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PATRIOT2006
New member
art mpa gold
presonus mp20
aphex 207d
presonus mp20
aphex 207d
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Big Kenny
New member
The art, cuz someone held a gun to my head
LeeRosario
New member
wow, well this seems to be the thread to offers me the full on creativty to share how lucky I've been. Having heard a few dozen different preamps throughout my young life.
But enough bullshit, on to the good stuff!:
My reply...it depends on what music and what budget I have to work with.
For jazz and blues on an expensive budget:
By far, anything API has to offer. Namely the API 212L pre. Believe it or not, I have worked on an API board that was formerly owned by famed mix engineer Tom Dowd. In fact, there's a picture of it on page 12 of the January Live Sound magazine.
It was purchased by a rather decent studio here in Orlando called Phat Planet.
Clean and legible sound, a smooth blend of warm, but also kind of a cool blue sound.
If I where to compare it to a visual movie filter, then it would be whatever they used on the movie "The Forgotten" where everything is kind of a saturated blue color.
For Rock of most types on a expensive budget:
No hands down, anything Neve has to offer. Namely the pre's in the new 88R console they came out with. You can tell when something was mixed through a Neve pre.
It's got an "eager" sound. Like neve pres give the sound a sense of urgency and some bite. Also very smooth. Not as clean though, it's almost kind of smudged with this "hot mist". I would say it feels "Red and orange" to me. But it does a great job giving things "meat".
Like think of any movie with a demon-like filter on it, and that's probably the sound I'm trying to discribe.
I had a chance to sit on an SSL session, also a very specific sound. But I don't really dig the SSL sound. It just comes off very clean and sterlie to me. Maybe I just like things a little more saturated and misty when it comes to rock music.
On a cheaper budget, I would choose the Vintech 73i:
It's a spin off of the Neve 1073, but it does come rather close. A little more transparent and crunchy than any Neve I've heard, but it does well. It seems to give the mix a brighter sound, but also with a like sense of urgency.
I think on a cheaper budget, the Soundcraft Ghost console sounds pretty good. It sounds rather sterile to me, but the pre's in the ghost give percussive stuff almost this "bubble bounce" feel. It almost feels like plastic seran wrap. But it's a plesant sound, not too bad.
Then at the bottom of the list is the mackie XDR pre. I've actually gone back to this one recently and consider this to be an affair preamp (like if I was married to a Neve, I would cheat on it with a sleezy XDR pre, but I'll always love Neve).
It's a great preamp to have on the road or if I want to record stuff at home/ on site.
It does give this sort of dreamy aura to certain things, which is why it really caught my attention the first time I ever hear it. It was actually an accident:
About a year ago, I was recording a demo on my simple 002 rack (the pres in that thing are sterile, no mention worthy) and so I needed the extra 4 inputs for additonal drum tracks.
The guys had an ART TPSII tube pre that sounded like shit, a behringer MX2004 (or something like that) and a Mackie VLZpro 24 channel 8 buss.
I completely hated anything mackie had to offer at the time, so I tried both of the other pres. They didn't satisfy me at all, so I was like "alright, fuck it...lets try the mackie". As soon as the guy hit the tom for the first time, I was sold.
Weird experiences, man.
Edit:
To completely answer the question:
I would buy at least 8 channels worth of each of the preamps stated. Why? Because a good painter could use a few different brushes.
But enough bullshit, on to the good stuff!:
My reply...it depends on what music and what budget I have to work with.
For jazz and blues on an expensive budget:
By far, anything API has to offer. Namely the API 212L pre. Believe it or not, I have worked on an API board that was formerly owned by famed mix engineer Tom Dowd. In fact, there's a picture of it on page 12 of the January Live Sound magazine.
It was purchased by a rather decent studio here in Orlando called Phat Planet.
Clean and legible sound, a smooth blend of warm, but also kind of a cool blue sound.
If I where to compare it to a visual movie filter, then it would be whatever they used on the movie "The Forgotten" where everything is kind of a saturated blue color.
For Rock of most types on a expensive budget:
No hands down, anything Neve has to offer. Namely the pre's in the new 88R console they came out with. You can tell when something was mixed through a Neve pre.
It's got an "eager" sound. Like neve pres give the sound a sense of urgency and some bite. Also very smooth. Not as clean though, it's almost kind of smudged with this "hot mist". I would say it feels "Red and orange" to me. But it does a great job giving things "meat".
Like think of any movie with a demon-like filter on it, and that's probably the sound I'm trying to discribe.
I had a chance to sit on an SSL session, also a very specific sound. But I don't really dig the SSL sound. It just comes off very clean and sterlie to me. Maybe I just like things a little more saturated and misty when it comes to rock music.
