A
anUnquietSkull
New member
What are the best mic preamps money can buy and why? No, I don't have the money, I'm just another curious bird. Thanks.
W
Whyte Ice
The Next Vanilla Ice
IMO, the ART preamps are pretty good for the price, like me, I'm a musician on a budget so its the best I could of got for the money I had. Of course there are better preamps out there but I'm saying this is great for the price.
Gidge
Lapdance Test Dummy
I dont to too many people here who are qualified to answer that...you would have had to had access to many of the top preamps and had a chance to play with them....how many people at HOMERECORDING.com have done that.....
sonusman
Banned
Check out the Mellenium Media stuff. Very nice indeed.
Focusrite Red's are very good sounding.
Avalon has an extremely clean pre.
The Telefunken straight gain pre's are amazing!
All the Manley stuff is very cool sounding.
API's have the kind of "grit" on a sound that you are accustomed to hearing in many mid 70 recordings.
Neve are very "stable" sounding. Not extremely pretty, but very upfront.
The Drawmer 1960 is very "warm".
I liked the Demeter I used once.
My TL Audio Classic sounds great on some things.
The Peavey Tube preamp, forgot the model, is KILLER sounding. I should try to find one used somewhere.
I like my ART's. I would venture to say that they will keep up with a lot of preamps. I have the tracks to prove that by the way....
Mackies will work great on certain things.
I don't think their is a "best money can buy" preamp. Just a lot of choices that sound great in different ways.
Ed
Focusrite Red's are very good sounding.
Avalon has an extremely clean pre.
The Telefunken straight gain pre's are amazing!
All the Manley stuff is very cool sounding.
API's have the kind of "grit" on a sound that you are accustomed to hearing in many mid 70 recordings.
Neve are very "stable" sounding. Not extremely pretty, but very upfront.
The Drawmer 1960 is very "warm".
I liked the Demeter I used once.
My TL Audio Classic sounds great on some things.
The Peavey Tube preamp, forgot the model, is KILLER sounding. I should try to find one used somewhere.
I like my ART's. I would venture to say that they will keep up with a lot of preamps. I have the tracks to prove that by the way....
Mackies will work great on certain things.
I don't think their is a "best money can buy" preamp. Just a lot of choices that sound great in different ways.
Ed
Wide Awake
New member
sonusman-
I think the Peavey is the VMP-2. They list for about $1,000, which seems fairly affordable (as pre's go).
A friend of mine has a Sytek MPX4. It's pretty nice.
I think the Peavey is the VMP-2. They list for about $1,000, which seems fairly affordable (as pre's go).
A friend of mine has a Sytek MPX4. It's pretty nice.
Gidge
Lapdance Test Dummy
Ok Ed stepped up to the plate.....Sjoko, Harvey, Bruce, Shailat.......whos next.......
drstawl
Banned
How about the best money you can spend?
I got the dbx 386 and I've been cured of pre-amp envy. I don't think that with the mics and recording media that I use, a 'cleaner' pre would be a big step up. Maybe with a better converter/ better mic.
Sure I'd like a bunch of other tube channels rather than the very clean pres available in my A&H mixer
but the return/price ratio has dropped below the available resolution.
I got the dbx 386 and I've been cured of pre-amp envy. I don't think that with the mics and recording media that I use, a 'cleaner' pre would be a big step up. Maybe with a better converter/ better mic.
Sure I'd like a bunch of other tube channels rather than the very clean pres available in my A&H mixer
but the return/price ratio has dropped below the available resolution.
A
anUnquietSkull
New member
Thanks for info guys, this is helpful!
sonusman
Banned
I used the Sytek, or TRIED to once. Was not very impressed with it. I think the TL Ivory handles transient stuff much better. I don't LIKE the Ivory series stuff much.
It was actually the VMP-1. I have not tried the "2" yet. If it is in league with the 1, it is killer sounding also, but I did notice that they want to a single rack space design, which mean, you guessed it, "micro electronics". I have found that the sound shrinks proportionate to the size of the unit.....
Doc - I have not played with the dbx stuff yet. I am not much of a dbx fan really in the price range I deal in. It may in fact be a decent enough unit (maybe Tom Cram will send one over to me to try out....). BUT, "clean" is not always "clear" in a mix. Try a Telefunken or a Focusrite Red and you will know exactly what I mean. Track recorded through them will SIT in a mix!!! Most high end preamps provide that kind of sound, something that holds up well in dense mixes. Cheaper preamps start to lose definition as you add more tracks, even though a single track will seem to sound as good.
