WOWO Seb man

you animal , you never told us you were such a rocker hahaha

just funnin man

peace

Sanity

Gary,
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. I have been trying to find a RNP, to hear and/or review without having to purchase it first, for over a year now. They don't have a very extensive dealer network. In the case of the RNP, I want to hear it first as I am usually a bit skeptical when it comes to this type/level of product. I mean when you buy a Neve clone type pre, you pretty well know what to expect. But with a solid state "affordable" kind of pre, it is difficult at best to know what it really is.

The Sebatron (which I have reviewed) is a glorious mic pre. It is very warm and makes everything you run through it sound huge. It makes my U87 sound great. Usually the 87 is pretty smooth and a bit too vanilla for my taste, but as I said, it is killer through the vmp. I love it on my Martin D28! If you try the Sebatron vmp, I am sure won't be disappointed! Kurt Foster

Go for the Seb I say ,
not just because I am he .
...But because the RNP is much of the same species as the Mackie pre.

:w:

Originally posted by Sebatron:
Go for the Seb I say ,
not just because I am he .
...But because the RNP is much of the same species as the Mackie pre.

:w:

Can you elaborate a little bit more on this? What's your finding on how the RNP compares to Mackie pre-amps. Sound? Build?

Bowisc

Bowsic,

This was a totally impartial objective comment,…
Not meaning to put down the Mackie pre at all.

I have received several emails from RNP owners who are Mackie owners as well.
..who have gone on to buy Sebatron preamps.

Now , as you know the difference between the Seb pre and the RNP is quite wide…
..whereas , the Mackie and the RNP are relatively close….
Some claim the Mackie is warmer.
I could go on , but I really don’t want to cause a fuss or upset anyone….
Oh, what the hell ….
BOTH are excellent transparent preamps ,… but it’s the Mackie DESK summing amps and faders that really let the Mackie pre down….you’re better off taking the pre out direct or tapping from the insert point there.
Specs sometimes will say a lot , then sometimes don’t give shit.

Both spec up really close to each other ,…
Both have a bandwidth of at least 300 khz … I know the RNP is the greater one here. :d:

:w:

Hey Sebatron,

Here i am - hanging with the chimps - getting a little potassium........ and just noticed.... you haven't read your PM.......

And for me they actually blink.......

:p:

Rod

Originally posted by Sebatron:
Bowsic,

This was a totally impartial objective comment,…
Not meaning to put down the Mackie pre at all.

Seb... thanks for taking the plunge there. Don't inhale too much lead brothah.

You need to come to NYC, by the way.

Bowisc

the fmr rnp is better than the mackie level. i've had an rnp for almost a year now. i've got some different pres and i've had some nice ones come through such as the Millennia td-1 or the speck mic pre 5.0 or the great river mp-2nv or the a designs mp-2. it gets used as much as anything in my rack as i love it on acoustic guitar. it doesn't get used for much else around here as something else does what i need to do better such as the a designs mp-2 gets the call for most lead vocals. the most versatile pre i've used this past year has been the great river mp-2nv. kurt, if you want, then maybe we can work out a deal for you to send me your sebatron for a month and i can send you my fmr rnp. we'd both get to add a needed review.

steve
http://www.mojopie.com

Steve,
I wish we could do that but I am in the middle of an album project for clients and I need the vmp 4000. I will ask Chris if he has one for you to hear. I understand the frustration of wanting to get a stab at the vmp and there being no dealers in your area to go to and get one on trial. I have the same problem with the RNP. There are no dealers in Oregon and I have looked/ asked around ... and no one in town seems to have one I could try for even a day or two.

If you do reviews for a E Mag or site, I may be able to get Sebatron or Chris to send you one for an article. Send a PM to me if this is the case. Kurt

As I've said before, I wish Mark McQ would come across with these for more reviews. It's a good unit and worthy of consideration.

Here's a blurb by Steve Albini on the RNP:

At Electrical Audio, we are not really in the market for more mic preamps. We've got dozens -- all the regulars and a bunch of special items. It was a shock to come across the RNP and decide we needed them. The RNP is quick, clean and easy to use, and works well with a wide variety of microphones. The first unit we got was serial number 2, and apart from a slight blow to my ego (that we weren't important enough to get unit number 1), I can't think of anything not to like about the RNP.

best,
-steve albini
Electrical Audio
Chicago

ozraves ,
This is the kind of thing that I find so frustrating. I keep hearing all these comments, a lot of them from people like Albini (whose success is difficult to argue with) but I can find no way to hear what the hub bub is all about without shelling out $500. I just don’t need this type of pre amp. I already have 15 channels of quality front end.

I guess I have to accept the explanation that McQuilken has provided and stop being so suspicious. The truth is (and I freely admit it) it pisses me off that it is so hard to come by one of these and I would like to hear one first hand, so when I recommend it I don’t come under fire for suggesting something I have never heard (as has happened). But I seriously doubt that I would want to purchase one to keep, I just don’t go in for these accurate type pres. I like pres with attitude and color. I also don’t want to have to purchase one, to review it. I would then have to return it and I don’t feel that is ethical and I would still be out the shipping costs.

kurt--

you're preaching to the choir.

anyhow, this is seb's forum and i've hijacked it long enough. (((sorry about that, seb.)))

steve
http://www.mojopie.com

anyhow, this is seb's forum and i've hijacked it long enough. (((sorry about that, seb.)))