On a cheaper budget, I would choose the Vintech 73i:
It's a spin off of the Neve 1073, but it does come rather close. A little more transparent and crunchy than any Neve I've heard, but it does well. It seems to give the mix a brighter sound, but also with a like sense of urgency.
I think on a cheaper budget, the Soundcraft Ghost console sounds pretty good. It sounds rather sterile to me, but the pre's in the ghost give percussive stuff almost this "bubble bounce" feel. It almost feels like plastic seran wrap. But it's a plesant sound, not too bad.
Then at the bottom of the list is the mackie XDR pre. I've actually gone back to this one recently and consider this to be an affair preamp (like if I was married to a Neve, I would cheat on it with a sleezy XDR pre, but I'll always love Neve).
It's a great preamp to have on the road or if I want to record stuff at home/ on site.
It does give this sort of dreamy aura to certain things, which is why it really caught my attention the first time I ever hear it. It was actually an accident:
About a year ago, I was recording a demo on my simple 002 rack (the pres in that thing are sterile, no mention worthy) and so I needed the extra 4 inputs for additonal drum tracks.
The guys had an ART TPSII tube pre that sounded like shit, a behringer MX2004 (or something like that) and a Mackie VLZpro 24 channel 8 buss.
I completely hated anything mackie had to offer at the time, so I tried both of the other pres. They didn't satisfy me at all, so I was like "alright, fuck it...lets try the mackie". As soon as the guy hit the tom for the first time, I was sold.
Weird experiences, man.
Edit:
To completely answer the question:
I would buy at least 8 channels worth of each of the preamps stated. Why? Because a good painter could use a few different brushes.
Last edited:
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PATRIOT2006
New member
I'm not sure what you mean by that? This is for a home studio for my personal enjoyment. Not a mega studio. I would just like to get something decent that won't be a piece of junk to go along with the new mics I am about to purchase. Peluso cemc6 or audio technica 4041. Not sure which ones to choose. If you don't want to offer any help please don't bother to respond. I 've met more of my share of "wonderful" people at Berklee College of Music back in the mid 70's. Just because they have more experience, knowledge and ability they think they are superior. Don't waste my time.Big Kenny said:
Thank you!
scrubs
Not of sound mind
I don't want to speak for kenny, but I would surmise that he is saying there may be better options at or around the same price point. Of the three you've listed, I haven't used any of them, but have heard some positives about the mp20. You should probably add the FMR RNP to your list as a solid 2-channel pre under $500.
kidvybes
New member
PATRIOT2006 said:
...I can tell you that the MP20 with Burr-Brown op-amp upgrades (free by sample request from TI) is a very clean and decent pre...maybe not a Neve or API, but very usable in a project/home studio...I have one for a few years now (with Jensen transformers as on the early versions) and it's probably one of the better values in the $200-300 (used) class...that's IMHO...and I do have Averill Neves and an Amek Neve 9098...
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PATRIOT2006
New member
Well if that is the case why didn't he just say that. Reading his post sounds sarcastic to me. Maybe if we were talking face to face it would come across differently. If there was no intent on sarcasm then I apologize to Kenny and everyone else on the forum for my response to his remark.scrubs said:
As far as the preamp options. I am purchasing from Sweetwater with a no interest or payments deal until 2007. This is one of the reasons I was looking at these preamps. I also want the Peluso cemc6 but they don't sell these and I have to pay for them now. Just trying to work with my budget. I would consider the sennheiser 914es available at Sweetwater but their a bit pricey.
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Big Kenny
New member
Sorry, not funny.
Rane ms1b is a very clean pre at this price point. I haven't used the presonus so my experience is from other presonus stuff (and that was not so good)
Tampa and Brick are pretty nice too
Rane ms1b is a very clean pre at this price point. I haven't used the presonus so my experience is from other presonus stuff (and that was not so good)
Tampa and Brick are pretty nice too
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PATRIOT2006
New member
Kenny my apologies for over reacting. I've been spinning in circles trying to pick out mics and a preamp. So many opinions out there.
scrubs
Not of sound mind
I'll second the brick. Love it.
kidvybes
New member
Big Kenny said:
...I also have the Brick and the MS1-B (which also has the Burr-Brown op-amps) and I would still pick the MP20 over either...actually, the MP20 falls somewhere between those two...more ballz than the Rane (while remaining very clean as well) but still cleaner than the Brick (especially when driven)...but I will say that all 3 are "keepers" especially when you consider the cost factors...I had an ART pre (the Tube Channel...sold it)...so you can't go wrong with anyone of these, but if you can find a clean MP20 (plenty show up on Ebay and go for $250-300.) and do the Burr-Brown upgrades (free & easy!) this 2 channel pre is a bang-for-the-buck winner...again, that's just IMHO...