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tokyofan
New member
On the cusp of purchasing a Grace 101 preamp to use with my Mbox for home VO work. Would the Grace be a significant step up from the built-in pres? Also using a Neumann TLM103. Any suggestions?
BigRay
New member
Grace makes good products, and have created a name for themselves by creating preamps that are completely transparent,detailed, and rugged. Id say yes, certainly. Good product. Mike Grace is a very smart man.Grace customer support is top notch as well. (i owned a v2 and played with a v3)
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CyanJaguar
New member
is your current preamp not doing something you want?
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The Green Hornet
New member
Ahh So Tokyo:
I use the Grace 101. It has dropped in price over the past year. You should be able to get a NEW unit for a tad less than 500 pezzutos. [USD]
It only has one input/out but has a great bunch of transistors/circuits that really add a nice round sound to vocals, as well as a solo via sax, vibes, flute, etc.
For less money, and I use one, the ART dual channel is a decent box. You can check out TapeOp magazine--they usually have a gaggle of ads for mic pres, many of which are high end.
I had a friend who drove 100 miles to visit Sweetwater and audition gear. That's the way to go if possible. Check and recheck and listen before you drop the coin.
Green Hornet
I use the Grace 101. It has dropped in price over the past year. You should be able to get a NEW unit for a tad less than 500 pezzutos. [USD]
It only has one input/out but has a great bunch of transistors/circuits that really add a nice round sound to vocals, as well as a solo via sax, vibes, flute, etc.
For less money, and I use one, the ART dual channel is a decent box. You can check out TapeOp magazine--they usually have a gaggle of ads for mic pres, many of which are high end.
I had a friend who drove 100 miles to visit Sweetwater and audition gear. That's the way to go if possible. Check and recheck and listen before you drop the coin.
Green Hornet
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tokyofan
New member
Re:
I live in Tokyo and don't really have the resources to audition gear. Am relying on reports, reviews, and anecdotal info. I ordered the Grace 101 from Sweetwater and hope it will improve overall sound. The built-in pres on the M-box seem OK with my mic but I have the budget to make upgrades and so figured a better pre might be the way to go. Admittedly, I'm shooting in the dark on this. I guess I could send it back if it's not everything I want.
I live in Tokyo and don't really have the resources to audition gear. Am relying on reports, reviews, and anecdotal info. I ordered the Grace 101 from Sweetwater and hope it will improve overall sound. The built-in pres on the M-box seem OK with my mic but I have the budget to make upgrades and so figured a better pre might be the way to go. Admittedly, I'm shooting in the dark on this. I guess I could send it back if it's not everything I want.
BigRay
New member
What is your budget???
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tdukex
Man of the Muse
BigRay said:
BigRay said:
Those two statements sound pretty contradictory to me BigRay. I think you may be confusing tokyofan. I know you are confusing me.
BigRay
New member
tdukex said:Those two statements sound pretty contradictory to me BigRay. I think you may be confusing tokyofan. I know you are confusing me.
I know man. I am Just being a smartass
(note the usage of the word "cold"..which I hate..just like I hate "warm" as a descriptive word for audio) . There are only 5,000,000 preamp questions here every day. So im just being facetious. the fact of the matter is that Grace customer service is top notch, and they make good products that are built like tanks....Mike Grace is a very smart fella, and has made quite a name for himself. They arent my cup of tea (not for a bad reason, just like a different flavor)... give them a call (Grace Designs) and see what they think..they will tell you what the best product is, whether they think it is one of their products or someone elses. ...they are a family run business, another reason to support them. I think the V3 may be a better choice as it has a adc built in...theres a used one on www.sonicsense.com..What is your budget?
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tdukex
Man of the Muse
BigRay said:
I know man. I am Just being a smartass
I thought you might have posted that with a big smile on your face. I'm not in the market, and haven't heard Grace, but the V3 always seemed like a bargain being as you get the ADC (which I assume is very good). It's nice to hear good things about a small company, and I will certainly consider Grace products when I upgrade my clean (acouc guit mainly) channel.
bennychico11
...
tokyo-
the Grace will probably be a decent step up from the Mbox ones. Although, for stock pres on the Mbox, it's nice to have Focusrite's.
You'd benefit a lot from getting a preamp that has S/PDIF out. Because the Mbox utilizes Neutrik connectors on the back of it, you have to plug your line inputs into the same connection as the mic inputs...thus sending it through the same amplifier which some people don't like.
Just FYI
-B
the Grace will probably be a decent step up from the Mbox ones. Although, for stock pres on the Mbox, it's nice to have Focusrite's.
You'd benefit a lot from getting a preamp that has S/PDIF out. Because the Mbox utilizes Neutrik connectors on the back of it, you have to plug your line inputs into the same connection as the mic inputs...thus sending it through the same amplifier which some people don't like.
Just FYI
-B