RNMP...2 Channels..same price?

[CarmenC]

--- New info from FMR Audio ---

Let me start off with a disclaimer. When products are still in development, anything can happen up until the moment it's released. A product may go through quite a few changes before the final product goes into manufacturing, and it looks like the RNMP is no exception. Thankfully, what usually happens is a product evolves into something better as it's developers discover new possibilities, etc.

As of now, it appears the RNMP's features will be scaled back a tad from what was previously reported, but get this... Two Channels now. I don't have anything more specific at this point, but by scaled back I don't mean less quality. I think they've done away with the two digit led gain indicator and the MIC/HI-Z Input Selector Switch. It's still the same signal path for the most, just less bells & wistles, and better integration with the RNC.

Bear in mind that this could change ten more times and the release date could be set back 6 months. FMR Audio made it very clear a while back that nothing is concrete until it ships. I for one am thankful, because I like the way its heading now better than before. I really like the idea of two pres in one box for the same estimated street price of $350-$400. What all this has also done is ready FMR Audio for a higher end mic pre down the road.

Release date is now estimated at 45 days. There will be more info as it develops, but let me say again, nothing is concrete until it ships.

Jake Langston
Humbucker Music

This was posted yesterday on HC's forum.
Just passing tit along...
Carmen

 

[wes480]

2 channels...lovely

 

[notCardio]

Yeah, but..

I agree that I'd rather see two channels of quality, rather than one with more b & w ( hey, why not offer BOTH choices?), but they may be shooting themselves in the foot. By the time it hits the streets, a lot of potential buyers will have already blown their immediate pre budget on the Studio Projects pre, simply because it beat them to market. People have already been waiting what seems like an eternity for the RNMP, and now they're gonna roll back the date again? A lot of folks are just gonna say 'screw it' and buy something else. Sometimes, if you need a product, you need the product now, not at some constantly moving imaginary date in the increasingly distant future. And now they're re-designing? It may be good for us in the long run, but how many of us are patient enough to do what's good for us in the long run (how's your diet & exercise program going?)? I just hope it doesn't hurt their business too much in the short run.

 

[Henrik]

I for one know I could wait a very long time for this thing if it turns out to be only half as cool as it seems. And with the news of it being a dual mic pre, the expected coolness just doubled...

I'm also looking very much forward to hearing Studio Projects forthcoming eight channel pre.

Cheers
/Henrik

 

[chessrock]

I think it certainly opens the doors wide for another company, for sure. Who will it be?

 

[tmix]

More info?

Where can I go to find out more about the RNMP? Such as Features (picture?) specs etc? As well as who will be selling them?

 

[wes480]

I dont think the "other company" argument is that big. Just becuase they delay a product to make it better doesn't mean they are going to lose business.

I say they will gain business by having it dual...becuase it would attract someone who might not have a use for just 1 channel...and might not want to have to buy two boxes.

The amount of people who are looking for a budget preamp and "need it right now!" are such a small small percentage of the people who the product is hopefully going to sell to.

In fact, I dare say that the people who are most anxious for it to come out are the ones who just want to READ what the pros have to say about it - so that they can make their mind up of whether it is good or not. That way their motto can change from "I hope RNMP is good!" to "man, RNMP rocks...I am going to get one around christmas if the wife doesn't kill me! buh heh heh heh!"

Maybe thats a little harsh...but, all of this bitching about when the damn RNMP is going to come out...and the fact that everyone is so shaken over the whole thing...makes me wonder how much recording is going on around here.

 

[TexRoadkill]

I'm getting slightly annoyed about waiting simply becaue I was going to pick up a grace and a RNC. I would like to see what they have to offer first. 2 channels will be very cool and work well with RNC.

 

[chessrock]

I apologize for throwing out the marketing 101 philosophies, but there are 4 P's in marketing: product, promotion, place, and price. Unfortunately, there's a "T" missing somewhere in that equation, and I'm afraid timing is everything.

Suppose a new company were to come along with a great new idea for a compressor that sounds really transparent, and delivers professional sound in the less than $200 price range.

Hmmm. Isn't it a little late for that?

Coming out with a good product is only part of the equation.

 

[Slackmaster2K]

Chess, that may be true to some extent, however.....I think that product delays actually cause massive hype. The more that people talk about "how great it's going to be", the greater it's going to be, even if it sucks! I see this happen in software all the time, which is why software companies announce products and features before they even start building!

The only way that these delays would hurt them, is if it does prove easy to make a very high quality preamp at a fraction of the cost of other high quality preamps. I'm not sure that's even *possible* without a whole lot of work. And there do seem to be other companies out there with pretty high quality pres in *roughly* the same price range so.... I'm not sure Behringer could pull something like that off

Slackmaster 2000

 

[TexRoadkill]

Dont worry Slack, Behringer will have the same product 6 months after release.

 

[CarmenC]

Nope.

Dont worry Slack, Behringer will have the same product 6 months after release.

At that price point, probably.
At that quality level, nope.
The RNC is successful for only one reason.
Nothing else is as good for less than a grand.
There were hundreds of models of compressors on the market
at the time the RNC was introduced.
But to this day, none with the same "bang for the buck".
The success of the RNC is undeniable.
Why hasn't DBX, Alesis or Behringer copied the RNC and gotten the same quality for the same or lower price?
There's obviously a market.
Maybe they can't.
Maybe FMR's engineering is THAT good!
I have 3 RNC's and I LOVE them.

If FMR makes a 2 channel pre for $399 that sounds as good or better than anything less than $2000, (which is what I'm hearing) there'll be a waiting list to get one.
And I'll be on it.
FMR has done NO MARKETING on the RNMP.
I've never seen such anticipation for a product that the manufacturer won't even discuss unless you call them on the phone!

I deeply respect Alan Hyatt for the contribution he and his company has made to the Home Rec industry (Joe Meek, Studio Projects, Trident, and his SUPERB customer service).
I have a pair of C1's that I LOVE, a Meek SC 2.2 that ROCKS and a Meek VC1Q that RULES!
But, I think if he doesn't get his pre out first, he could lose a lot of sales to the RNMP, being 2 channels for close to the same price as Alan's one channel.
His 8 channel pre already has competition from PreSonus, who just released a similar product for $899.
It's a difficult environment for pro audio companies to compete in, but man, we home wreccers just keep getting better and better tools for less and less dough.
I wish anybody with the balls to try to get a great product to market at a fair price all the success in the world!
And a cheap price would be even better...


Carmen

 

[alanhyatt]

Re: Yeah, but..

By the time it hits the streets, a lot of potential buyers will have already blown their immediate pre budget on the Studio Projects pre, simply because it beat them to market.

Well, thanks for the support. FMR makes very good product and they have a big following. We hope we can deliver on time, and even if we do, I think what Mark at FMR is going after, and what I am going after is really very different, so I do not think I will affect his sales.

I can't speak on his behalf, or offer specifics, because I don't know or have personal use of his box, but if I am correct, Mark will go for the very pristeen type of a sound with useful but perhaps limited features. I am going for a unit that can be very clean, but at the same time, offer the tube for warmth, color, and tone, with every feature I can think of. So we are really looking at going for a different kind of application by offering two types of sounds in one box.

If in fact the dual channel FMR comes in at $399.00, then we are still safe. I will not go into it here, but we were able to reduce the price of the VTB-1 substantially. This information will be released prior to its shipping.

Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group