Phoenix DRS-1 vs. Great River ME-1NV

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PersonalJesus

New member
Many of you have either read or responded to my post "Recording Better Vocals." I was considering buying a Mindprint Envoice MK II. However, do to the number of people reccommending one or the other of these 2 mic preamps all over this forum:

The Phoenix DRS-1 and the Great River ME-1NV

I am considering purchasing one of these instead and coupling it with an RNC. Does anyone have experience with one or the other of these units or even better BOTH? Could you describe the characteristics of their sound and anything else about them that would be important in making my decision? Does anyone have recordings done with either of these mic pres or even an Envoice? I have been reading that the Great River has more of a 70's sound while the Pheonix is more of a modern sound, any thoughts? Keep in mind that the unit will used primarily for vocals, but I suppose I will want to run my synths through it too.
 
There is a review of the DRs-1 over at gearslutz right now in the current threads in the "so much gear.. " forums, around the 3rd page back now.
 
Ive got the Great river and have fooled around with drs-2 on occasion. Its really impossible to pick the one over the other. However, I enjoyed the DRS-2 on my vocals a little more over the Great river. My vocals sat on top of the mix better when i used it on vox with most instruments run through the mp-2nv. Give fletcher a ring and ask him to try out both, use them both for a week then keep the one you like the best.
 
Thanks for the ideas. If I ran keys through it, I would just do sounds in mono or if i needed a stereo sounds just use cheaper pres. I think I might do that, get em both and keep the one i like better. Great Idea.
 
I had both in hand for a couple weeks and only kept the DRS-1. It has a more open sound, and can capture "faster" sources better IE: acoustic guitar. It still makes heavy electric guitar tracks sound thick as hell. So I feel I got the best of both worlds. Good luck with your decision.



Justin
 
Recently got the DRS-1. It's very fabulous! Very open, very earthy. Like Chessrock, I don't think you can lose either way. You should at least check out Dot's webpage www.thelisteningsessions.com He's got comparisons of each of these, including the Hardy M1, the Speck, and a few other goodies. It's certainly not conclusive, but it may at least narrow things down or help you to identify areas to test out each pre. I like the idea of getting both and trying them out ... for me and what I do the DRS-1 sounded like a better fit for my limited budget ... but I doubt you could lose with either. Perhaps a nice dynamic mic like the Sennheiser MD 441 (very condenser like) or one of the Beyer ribbons plus the DRS-1 or ME-NV1 will do what you need, until you can get ....
 
PersonalJesus said:
Im probably going to try both, but people keep saying the Great River has a more vintage sound. What the hell does that mean?
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It's hard to describe unless you've heard a Neve or any other "vintage" preamp. Think the sound of the Rolling stones records of the 60s. Now think of todays pop or R&B. There's a dirtiness to the Stones records that is not in the current Pop or R&B records. Some of that is the analog tape ... but some of it is the pres of that day (for example the Neve sound).

The Phoenix is a bit more modern (less hair, less grit, more open in the highs), while the GR (I'm told and I hear on Dot's Listening Sessions) is a 'bit' more gritty and not as open up top (extreme top like 12 kHz and above). Sometimes "vintage" seems to mean high frequency attenuated.
 
I took a listen at www.thelisteningsessions.com. To tell you the truth it was very difficult for me to distinguish between the Phoenix and the Great River. I listened to the tracks using the AKG 414 and if you were to show me the two tracks without knowing which was which, I probably could not say which sounds better since to me they are very close in sound. The singer kinda blows it though by singing in different keys for different pres. I dont know why he does that.

I uploaded an mp3 of me so you can comment about what you are hearing is wrong with my sound. Its not even close to what they are getting. I suppose the biggest difference is the mic pre and the room. Let me know what you guys think will help.

Here is the link:

http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=14009
 
PersonalJesus said:
I took a listen at www.thelisteningsessions.com. ... it was very difficult for me to distinguish between the Phoenix and the Great River... if you were to show me the two tracks without knowing which was which, I probably could not say which sounds better since to me they are very close in sound. http://gearslutz.com/board/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=14009
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This is the problem with listening to tests with just one signal. Unless you're doing singer/songwriter stuff, 1 or 2 signals is not your reality--so subleties aren't noticed easily. But with all that said, listen to the tracks again and listen to the high-end of the GR compared to the Phoenix. You should notice that the GR seems a bit more 'dirty' and the top is not quite as open. It feels a bit closed off compared to the DRS. Both are acceptable and 'pro' sounding, but the Phoenix has a high-end thing to it that is a bit cleaner and a bit more open. Close your eyes and imagine the 'size' of the image you're hearing. You've got to multiply this effect over several vocal tracks to understand what this means. It's not a negative, but for clean pop tracks, the GR will start to stack up a bit. A more open pre in the highs is going to sound more extended in the highs and be great for the "sheen" that people add to pop vocals. The DRS is not the only pre on the planet, but for pop stuff, it's not a bad choice at all. In fact it's a great choice IMO.
 
Thanks. Ill probably just buy the Pheonix first. Im sure it will work great for my purposes. But compared to the sound I am getting now is it going to be a helluva lot closer to the sound on thelisteningsessions.com or what? Their recordings have a lot more clarity and definition. Is that what a good pre adds? There's is also much more present and focused.
 
PersonalJesus said:
...Their recordings have a lot more clarity and definition. Is that what a good pre adds? There's is also much more present and focused.
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I think it's all parts of the chain. If you upgrade the mic, you'll notice how weak your room acoustics are. When you make changes there, you'll notice how weak your preamp is --> converters --> cables --> monitors --> processors, etc.

Elements of good sound include:
1. Singer/source/musician
2. Mic
3. Cables
4. Preamp
5. Converters
6. Acoustics
7. Monitors
8. Processing

You've got to have all of that to do an apples/apples comparison. They all make a difference.
 
PersonalJesus said:
I was wondering, if I bought a DRS 1 and a RNC how do I put the RNC in the chain? do I just go out from the DRS into the RNC and then into my Firewire 410?
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Yep.
And then you are on to a whole new and tricky animal... the comrpessor and how to use it and how to not abuse it. Its a skill of its own. Enjoy!
Paul
 
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