EH pre amp hum

[Robert D]

I am glad you guys are digging that big guy in a little package.
I really believe in that thing. I have absolutely no reason to care about a "budget" pre because I work on stuff that costs like 900 times that EH pre per channel EVERY DAY! I only say that because it qualifies this statement: Thet EH pre rocks, and those of you that miss out on it are gonna be bummed when they are called classics in the years to come.

The fact is this: that pre stands up to almost any pre I have ever tried when used with a great mic like a C12 (for AC gtrs) or with any of the burly mics i get to use these days. Using the XLR out, you simply get GREAT tube pre goodness! (the 1/4" out is buffered with IC's, the XLR is NOT! Totally discrete tube greatness in a little box! amazing).

When I first tried the prototype, I thought it was going to cost like 1000 dollars (seriously) for a two channel design or something, which I STILL thought was going to be a deal! I thought it had just been built into a tube zipper or hot tubes box out of the need for easy revisions.... NOPE that was the whole deal, and it is cheap!

Nothing else in that pre's price range even comes close. The fact that it is completely discrete, REAL tube gain, and you can "voice" the pre however you want with any 12a""7 series of tubes is amazing. Try 'AX7's in there from an old guitar amp, you will be amazed at how much the overall color of the thing changes. That lets you know that the gain is REALLY coming from tubes and nothing else. Look at the circuit! Nothing in there except tubes! Amazingly simple, elegant little box. I need to get a few racked and in my "carry with me" rack of stuff I love to use no matter what studio I am at!

Ok Joel, you've piqued my interest. Since you are in the position of having all these devices, I have a huge favor to ask of you. If you can fit it into your schedule, could you post a 3 pre comparison. I think it would be great to compare clips between one high end pre (you choose), the EH, and the Tube MP (I believe you have one, if I remember correctly). That would be a very interesting comparison of toob, tube, and benchmark.

Oh, and see if you can get Elvis Costello to drop by and sing through them.

Thanks in advance if you can do this, and thanks for not being a gear snob even when surrounded by the good stuff. I always enjoy your posts because of your down to earth, what sounds good sounds good attitude.

-RD

 

[tourettes5139]

Well, Joel, you've hooked me too. Now, I need to find the money.....
BTW, samples would be great, too. I'd love to hear them.

 

[Joel Hamilton]

Wow...

I will try and put together some MP3 samples. That would be a cool thing anyway, and I am confident about how the EH would stack up...

The song Elvis and I collaborated on, he sang through a 58 (!!!) into a neve 31114 up at Avatar. Right in the constrol room, sitting right next to me...

I think the best examples would be the ones i tried the EH against when I first got the prototype: A Manley VTL tube reference mono mic pre (usually about 1800 for a single channel, used, as they dont make these any more), a custom jensen based pre in my console, a drawmer 1960 tube pre with telefunken gold pin 12AX7's throughout, a UA 2-610,and a Neve 34120 in my sidecar....

The EH made the UA look like a wet paper towel tube. Really. On acoustic guitar the UA sounded like POOP with the C12VR custom I was using for the heck of it because it was up. The manley sounded amazing, as usual. The Neve 34120 sounded really really good.....

Actually the only one that really looked foolish in comparison to the EH was the UA, because of how much it costs, and how crappy it sounded in comparison. The other pre's equalled or bettered the EH in many ways, but not in EVERY way, every time.....

I decided I would want one around for acoustic guitar no matter where I was, including neve rooms!

If I ever have a second to myelf, I may just post some MP3's. i might need help with some hosting type action....

That would be interesting though for sure.

 

[diogo]

guys..

i think that you guys should really use the XLR out like Joel says, but you have to keep in mind where you're connecting it to...most XLR ins are way too hot for line levels i believe...the ideal here would be, having the XLR out of the pre, and a 1/4 balanced jack into the recorder/soundcard/etc...

ill have mine in a month...oh yeah