Avalon AD2022

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Rick Shepherd

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Ok, I have had the AD2022 preamp for three or four months now for guitar and vocals, and having used four different mics with it, AT4033, SP C1, SM58, and Peluso 2247, I have come to the conclusion at this point that the preamp is better suited for acoustic guitar than for vocals. The preamp consistently sounds good to my ears and others from different forums with acoustic guitar. I have been unsatisfied overall with the vocal quality using the AD2022 with these different mics with my voice, seems to lack the warmth and full-bodied quality I was originally hoping for.

The good news is, I really do like the preamp for acoustic guitar, a really awesome choice for that purpose, incredibly accurate and clean and smooth. I was just wonder if anyone else here thought the same thing regarding this preamp.

I want a high-end preamp for warm, full, meaty vocals. I am looking at 2 to 3K to spend on a dual channel pre for vocals. Any suggestions?
 
I'd like to have your problems, Rick. Gee, that's tough - $2-3k for a vocal pre. Just kidding.

Why do you need two channels? If you're set on two channels, here's a short list. I'm sure others will add to it:

Great River 2NV
Pendulum Audio MDP-1a
DW Fearn (a bit over budget)
Groove Tubes Vipre
API 500 series

Consider a single channel strip. They're designed for vocals. Having eq and compressor in line before DAW give a great amount of flexibility. Here's a short list:

Pendulum Audio Quartet I
Pendulum Audio Quartet II (way over budget)
Millenia Media SST
AMEK CIB (discontinued, but cheap)
 
Don't get me wrong, money is tight right now, and I work extrememely hard for what I purchase. But I hear you man, and the lightheartedness of your comment, as I smille and nodd in agreement. Life has been tough. My wife just underwent chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, was given a complete hyterectomey, unable to work for almost a year now. Mind you, I am not complaining, I love her with all my heart, and will be there for her no matter what, but damn I love making music. It keeps me sane, you know?

Ok, back on the subject, thanks for the recommendations!
 
Maybe the new NEVE Portico? (I'm baseing this purely on what others have said, I'd love to try it for myself but money's tight blah blah blah :D)
 
Why not start cheap(er) with something like the brick and see if that works. Seems like a contrast to the avalon. If you can save money, do something wonderful with your wife.

The GR NV is nice--I own one, but can't compare with your other choices.

Sometimes more can be done with less. Pres can be important but in the scheme of things...

j
 
Yeah go for two porticos that would be so sweet. I think they give you a faceplate to put the two together in a rackmount as long as you order two at a time, all that for 3 grand, sounds like a steal to me.
 
Rick Shepherd said:
Ok, I have had the AD2022 preamp for three or four months now for guitar and vocals, and having used four different mics with it, AT4033, SP C1, SM58, and Peluso 2247, I have come to the conclusion at this point that the preamp is better suited for acoustic guitar than for vocals. The preamp consistently sounds good to my ears and others from different forums with acoustic guitar. I have been unsatisfied overall with the vocal quality using the AD2022 with these different mics with my voice, seems to lack the warmth and full-bodied quality I was originally hoping for.

The good news is, I really do like the preamp for acoustic guitar, a really awesome choice for that purpose, incredibly accurate and clean and smooth. I was just wonder if anyone else here thought the same thing regarding this preamp.

I want a high-end preamp for warm, full, meaty vocals. I am looking at 2 to 3K to spend on a dual channel pre for vocals. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Great River :http://www.mercenary.com/greatrivelmp.html
Neve Portico: http://www.rupertneve.com/
 
I've read posts from people raving over the Portico on vocals, but it's kind of the latest new toy right now, so it might be getting a little over-hyped. But then again it might not.

The suggestions I like so far in this thread are the Pendulum MDP-1, the Portico and the Great River. Put an honorable mention in there for the Brick, as it might be just what you are looking for on your voice.

You might be able to try them all out if you buy from Mercenary Audio. Give them a call and tell them what you are looking for. I have a friend that bought from them and he raved about how cool they were to work with when buying gear.
 
Rick Shepherd said:
I want a high-end preamp for warm, full, meaty vocals. I am looking at 2 to 3K to spend on a dual channel pre for vocals. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Are you using a compressor in your chain? Just wondering how the 2022 would sound like with a high end comp in the path..
 
How about a Chandler TG channel?
Or a Daking channel.

The DW fearn and the Pendulum are grea too though:D
 
Barking up the wrong tree

Rick, you don't need another preamp at this point. There is a whole world of microphones out there besides the AT4033, SP C1, SM58, and Peluso 2247.

And I'll guarantee you that if those mics you have aren't working for you on vocals, no preamp in the world is going to fix that.

You need to be looking into mics.

Warm and full-bodied, you say. Off hand I'd say look into:

Neumann M149
Crowley & Tripp Studio Vocalist
Coles 4038
AEA R84
Peluso 2247 LE
Pearlman TM 1

There are certainly more mics out there, but that's a place to start.
 
For a vocal ribbon mic recommendation, I'd take the AEA R84 over the Coles 4038 any day. The Coles has a bit of a bump in the (ok my) sibilant range and then drops off steeper than the R84. The R84 is smoother across the range to my ears. Both have a pronounced proximity effect, the Coles tends to get a bit more woofy down low as well though.

It's funny, you read "Behind the Glass" yet? Alan Parsons clearly states that since the AT4033 came out that's his vocal mic. Crazy, I never could get anything great out of it (still have one...it lives under my snare) but the man loves that $299 mic! Or he did at printing time.

It does seem that you sort of have everything covered with your small but complimentary group of mics. Not much crossover between those mentioned, sound wise.

War
 
I have both the brick and the portico and while the portico is certainly in another league... the brick stands up there... dynamics light up with the portico but condensors sound nearly as good through the brick in my opinion. Both have a very wide big kind of sound and work well with vocals (the portico works well for pretty much everything I've put through it so far however). Anyways, if I was in your exact position knowing what I do right now and already had a relatively high end pre to run acoustics and overheads through... I would most likely go with the brick for my vocal pre with one of those raved about LDCs (soundelux u195, gefell m930, how's that peluso by the way?)... if you got both used you'd still be under the portico price tag by around 400$ which you could put towards another vocal mic or another brick if you wanted two channels... I don't think you'd be missing much pre wise (if vox are all you'll be running through it).... the mic makes so much more of a difference.
 
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Rick Shepherd said:
I love her with all my heart, and will be there for her no matter what
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You are a good man and I hope everything turns out good for you and your wife. :)
 
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