Mic preamp Wish List So Im going to start gearing up in the next few years and with some good mic pres. I havent researched these as much as I have mics probably cause they arent as sexy to look at. What I have used lately is the octopre with all the goodies on it which I love. Ive also used the ISA 428 which was good but seemed noisy if I remember right. What are some your favorite mic pres and what have you used them on. I am probably going to by rack units but am open to a console if it would make sense. Lets make money no object since I want the best{but they dont have to be expensive}.
There is a lot of discussion of this in the archives, of course. In particular, there are a couple of good threads about 500 series units that you would probably be interested in.
My standard recommendation is the API 3124+. Four great channels at a good price. Sounds excellent on just about everything. I really need to get another one so I have eight channels of 312 for drums. I'd start with that as a "foundation" preamp and add others from there.
Buzz Audio,CraneSong,1073,API- those are on my list.
Never heard of Buzz looked it up and they seem nice. Whats your attraction to them? Which 1073 is it the BA?
Would you like a bottle of red? A bottle of white? Or perhaps a bottle of Rose' instead? In other words, do you want a classic & colored sounding preamp? An inexpensive neutral sounding Mackie type. Or perhaps a state-of-the-art Georgia Massenburg GML or, Millennia like device? I personally don't like those modern thingies. I am all fully colored with discrete Neve & API with a couple of ol' tube jobs with cobwebs on them. They're all in the $500 US each or somewhere there about per channel. Like Bob said, API 3124 or just 4 old API 312 cards for a DIY project. With those, you'll definitely appreciate the SM 57/58 microphones for just about everything.
Altschuler
Mx. Remy Ann David
AMS Neve 1073 DPD
The Buzz unit I tired is very transparent. But its not clincal..... Hard to discribe just go borrow one...
I am going to be a full color kind of guy I think with maybe some clean focusright stuff on the side. I really like their transparency. API is good stuff im hearing. That is one that i have never heard up close and personal. I have worked on a neve vr console and have also used the Brent Avrill 1073 pres but it was so long ago i dont remember the characteristics. How do they compare to the AMS stuff. I remember using a shotgun mic and cranking one of those neve vr pres in that board and being able to hear conversations 2 rooms away.
Psalm 102:18
Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord.
Get a few api's and a few neve's and you're good.
Or if you go for the 500 series: 512's and ma5's
8)
DW Fearn would be on my short list for rock n roll pre's.
http://www.dwfearn.com/
API and Neve as well.
For less color: True, Millennia, Grace.
If your budget falls through, the Mackie 800R or RME OctaMic II are very nice sets in the next classroom down the hall.
John Dutton
Computers and DAW Pro Audio Forums Moderator
Pro Horn player & Piano Technician
Kranking out Kopprasch since 1977
Der Teufelshund
How does the Univeral Audio 610 solo compare to the API lunchbox preamps?
It seems like the 610 would be the best overall preamp for the money if you could only afford one really good standalone channel preamp. I have never used it but read good things about it. Especially since it can be used as an instrument DI also. And having a tube would be nice also.
Does anybody have experience with both of these that can tell me how they compare? (Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, maybe snare drum, etc.)
Posting Permissions
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks