Shopping for a new mic pre....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Michael Jones
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Michael Jones

Michael Jones

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I haven't bought anything new in quite some time.
I have some cash burning a hole in my pocket, and I need another mic pre. Preferably 2.

The best thing I have right now is a pair of Audix 35102 Racked by Brent. This pre is phenominal! and I may pick up another pair at some point, but I'm really looking for something I can use on vocals. The 35102's are great for that, but them being more or less a "matched pair", I prefer to keep them as instrument pre's.

I was browseing Brent's site, and noticed this one:
33114_dl_1200.jpg

Its a Neve 33114. It has the exact same eq points as the Audix 35102's. However, the Neve's circuitry is Class A - A/B, whereas the Audix is Class A.

So, my 3 part question is:

1.) What's the difference between Class A and Class A/B?

2.) Does anyone here have any experience with the Neve 33114?
(and if so, please elaborate)

and C.) Any suggestions on a single channel Class A, solid state (no tubes please) microphone preamplifier, preferably with eq that would be a GREAT unit for vocals?

My budget is... ummm..... let's say $1600 - $2000 for a single channel.
 
The avalon M5 fits your description for part C (i'm sure you meant part 3?), though I'm not sure that's exactly what you want.
 
Paraphrased from Dec 2002 Recording mag:

In Class A preamps the tube or transistor conducts throughout the full cycle. Amplification is highly linear, but operation is inefficient because with no signal present, the tube or transistor is still drawing about half its max current, wasting power. That's why Class A is not used much outside the audio world because it's expensive to throw away power. But for small signals used in mic preamps the hit in efficiency is also small and worth it to achieve linear operation, which is the beauty of class A.

A Class B amp is biased and conducts only over half the cycle which can cause distortion, but by using a second amp (fed by the same input) with reversed polarity and combining the two at the output the amp becomes more efficient.

A Class AB amp is biased so it draws more current than Class B but less than Class A.

What does it all mean?

Fuck if I know.
 
1) For the most part, don't worry about what Class it is... There's goodand bad designs and products of every Class.

With that said, Class A, as a general statement, does have a "sound"... Which I'm not going to even attempt to try and explain in words... You just have to hear it...

2) I've never used a Neve 33114, nor an Audix 35102... But Here's some interesting info here about BOTH of them:
http://www.piemusic.com/mp/blackbox2.html

Geoff Tanner of Aurora Audio (THE guy to know) says that if you convert a 33114 to Class A throughout, you'll get a "warmth" and "clarity" heading towards a 1073.

C.) ? One suggestion is an Aurora Audio GTQ2, for $2k. Another suggestion is a DaviSound TB-4, customized with a "Mic-All" preamp added to it, probably under $1k. Could probably get 2 full channels for under $2k!

www.auroraaudio.net
www.davisound.com
 
Thanks for the response guys.

R.E. - The GTQ2 is a Neve clone is it not? The DavisSound pre's look like a good deal and all, but I don't think I want to wait around for him to fill the order.
 
The GTQ2 is an "improved" (subjective) 1073 design. Mr. Tanner says he likes to think Aurora Audio continues where Neve left-off... Personally, I think I'd rather have a GTQ2 than an original 1073!

And yeah, if you can't or don't want to wait to buy this preamp, DaviSound is a bad choice...

Then again, I know the GTQ2 has taken just as long to get your hands on one in the past... That's the way it goes for hand-built gear. But maybe there's no wait on them right now.... I don't know.
 
esun127 said:
The avalon M5 fits your description for part C (i'm sure you meant part 3?), though I'm not sure that's exactly what you want.
Click to expand...
:p The "and C.)" was kind of a joke...

Thanks for all the replies.
I've found another pair of the Audix 35102's, and I may get those for now. I really like those pre's... so clean... and the eq really allows you to shape your sound.
I still want a single channel I can use for vocals, and one of the Neve clones, or re-racks may be just the ticket!

