my little Impromptu Preamp shootout

[MadMax]

I went to SamAsh yesterday and wandered into their Soundroom. I was just browsing and mentioned to the FullSail grad salesman that I was kind of interseted in preamps but didn't want to spend stupid money.
He then asked me to check out the Universal 610, so I put on the hedaphones and listened to my own voice thru a Rode NT-1 ( I think). It sounded Hi Fi and creamy, and adjusting the compressor just sounded "right", that is; smooth compression with no squashing or pumping.
Then I listened to the minimalist Millennia HV3C. It was a very simple unit. It had gain switches and a fixed notch LPF that works in the upper freq's. This one sounded more Hi Fi than the 610 and I could really hear the subtle differences the LPF made. I'd call this one super HiFi and clean.
Next was the SSL channel strip. I don't remember the model number, but it had compression and EQ. With comp & EQ out it had no character like the previous two. And in the short time I played with it, the comp & EQ didn't add anything exceptional. Overall, it sounded no better than a Mackie Pre.
Last, I listened to a Presonus Eureka and my immediate impression after listening to the others was "NO!" It just sounded cheap.
Bottom line is if I were buying, I'd like to have BOTH the UA 610 and the Millennia HV3C. And if I had to pick one of those, I'd probably go with the UA 610 because I do mostly rock music and it sounds like it'd serve well on clean vox and I could probably squash some electric guitars and drums with it.

Now, I've always been skeptical when it comes to pre's, but this is the first time I did a side by side comparison. I just wonder if my impressions would have been the same if I had listened to them in a different order? I didn't buy anything either.

 

[MCI2424]

I went to SamAsh yesterday and wandered into their Soundroom. I was just browsing and mentioned to the FullSail grad salesman that I was kind of interseted in preamps but didn't want to spend stupid money.
He then asked me to check out the Universal 610, so I put on the hedaphones and listened to my own voice thru a Rode NT-1 ( I think). It sounded Hi Fi and creamy, and adjusting the compressor just sounded "right", that is; smooth compression with no squashing or pumping.
Then I listened to the minimalist Millennia HV3C. It was a very simple unit. It had gain switches and a fixed notch LPF that works in the upper freq's. This one sounded more Hi Fi than the 610 and I could really hear the subtle differences the HPF made. I'd call this one super HiFi and clean.
Next was the SSL channel strip. I don't remember the model number, but it had compression and EQ. With comp & EQ out it had no character like the previous two. And in the short time I played with it, the comp & EQ didn't add anything exceptional. Overall, it sounded no better than a Mackie Pre.
Last, I listened to a Presonus Eureka and my immediate impression after listening to the others was "NO!" It just sounded cheap.
Bottom line is if I were buying, I'd like to have BOTH the UA 610 and the Millennia HV3C. And if I had to pick one of those, I'd probably go with the UA 610 because I do mostly rock music and it sounds like it'd serve well on clean vox and I could probably squash some electric guitars and drums with it.

Now, I've always been skeptical when it comes to pre's, but this is the first time I did a side by side comparison. I just wonder if my impressions would have been the same if I had listened to them in a different order? I didn't buy anything either.

All are no good for me. I am only interested in "mega Hi-Fi"

 

[chessrock]

I didn't buy anything either.

Great. Make the sales person do backflips for you all afternoon, and don't even give the guy any commission. Did you make him get you coffee, too?

 

[MadMax]

Yes, I did. See, I explained to him that I was a working studio owner and that he was a FullSail grad, which qualifies him to either be a GC/SamAsh salesman or my intern. So I made him hold the mic 2-1/2 inches from my lips -no more, no less, while I chanted my mantra.

 

[MOFO Pro]

I don't think the order would have as much impact as the sound of your own voice reverberating in your head... Very hard to get an accurate picture of the differences when a certain element is the same on all (hearing your own voice directly, as well as through the amp)... You should have laid down some tracks, then listened to them...

 

[rory]

I wonder what kind of pres you have at your studio if those pres you tried out opened your eyes?

 

[giraffe]

FullSail grad salesman

when i lived in boston we called Berklee "the guitar center assistant manager traniee program"


it's so true.

 

[MadMax]

I wonder what kind of pres you have at your studio if those pres you tried out opened your eyes?

Different than all of those.
My pre's;
SCA A12
SCA N72
Symetrix 528
Mackie VLZ
FMR RNP
RME FF-800
ART Tube MP V3
Peavey Mixer
Behringer VX2000

I don't think I said they opened my eyes. It was just an interesting side by side comparison.

 

[rsolinski]

Welcome to the world of high end gear . Do you really think those companies could get the prices they do if their stuff wasn't better? When I am auditioning mics and pre's for a singer I record a bunch of tracks with different mics and chains..some cheap like the Mackie VLZ or Bellari and some high end like the API and Neve..then I let the singer pick the one they like (it is their record after all...)..totally blind since they don't know which track has which gear...95 times out of 100 they pick a "big boy" after a few listens thru the cans and monitors..Not always the one's I would pick... but almost never the cheapies..So
I set up the one they like and work on performance...that said, I think the comp/limiter has as much to do with the track as the pre and you are right..good one's don't pump, suck out the high or low end or leave artifacts...
Next step...G.A.S.!!!..

Cheers,
Ray

 

[Warhead]

SamAsh with a pair of headphones...just a suggestion but I probably wouldn't commit to any strong opinions based on that experience. If they have a return policy buy a couple you dig and bring back whatever doesn't do it for you.

Preamps can be fairly small, nit picking differences that cannot be heard with headphones.

War

 

[MadMax]

SamAsh with a pair of headphones...just a suggestion but I probably wouldn't commit to any strong opinions based on that experience. If they have a return policy buy a couple you dig and bring back whatever doesn't do it for you.

Preamps can be fairly small, nit picking differences that cannot be heard with headphones.

War

I would think that listening with headphones would absolutely show any subtleties. The differences I heard between the pre's were pretty remarkable. Seems like a lot of the "feirly small, nit picking differences" would get lost in the context of a recording/mix. Or is there a better way of listening?

 

[Warhead]

On monitors in your own environment. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you could hear differences! But it's hard to know which piece might be more useful in your environment. The store demo should maybe give you a glimpse into what to take back and use in your studio.

Who knows, one of the pres you loved in headphones might give a harsh top end sound to drums or guitars? Might be lacking in low end presence? Hard to tell just on headphones.

War

 

[MadMax]

I hear you War, but after listening, there's no way I would even think about considering the Presonus. But we're talking about something that costs 1/3 of the good stuff. Now between the UA and the Millennia, I'd have to bring 'em both home and play with them like you said.

 

[Warhead]

Yes, I was surprised when TapeOp gave the Eureka a big thumbs up. I always felt it was nothing very special, more like a $249 unit at best.

Mainly I was cautioning you not to list your initial findings as strong opinions on message boards based on your headphone / SamAsh listening test. I'm glad to hear you will be bringing them into the studio to make final decisions.

Carry on, and best of luck. Let us know what you decide.

War