Trying to make sense of all the Joe Meek stuff (old vs. new)

amonte

amonte

New member
I've been looking around for a decent mic preamp on a tight budget to track vocals for my band's record. I had originally picked out the DMP3, but as I read more about the Joe Meek stuff, it started to really look interesting to me. But the more I read, the more confused I became - there's the VC3, the VC3Q, the MQ3, the 3Q and the threeQ (though those last two could be the same). Some people say the early stuff is the way to go, others say it is noisy. Others still say the newer stuff is fantastic, while detractors have said it doesn't come close to sounding like the old ones. I even read some posts saying that the preamps on the new threeQ's are just "budget $15 preamps". I'm really not sure what to think at this point and I'm a little trigger shy snagging one off of eBay.

btw, I'm chooising this preamp as a replacement for the other things I have lying around - a Mackie 1202, a TubeMP and a Bellari MPS...something. Can't remember the name now.
 
The Joe Meek line has been through a few "phases" since it's introduction.
I know the early versions were all considered pretty good...then there was a gray period...and I have no idea how things are now.
At any rate...if there was any one thing that the Joe Meek stuff was really known for, it was the comporessors...mmmmm, not so much the preamps.
I have a SC2.2 compressor...one of the early models, and I use it mostly on my drum kit stereo pair during mixdown.
 
Thanks for the reply! Yeah, it seems like the main character of the JoeMeek line is the compressor, which isn't very subtle based on what I've read.

DIgging deeper, it looks like the VC3 (with exciter) came first, then the VC3Q (with equalizer), then the MQ3 and finally the threeQ. Not sure if I am missing some in there or if there is a change when from when they were produced in the UK.

It seems like for a little more money (and some serious bargain hunting), I might be able to put together a similar setup with a used RNC and a DMP3. It wouldn't sound the same as the VC3Q, but it would probably get similar results. I do kind of like the "one stop shopping" aspect of picking up the VC3Q and there seem to be a lot of people that really like them (or liked them...these seem kind of old now).
 
amonte said:
..It seems like for a little more money (and some serious bargain hunting), I might be able to put together a similar setup with a used RNC and a DMP3. It wouldn't sound the same as the VC3Q, but it would probably get similar results. I do kind of like the "one stop shopping" aspect of picking up the VC3Q and there seem to be a lot of people that really like them (or liked them...these seem kind of old now).
Click to expand...
The other Joe..
TFPRO Ted Fletcher Professional Audio
Just for some gas on the fire...
P10 or 110 maybe $1k (used), that ART opto for a 'comp only' example at around $300 (all be it 2 ch) regarded a very decent bargain compressor or, around $300 for a channel strip.
First, it sounds like a sideways step to what you have now.

Next, it's about how you record, and.. how do you want to go (future, and the 'quality aspects?)
I get the 'do it on the way in' thing and kinda think about going more outboard front end at times (no doubt!) But then I go, ok I'm going to be tracking this.. whatever, and I don't really care to be assuming I know quite where it's going to land later –in the mix. So, what am I going to go 'real safe mode on the tools on the way in, then still have to play with it in the mix anyway? Right These are mix tools
Any way, that pretty much cools my heals there in that respect (..$$ :D
 
Thanks for the reply!

mixsit said:
The other Joe..
TFPRO Ted Fletcher Professional Audio
Just for some gas on the fire...
P10 or 110 maybe $1k (used),
Click to expand...

Ah, very interesting. Wasn't aware of that stuff. Definitely out of my range, but always good to hear about new (to me) stuff.

mixsit said:
that ART opto for a 'comp only' example at around $300 (all be it 2 ch) regarded a very decent bargain compressor or, around $300 for a channel strip.
Click to expand...

Is it a starved plate circuit, like the Tube MP? I have one of those, but was never thrilled with it. It's a pretty decent bass pre though. I'll look into these as well.

mixsit said:
First, it sounds like a sideways step to what you have now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the DMP3 is probably an improvement over the Mackie, but most likely a similar flavor. That was part of the attraction to the Meek units - somethin' different.

mixsit said:
Next, it's about how you record, and.. how do you want to go (future, and the 'quality aspects?)
I get the 'do it on the way in' thing and kinda think about going more outboard front end at times (no doubt!) But then I go, ok I'm going to be tracking this.. whatever, and I don't really care to be assuming I know quite where it's going to land later –in the mix. So, what am I going to go 'real safe mode on the tools on the way in, then still have to play with it in the mix anyway? Right These are mix tools
Any way, that pretty much cools my heals there in that respect (..$$ :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, there's some danger on overdoing compression on the way in because then you're married to it. I guess I'm loooking for something a little thicker sounding than the Mackie pres to track the vocals with, maybe a slightly darker sound. I'm tracking with a Rode NT-1 or an SM57 - the 57 sounds pretty good through the Mackie, but the NT-1 is a bit on the bright side. I guess I really just want to try something else that will give me a little different character.
 
Gads, if you don't need a comp I'm gona say 7602 (again.. lately :D
Neve'ish, plus the eq is swee eeT!
 
I have a modern Joe Meek foot pedal, Floor Q - pre-amp/compressor; its build quality is good.

The preamp is nice and clean and the compressor can be set very transparent and introduces little [actually none on the setting I use] audible noise or artefacts.

Apparently the technology in the Floor Q comes directly from their current rack units like the oneQ, twinQ and the sixQ.

By the way all the joe meek documentation for their current and discontinued gear is online.

goto http://joemeek.com/

then goto "downloads".
 
I wouldn't worry much about the "budget $15 preamps" comment. A large number of preamps under $500 per channel use some sort of under $10 amplifier circuit as a key part of their design somewhere (INA217, INA163, THAT1512, etc). This doesn't really mean all that much. It applies to everything from the Grace M101, Rane MS 1S, the API Arsenal Audio range, the Joe Meeks, to the M-Audio DMP3. One thing these IC based designs all have in common is they tend to be on the "clean" side, but obviously some of them are very different versions of "clean". The quality of the other parts of the design, power supplies, input transformers, whatever is used on the output stage, etc., all are also obviously important.
 
Not to say that you don't have a valid point in looking for a different flavor, but the first thing I'd replace is the Rode. Not the question you asked, I know, but just my opinion. As you noted, a DMP-3, while being slightly 'better' than the Mackie, is still in the category of relatively clean, and 'flavorless'.

That being said, I too would like to know about how the Meeks really stack up to each other.
 
Just stay away from the "CS" equipped Meeks. Even Alan Hiatt has denounced that circuit.
 
Current Sensing. It was something Ted Fletcher came up with and led to their parting of the way.
 
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