M Audio Tampa or Aphex 207

[dickiefunk]

Hi. I recently won a M Audio Tampa on ebay but haven't heard from the seller for a couple of days I'm slightly concerned that this deal may not materialize so am gonna give it till this evening and if I haven't heard from the seller I'll cancel my payment. Since I won the Tampa I've been offered an Aphex 207 (not D) for the same price and am not sure what to do? How do these pres compare quality wise and which would you recommend for mainly recording vocals? I know they have different features but I'm mainly concerned with the end result! I already have a DMP3 (and a VTB1 which I'm in the middle of modding) but would like a different colour pre for different sources!

Thanks

 

[SonicAlbert]

I've heard the Aphex 207, and I thought it sounded good. Haven't done a direct comparison with the tampa though.

Don't forget that this is a holiday weekend. So your seller might be away from his computer at a family gathering or something. I'd give him another day or two.

 

[dickiefunk]

Thanks for the reply! What I'm looking for in the pre is the best audio quality for the money but also something to compliment my DMP3. I've read a couple of reviews for the Aphex and they've not been great but all the reviews I've read on the Tampa rave about it ?
I live in the UK and the seller also lives in UK so the holiday shouldn't affect him?

 

[warble2]

The Tampa isn't going to "rock your socks" compared to the DMP3. I hate to be redundant, but as I've said before, you're gonna have to get up in a higher price range if you want something "special" that the DMP3 can't give you.

I loved my Tampa, don't get me wrong, but it never gave me a warm-fuzzy feeling. If you use it properly, you should be happy with what it can do, just don't expect to plug it in and be blown away. Or maybe you will....could be a mileage may vary situation...

Not sure what to say about the eBay deal. The holiday won't be a consideration over there. I've had some crazy auctions I've won lately myself. Barely any contact back from sellers, but the items always have gotten to me in a good time frame.

 

[dickiefunk]

I'm already happy with the results I'm getting with the DMP3 so really I'm looking for something with a different tone. If it's possible for the preamp to be as good or preferably better then great! I don't want something that's not as good as the DMP3. I don't have the funds to buy anything that's considerably better so when I won the Tampa for £95 and saw the Aphex 207 for £99 they both fit the bill for what I need.
The seller on ebay is only accepting cheque for payment. He has had 511 postive feedbacks and 25 negative feedback. A couple of disputes were taken out against him regarding not sending the item!?

 

[SonicAlbert]

Ouch, that's pretty heavy on the negative side. If you don't hear from him pretty soon you might indeed want to cancel your payment, at least until he finally does get in touch with you.

The DMP3 and Tampa are made by the same company, M-Audio. If you want a different flavor, the first thing to do is to look at preamps made by someone else.

 

[dickiefunk]

The DMP3 and Tampa are made by the same company, M-Audio. If you want a different flavor, the first thing to do is to look at preamps made by someone else.

Thanks for the info. Have you been able to compare the DMP3 and the Aphex 207? I was originally thinking of going for a Joe Meek 3Q but have been told it's very similar to the DMP3 in sound but the EQ and compressor give it a different colour. Is the Aphex a better pre than the 3Q or just different tone?

Thanks

 

[Robert D]

I have both a DMP3 and a Tampa. They are very different preamps that compliment each other. The DMP3 is a wire with gain (2 actually), the Tampa uses temporal harmonic alignment, adds a dual optical servo compressor, has variable input impedance, and A/D. Tampa has a sound, DMP3 leaves practically no sonic footprint. The DMP3 is great for stereo micing acoustic instruments, the Tampa works much better for me for vocals. I wouldn't advocate paying anywhere near list for a Tampa, but at the price they sell for used, I think they're well worth adding to the rack. YMMV, of course.

 

[dickiefunk]

Thanks for the info. I've heard from the seller and he's said that he's posted the Tampa so should be here within the week I managed to pick it up for £95 in the UK!

 

[Robert D]

Good news! I hope you enjoy it. It won't be the end of your quest for preamp nirvana, but at the price you got it for I think you'll be pleased.

 

[dickiefunk]

Thanks. Should hopefully suit my needs for a while till I can afford something like a DAV or Neve etc (which will be a very very long time )

 

[sound125]

Thanks for the info. Have you been able to compare the DMP3 and the Aphex 207? I was originally thinking of going for a Joe Meek 3Q but have been told it's very similar to the DMP3 in sound but the EQ and compressor give it a different colour. Is the Aphex a better pre than the 3Q or just different tone?

Thanks

I still have my 207 but got rid of my DMP3, which I found somewhat sterile sounding. I prefer the Three Q's pre section. It's warm and has a little more detail. The 207 is slightly brighter and a little fatter than the Three Q.