Steve!!!
You can hijack my Forum anytime you want man.
That applies to everyone. :tu:

All this mic pre talk though is getting a bit much now....

Geez , i wish i could take back some statements i had made .... some of them made in different states of minds than others.
For example , now i'm in New York State.
Know what i mean???

Lets face it , as i have mentioned before ,
there are a handful of variables to play with in mic pre design.
I like cats and dogs you know ,
I like fish and chips ,
I like a good scotch and coke ,...

I like the sound fast , but then sometimes i gotta slow it down.

That's a good mic and so is that one.
That's a good record and so is that one.
That's a good pre and so is that one.

...what colour's the box????

:w:

Originally posted by Sebatron:
...the RNP is much of the same species as the Mackie pre.

Have you tried an RNP?

Originally posted by jroberts:

Originally posted by Sebatron:
...the RNP is much of the same species as the Mackie pre.

Have you tried an RNP? Have you tried a Sebatron? I doubt it, if you had you wouldn't ask such a question. Why would someone who builds pres as good as the vmp want to use an areenpee?

JRoberts,
I just today received my Sebatron 2000e. I also have an RNP. I did comparisons between the Seb and the Universal Audio 2-610, but didn't throw the RNP into the tests because I felt it was better to compare tube pre to tube pre. The 2-610 has been my go-to pre for over a year, and my conclusions after comparing the Seb was that the Seb is more detailed across the entire spectrum. I thought the 2-610 had a little more character in the low end, but was, as I said, not as defined. Layering multiple tracks with the UA gets muddy faster. I haven't done any head-to-heads between the Seb and the RNP, but I will post my observations as they come in. I like both the RNP (clean, transparent) and the Seb (coloured yet defined). David

Originally posted by Kurt Foster:
Why would someone who builds pres as good as the vmp want to use an areenpee?

Why would somebody who has never tried a RNP say that it's about the same as a Mackie? It just sounds like Seb taking a cheap shot at a competitor. I think manufacturers who do that just demean themselves. It makes them look bad.

Originally posted by David Doc Herbert:
I like both the RNP (clean, transparent) and the Seb (coloured yet defined). David

Cool. I haven't tried the Seb or the RNP or the UA, but I'd like to. I just thought it was a little unfair of Seb to slam a competitors product like that, particularly when he probably hasn't even tried it. I'd like to try them both out though. It would be nice to find a dealer with both units in stock, but it sounds like that's not going to be likely when you're talking about two small boutique manufacturers like that. It'll probably be tought even to find one. Were you able to try either unit before buying?

I thought Seb cleared it pretty cool on the RNP thing after I "hijacked" his the thread. I think that was good form on his part. :p:

Originally posted by jroberts:

Originally posted by Kurt Foster:
Why would someone who builds pres as good as the vmp want to use an areenpee?

Why would somebody who has never tried a RNP say that it's about the same as a Mackie? It just sounds like Seb taking a cheap shot at a competitor. I think manufacturers who do that just demean themselves. It makes them look bad. JR,
On the contrary, you are the one making assumptions. You have no idea what Sebatron knows or doesn't know regarding the arenpee. I know for a fact that he is very aware of the design implimented as he and I have discussed this before. I caution you not to attempt to engage in a war of wits with Sebatron as you are essentially unarmed for such a conflict.

Well if my honesty in replying to the original question that was asked in the begining of this thread makes me look bad … then so be it.

JR , maybe you should re-read my words.
I did say the RNPee was an excellent transparent preamp ,
Did you overlook this?

I guess I did say it was PART OF THE SAME FAMILY AS THE MACKIE.
…but I stated my facts….specs…build…

If you take a Mackie pre and replace the gain pot with a high-quality stepped selector then add a few other features , none to do with sonics , but to do with ramping phantom etc. and then repackage it , ..you may see what I see.

Amongst the work I have done in the past:
Studio engineer , live and session musician , audio repair technician …
I also worked in one of the finest music stores in Melbourne selling audio and musical equipment…The Music Swap Shop.
This shop stocked mostly second hand equipment …
I used to hook up and demo equipment for clients , over and over ,.. for years.
I saw how preamps had evolved ,..old classic ones and newer consumer orientated ones designed for a quick and cheap assembly.The species has many variations that may not be completely obvious to the untrained eye.
It got to the point where I didn’t need to demo the stuff anymore , I could tell just by the build/circuit and power supply what the circuit would deliver and how it would sound.
Just like guitars you know …. some were heavier than others and some would have different pickups.The heavier ones had more sustain … the pickups were the window to the sound.
I could just pick up a guitar and feel its weight … then look at the pickups …. and KNOW how it would sound without trying it out.
I would say this aloud to the client before pluging it in , and sure enough it would be as I had described.
It became like every instrument or circuit had an aura I could read without trying it.

JR , you’re the one twisting my words brother.

I also mentioned that I had received many emails of users who own Mackie , RNP and have eventually bought VMP preamps.
My theories are supported through these users who have made their sonic observations known to me…

Does this make me a criminal? Does it make me look bad?

I’ll re-state it once again in case you’re a thickhead:
THE RNPee IS MUCH THE SAME FAMILY AS THE MACKIE PRE.
Therefore THE RNPee IS NOT OF THE SAME FAMILY AS THE CLASSIC NEVE or API or VMP or whatever.
…and it’s not priced the same….it’s a lot cheaper…..
…. and that’s a good thing.
A great transparent preamp designed for economy. :tu:

:w: