I've heard great things about The Brick and I always like it when a company makes a more affordable product while encorporating the core technology of a proven winner. An anology might be when Mic companies like Neumann and Rode started making large diaphragm and tube mics with out all the extra capsules, 10/20 db cuts and extra polar patterns. Many mics are used primarily in the cardioid pattern and getting a good mic without paying for all the extra stuff you may not need makes sense. I've never heard a Viper but again, it has a great reputation and the Brick is based on some of that technology and a great deal cheaper.

I have never used Seb gear but I do now own a pair of Bricks and I like them very much. Smoother and more detailed in my opinion than the Mackie Pre's in my 1402 VLZ I previously used.

gid ;;;it would be nice to have a 2 channel Sebatron to run say;; a stereo mix of toms or acostic giutar if you didn't need the 4 channel unit..The eq'& the pad switches are alot of fun and i use those switches all the time..I'd go for the 2000E

the_gid wrote: going by dollar prices I reckon I could afford the vmp2000e. or even thje vmp4000 - but i don't think i'd use all the channels!

The 4000e has advantages other than just having more simaltaneous channels.

One of the unique features of the Seb pres is that you can daisy-chain multiple channels together for more gain.. different colors etc....
With the 2000e, once you daisy chain the two channels you basically end up with a mono unit... but with the 4000e you still have 2 channels.

I can't comment on the sound of The Brick because I haven't heard it. But I can tell you that the Seb is FANTASTIC! And all up, the Seb is a much more versatile unit with it's pads, eq switches etc.

I can comment on the Bricks as I have a pair now. They are pretty nice all in all and are excellent for bass mic/di. I'm comparing to a Great River MP2NV and an A&H mix wizard. The Brick is HUGE sounding and really turns small and wimpy into big and beefy. Too colored for my taste for acoustic gtr. The MP2NV is still better (imo) for Elec, vocals, overheads etc. The Brick kills for bass, I'm keeping mine just for bass if nothing else. The brick is on the clean side, meaning don't expect tube saturation, distortion etc. I've never head the Sebatron stuff but I'd check other message boards and inquire on them before I bought one if I were you. Good luck. Also look at Universal Audio, Pendulum and on and on............

oh yeah, if you get the brick get a shure inline pad to go with it. It will help out in the end.

I've never head the Sebatron stuff ...

If you've never heard a Sebatron why would make a remark like;

.... but I'd check other message boards and inquire on them before I bought one if I were you.

:roll:
That doesn't seem very fair for you to comment on something you haven't heard. Some of those detractors on other message boards get their undies in a bunch every time someone says Sebatron ... Sebatron.

Those of us who have tried them, love them dearly ... you are not going to find a better tube pre. Different, maybe but not better. A lot of people have expressed a preference for Sebatrons over the UA pre ... saying the Sebs are cleaner and clearer sounding with much more headroom.

Try one, if you hate it Sebatron will refund your cash ... but no ever returns them :!:

A lot of people have expressed a preference for Sebatrons over the UA pre ... saying the Sebs are cleaner and clearer sounding with much more headroom.

i would probably agree with that. mine has great flexibility with color.

oh yeah, if you get the brick get a shure inline pad to go with it. It will help out in the end.

You would not even need that with the Sebatron.it has its own PAD !
If it's one thing i hate it's having to go buy some more pieces of accesory to make the chain right. that doesn't sound right .
less items in the signal chain the better.

The MP2NV is still better (imo) for Elec, vocals, overheads etc.

i would always have thought that, the MP2NV GR is a fantastic preamp for acoustic guitar and vocals.the brick better for bass/talkback.

cool, cheers kurt - all info has been duly noted!

I think its pretty bold to say there isn't a better tube pre than a sebatron. I mean aren't pre's in some ways like mics, everyone gets a different reaction/feeling from the sound of a pre/mic combo. I could understand what you're saying if you said that was your opinion but you didn't say that, you just said there were none better. And IMO its not bad to tell someone to check up on gear before buying yeah he could've worded it different but I think researching before you buy is pretty important. I've also seen you completely slam some pre's that many many pro's swear by. Best thing to do is buy from somewhere with a return policy, do research, then buy, try, and if it sucks return. I can say Kurt you have peaked my interest with Sebatron.

My understanding of Kurt's comment is that the quality of the Sebatrons is equal to any preamp. It's simply a matter of flavor and taste.
Really, once you get to that level of gear, to say any one is better than another is simply stating a personal opinion of how a particular unit works best for you. Just because Engineer X didn't get the sound he was after from Preamp Y, doesn't mean that preamp is a piece of crap.

the sound i'm after is, moody, deep- but well defined (modern day style) heavy punk - with some reggae/ska/and a touch of funk thrown in for good measure -

reckon the sebs will serve me well??

(i know this question is prubly kinda dumb to ask)

I think the Seb would be perfect.

if you could get a brick and a 2000e or 4000e, you will never look back, i didnt.