Sebatron VMPs are fairly transparent with the pads engaged. I have done numerous choral recordings with mine and the results have been quite good (IMHO).

Try this one:
http://www.cheap-tracks.com/mp3/cheap-tracks_uui_12-19-04_sample2.mp3

Primary mics on this one was a pair of NT5s into a VMP4. The soloist's mic was an Oktava MK319, also into the VMP.

I agree with Zemlin.
Using one channel is pretty transparant. Linking channels provides some colour (little distortion).
The Sebatron is an very good pre-amp imho.
Gomp

thanks a lot for your comments and thanks also for your example, zemlin! great sound...

I agree with Zemlin, although I don't do choral recordings.

The Sebatron is an interesting design. The pads are useful for more than what we are mostly used to pads doing. They effect the amount of phatness to the preamp. Using it wide open the preamp is really huge sounding. Switching to -15 db cleans it up nicely, but it is still a nice round sound....no harshness at all. At -30 db it is really clean but you may have to run the gain all the way up and/or daisy chain two channels.

There's where things get really interesting. You can do quite a lot with these preamps.

I don't know anyone who [urchased one who didn't really like it.....or love it. Very good preamps from a great company with extremely great customer service.

Primary mics on this one was a pair of NT5s into a VMP4. The soloist's mic was an Oktava MK319, also into the VMP.

That is a good balance you have there.Was there any EQ switched in on the sebatron VMP?
Was the 'air' switched in?

Thanks - that was a long time ago, and I didn't take notes. I have no idea how things were setup.