I have noticed too that higher end preamps definately bring out an "aritculation" in whatever you run through it that lower end models just don't provide. It does it without adding any funky artifacts in the upper midrange freqs.
Anyway....
Ed
It was actually the VMP-1. I have not tried the "2" yet. If it is in league with the 1, it is killer sounding also, but I did notice that they want to a single rack space design, which mean, you guessed it, "micro electronics". I have found that the sound shrinks proportionate to the size of the unit.....
Doc - I have not played with the dbx stuff yet. I am not much of a dbx fan really in the price range I deal in. It may in fact be a decent enough unit (maybe Tom Cram will send one over to me to try out....
). BUT, "clean" is not always "clear" in a mix. Try a Telefunken or a Focusrite Red and you will know exactly what I mean. Track recorded through them will SIT in a mix!!! Most high end preamps provide that kind of sound, something that holds up well in dense mixes. Cheaper preamps start to lose definition as you add more tracks, even though a single track will seem to sound as good.I have noticed too that higher end preamps definately bring out an "aritculation" in whatever you run through it that lower end models just don't provide. It does it without adding any funky artifacts in the upper midrange freqs.
Anyway....
Ed
J
James HE
a spoonfull weighs a ton
I saw a Peavey TMP the other day. Single channel unit for like $200. I wonder if the TMP's are as good as the VMP's? this one had two tubes for the channel... I'll have to try it out...
G
gordone
Well-known member
Don't forget the Great River! I got one to replace my Aphex 107, and my recordings sounded much better! (all acoustic guitar/folk stuff)
Very clean and Neutral!
Very clean and Neutral!
sonusman said:Check out the Mellenium Media stuff. Very nice indeed.
Focusrite Red's are very good sounding.
Avalon has an extremely clean pre.
The Telefunken straight gain pre's are amazing!
All the Manley stuff is very cool sounding.
API's have the kind of "grit" on a sound that you are accustomed to hearing in many mid 70 recordings.
Neve are very "stable" sounding. Not extremely pretty, but very upfront.
The Drawmer 1960 is very "warm".
I liked the Demeter I used once.
My TL Audio Classic sounds great on some things.
The Peavey Tube preamp, forgot the model, is KILLER sounding. I should try to find one used somewhere.
I like my ART's. I would venture to say that they will keep up with a lot of preamps. I have the tracks to prove that by the way....
Mackies will work great on certain things.
I don't think their is a "best money can buy" preamp. Just a lot of choices that sound great in different ways.
Ed
Shailat
New member
Ed almost named them all
I would add the RCA and western electric pre's.
I would add the RCA and western electric pre's.
A
Antikal
New member
Hmm
What about Joemeek stuff? Those are fairly cheap.. Dunno if they're any good though.
What about Joemeek stuff? Those are fairly cheap.. Dunno if they're any good though.
KingNothing
New member
What about the pre's on my Behringer board guys?
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Those are top-notch!!! You'll never need to buy another pre!!!!!!!!!KingNothing said:
Excellent choice KN!!!
Bruce
(But personally, I'm eyeing the Avalon or even more so, a Great River... 'til then, my PreSonus VXP does rather well.....)
W
Wallycleaver
New member
Antikal
Joe meek is very colored sounds, it's a one trick pony.
Good for some stuff but gets old if you use it to much. IE Guitar through the same distortion for an entire album.
Joe meek is very colored sounds, it's a one trick pony.
Good for some stuff but gets old if you use it to much. IE Guitar through the same distortion for an entire album.
J
JC Lives
New member
Check out Sweetwater.com
They carry a lot of the higher end pre's
(as mouth druels)
Peace
Joe
They carry a lot of the higher end pre's
(as mouth druels)
Peace
Joe
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Actually...
...for the high end gear, I'd recommend buying from Fletcher at http://www.mercenary.com ... and the site lists all the gear.... check it out...
Bruce
(I know, sounds like SPAM, but really, it's just chicken!)
...for the high end gear, I'd recommend buying from Fletcher at http://www.mercenary.com ... and the site lists all the gear.... check it out...
Bruce
(I know, sounds like SPAM, but really, it's just chicken!)
W
Wallycleaver
New member
I forgot my favorite pre. Grace designs, from here in Boulder Colorado! YEAH!!!!!
T
tdukex
Man of the Muse
I have been wondering about Grace Design. They sure look impressive. And the 101 sells for around $700. Wallycleaver, have you heard these? I'm particularly interested in the one I can afford, the 101.
http://www.gracedesign.com/
http://www.gracedesign.com/