Skip to main content

Looking to upgrade over the Digi 002R pre's. Budget $1,500. I primarily record electric guitar, bass, vocals. My only condenser mic is an AT3035 which is decent but nothing fancy. The unit i decide to get must have a good instrument pre in it.
After research these are the pres i found suitable. If anyone has any experience with these, please let me know what you think:

1.) UA LA-610
2.) Avalon M5
3.) Groove Tubes Supre (new unit, so i don't think many have heard this unit).
4.) Vintech X73i or Vintech 1272

I put the La-610 on top of the list, because i've heard the 2-610 on a bass track and a female vocal and it rocked, also it has all the features i want, plus a compressor which from what i've read is really good.
On the other hand with my budget do you think that getting a more expensive single mic preamp/DI and then an FMR RNLA to partner with would be a better choice? any ideas, recommendations and personal experiences are most welcome.

Topic Tags

Comments

saemskin Thu, 05/11/2006 - 17:35

like he said ^^^ all those are great pre's. The only thing I can add is that an audio sales rep told me the Supre is basically 2 bricks with sexy meters.
I was wound up about a "new" affordable Groove Tubes product. Everyone must admit just looking at the Glory Comp & Vipre as a front end makes you chub up. Well it not being a new circuit design pretty much grounded me. I'll guarantee its still a great sounding tube preamp and would probably sound alot like the LA-610. Whereas the Vintech (being a Neve clone) probably matches well with the 'clean' Avalon sound.

Personally I dont see the point in a tube unit that doenst get dirty. Go solid state at that point.

dementedchord Thu, 05/11/2006 - 23:32

imo

i'ld personally think about deviding it up with a better mic...if you like the at's which i do for the dough ya might think about a 4047/4050 or if you can swing it an akg 414 would help those vocals alot but sacrifice the grooviness of the better pre.....but ya gotta be comfortable personally with the decision... bob

AudioGaff Thu, 05/18/2006 - 08:37

Both the 414 and 4047 are good mics. I own one of each. But if you only need or want one good mic, I think one of the best values and a less expensive way to get many types of mics in one, is to get something like the Lawson with optional capsule heads. Or an AKG 451 with the optional RED lollipop capsules. Either would then get you the same basic flavors of some great old mics like the ELAM251, U47, C12 and others.