Actually. I want both! ;) but my wife and kids keep pulling whole branches off my money tree. :mad:
 
GENERALLY speaking when you mention neve and audio product in the same sentence its a phenomenal audio product USUALLY.....
 
For the most part, 'class A' stuff sounds "rounder" and 'class AB' stuff sounds 'snappier'.

For what it's worth, I haven't found a whole lot of earth shattering difference between the Audix and the Neve 'broadcast series' [3114, 3115, 3118, 3119, 3122... add another "3" to the front and you have a different paint job].

You might want to check out something along the lines of an API kind of thing... it may net you a greater difference in tone and texture that may assist you in realizing a 'deeper' and more 'varied' recording...

As always, YMMV
 
Fletcher said:
For the most part, 'class A' stuff sounds "rounder" and 'class AB' stuff sounds 'snappier'.

For what it's worth, I haven't found a whole lot of earth shattering difference between the Audix and the Neve 'broadcast series' [3114, 3115, 3118, 3119, 3122... add another "3" to the front and you have a different paint job].

You might want to check out something along the lines of an API kind of thing... it may net you a greater difference in tone and texture that may assist you in realizing a 'deeper' and more 'varied' recording...

As always, YMMV
Click to expand...
Thanks Fletcher.
The comparison between the Audix and the Neve broadcast series you offered, seems to be the general consensus I have found in my research as well. Thanks for verifying that.

I'd love to have, say, a six-pack of API 312's for recording drums, and I'll eventually put together that chain over time.

I'd really like to have a Neve/Neuman chain too, even if its just a single channel, at some point as well. If the "broadcast series" neve's aren't THAT different from the 35102's, then I need to maybe start looking at the 10xx series neve's?

Jay at Doucet's Audio had a pair of the Averill 35102's, but he sold 'em. :(
Another pair of those would have given me 4 channels of some pretty hot sounding stuff. Plus I'm real familiar with that pre, I know how to use it to get what I want. No learning curve there.

Anyhow, Jay's looking for another pair for me. I insist on an Averill rack though. Maybe he'll find something for me.
 
If you want one pre that's good for vocals I'd look at the Phoenix Drs-1 or the MP-1NV too.

-Jtt
 
I called and talked to a guy at Brent Averill's office. I forget his name.... had a real thick English accent, and I told him what I wanted. About an hour later someone else from his office called me back, and although they aren't really offering the 35102's anymore, he said they have several raw modules in stock. They're going to rack me up a pair!

Cool!
 
You can't go wrong with a Neve 1073. The Averrill is out of your price range, but I think a Vintech X73 (a copy, not an original, but a very good copy) might be in your range. I see you've already ordered something, but keep it in mind the next time you have that hot pocket problem.
 
charger said:
You can't go wrong with a Neve 1073. The Averrill is out of your price range, but I think a Vintech X73 (a copy, not an original, but a very good copy) might be in your range. I see you've already ordered something, but keep it in mind the next time you have that hot pocket problem.
Click to expand...

Naw, it's gotta be an Averill. I'm convinced that everything those guys do is golden!
The Averill 1073 is $2350 for a single channel. I could swing the extra $350 for that puppy!

The things that impress me most about Averill is that he refurb's all the modules he sells and offers a warranty.
Rather than just mounting the module in a rack that's been cut out to the size of the module, he actually replaces the stock face plate with his own silk-screened face plates that are 100% faithful to the original. The Averill power supplies for their modules are rated at something like 4 times the required current.
All that attention to detail will keep me comming back to them.
Plus, they have a GREAT product line. And they're a great bunch of guys to deal with, and his products hold their re-sale value.

Other companies that rack modules, Like Marquett, and Boutique don't go to the trouble of silk-screening new face plates. So you end up with these little black.... name plate looking things for the DI, phase and phantom power switches.
I think that looks like hell.
I'm not sure if they just rack raw modules as is, or if the re-cap them, or what. And I don't know what kind of warranty they offer.

Now, these other companies may have a great product, I'm not saying they don't, but their end product looks like something that was designed by a committee and thrown together by a high school metal shop.
 
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