Mic pre around $1000. Hrm, didn't ever think I'd post one of these.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris.
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Chris.

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Hey everybody, I'm looking to buy a new mic pre around $1000. The catch, however, is that it has to be from Guitar Center. Blah. The reason is because I have a guitar center card with about 2k credit and they're doing the whole no payments for a year thing, meaning I can pick something up and not pay any interest on it while I pay it off. Yay.

So I'm looking for a nicer pre than what I have. Right now I'm just using a soundcraft m12 board, which isn't horrible. However, I'd like to either buy a single channel pre or a dual channel. Dual would be nice because then I could use it for either snare and kick or ohs, but I wouldn't mind having a high quality 1 channel pre or strip.

My price range is up to 2k, but I really really really want to stay around 1k.

Other than snare/kick for a single channel or ohs for dual channel, the pre would probably just be the workhorse and record everything else; guitars, bass and vocals.


I really want to get a great river mp1-nv but I don't think guitar center can order them. I talked to one of their guys the other day and had him make some calls to no avail on getting an answer to that. Also an a-designs mp1 or mp2, but couldn't find that out either.

I know they carry triton, UA, chameleon labs and some other random pres.


Anyway. Suggestions?
 
I just went to there site...Here's what I think you should consider as options...

Toft EC-1: 600
UA SOLO (either tube or ss...): 800
Toft ATC-2: 1000
UA M610: 1100
A Designs MP-1A: 1500
Focusrite Red Dual 8: 1800
Mindprint DTC: they have a blem one for 1620, and regular they're 1800

Of course there are lots of options in between there, but those are what I'd be interested in. ESPECIALLY the Mindprint. They have the DTC, and that's what I'd ultimately pick if I could out of that list. I didn't see it there, but look at the Envoice MK2 if Guitar Center offers it too. Second choice would be either of the Toft options - probably the ATC-2 as it's 2 channels rather than one.

My best advice would be to go it and try all those pres out with one of your mics (or the same model from there store). Listen close on the best monitors they'll let you use and pick from there.

jacob
 
jkokura said:
A Designs MP-1A: 1500

jacob
Click to expand...

Odd that when I asked them about this pre they couldn't find it in their system. I'll have to ask them again. I was really interested in an A-Designs.
 
Chris. said:
Odd that when I asked them about this pre they couldn't find it in their system. I'll have to ask them again. I was really interested in an A-Designs.
Click to expand...

Here's the link on their site...http://www.guitarvision.com/mf/mf_frameset.htm The Mindprint Blem's on the same page and I saw the A-Designs Lunchbox series on there as well...if you have a lunchbox already, hands down (with the exception of the Mindprint stuff - and Maybe the Toft as well) I would start adding some A Designs, OSA or Purple Audio pres into it...

Jacob
 
jkokura said:
Here's the link on their site...http://www.guitarvision.com/mf/mf_frameset.htm The Mindprint Blem's on the same page and I saw the A-Designs Lunchbox series on there as well...if you have a lunchbox already, hands down (with the exception of the Mindprint stuff - and Maybe the Toft as well) I would start adding some A Designs, OSA or Purple Audio pres into it...

Jacob
Click to expand...

Ummm, I don't think GuitarVision is the same as Guitar Center......

That said, A-designs +10.
 
fraserhutch said:
Ummm, I don't think GuitarVision is the same as Guitar Center......

That said, A-designs +10.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? I went to Guitar center's site, then clicked 'buy online'...shouldn't it take you to an affiliate?

Jacob
 
Offer them about 1200 for the mindprint DTC and settle for 1300-1400. I got a new one on closeout at Sam Ash when they carried them for 1395. It's a fine 2 channel pre with compressor and eq. For recording, it runs a close race with my Avalon 737s that cost twice as much.
 
You just need to ask the right person at Guitar Center. If you get the right person they canget you most of the stuff you might want.
 
Hey, you're right -that's odd. I thought Musician's Enemy was a competitor, but I guess not :)



jkokura said:
Are you sure? I went to Guitar center's site, then clicked 'buy online'...shouldn't it take you to an affiliate?

Jacob
Click to expand...
 
Guitar Center can order pretty much anything you want. They don't have to be an official dealer, and the product doesn't have to be in their "system".
 
I'm probably thinking the chameleon labs 7602. They have one in the Seattle Guitar Center so I'll probably go check it out. It's under the budget, so I can pay it off pretty quickley and then pick up a second for a stereo pair if I like it.
 
Chris. said:
I'm probably thinking the chameleon labs 7602. They have one in the Seattle Guitar Center so I'll probably go check it out. It's under the budget, so I can pay it off pretty quickley and then pick up a second for a stereo pair if I like it.
Click to expand...
A buddy of mine has one and he loves it.
 
Yeah sometimes a retailer will go to a competitor to get a piece at "wholesale" or even "close to retail". Then they sell it to the customer for regular price (or less).

This may not occur with GC but I know it happens with other local firms here - especially when dealing with insurance claims, and they carry some but not all of the lost items. The insurer prefers to send the check to one retailer.

But retailers have to agree to this policy of getting stuff from each other at wholesale....

I vote for your choice - Great River - heard some nice stuff on the MP3 Clinic here from people using them.
 
If a great river is available to me then I will gladly pick it up. I had an mp2-nv for a while before I had to sell it becuase I'm poor. Haha.
 
Chris. said:
I'm probably thinking the chameleon labs 7602.
Click to expand...

...I just purchased a restored Neve 1290 pre (1073 minus the EQ) from an engineer/tech in Texas who had the opportunity to check out the CL 7602...he was quite impressed with it (especially at that pricepoint)...coming from a guy who builds/rebuilds real Neve pres, that's pretty amazing...of course he recommended replacing the transformers, but he said they did a good job of recreating the circuitry and the EQ is spot on...it's actually a copy of the Chandler LTD (which is a copy of the 1073 Neve)...if I hadn't had the opportunity to buy the 1290, I would have gone with the Chameleon Labs myself...
 
. have a look at the trident s20. its like 999$ for 2 channels.
 
http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?t=63297
DAV BG-1

do a search here for it.. and on gear slutz....or search anywhere really. Reviews are all glowing..

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec03/articles/davelectronicsbg1.htm

www.davelectronics.com/bg1.htm

this pre is clean , HUGE sounding, 3d, detailed..lush...

it isnt a colored pre, for that id reccomend pendulum/fetcode/electronaut or something similar(not a fan of all this Neve clone craze personally) but for clean, detailed huge gain...the DAV is the balls... 700 bucksll get you 2 channels...DAV also makes a channel strip...Decca uses them, Mark Knopfler, Gilmour, yadda yadda!

teddy
 
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