual 72: $800
API A2D: $1400

The reason I picked the A2D is for the converters, and I would do all move overdubs through it.

Seriously, when you get into this price range, you can't really go wrong.
 
mattkw80 said:
I don't really understand the lunch box concept yet.

How does the compatibility work?

If I buy an "ACME Co." series 500 lunchbox rack, does it also run the "XYZ Co." lunchbox inserts, as long as they are "500" series?
Click to expand...

Mostly. A number of gear manufacturers have signed on to have their modules compatible with API racks. A module that is compatible with an API rack should also be compatible with Purple, Averill and OSA racks. Some modules, while they physically fit the 500 rack, draw more power - the Chandler module for example - which advises against use in the API lunchbox or a 500 series rack with built in power supply. They are supposed to work in API and other racks with outboard power supplies. The newer API lunchboxes have bigger power supplies than the older lunchboxes and can accommodate some of the newer power hungry modules (Buzz for example) that would otherwise limit the number of modules you could run simultaneously in the older lunch boxes. In addition, some modules take up 2 slots in a rack (e.g., the Great River) and that should be factored into planning.

Long story short - while most modules should work in most lunchboxes/racks, you should check to be sure about individual and aggregate compatibility.
 
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