The Brick is a great preamp. I own it, and love the hell out of it. According to the pros in this community....it's the real thing just like all of the other big named preamps out there.

Now to compare a one channel brick to the 2-channel Seb is tough. I haven't used the Seb, but I know that you can run the 2 channels in series (one into the other) for an added tube saturation and colour. I think that is a pretty damn cool thing alone. Also, the Seb has a few more gizmos to play with on it. The Brick is very straightfoward in operation....you plug in the mic and turn up the gain.

No matter which way you go.....you'll be buying a great preamp that has a place in your setup no matter how much upgrading you do. That being said, I'd probably get the Brick (to save cash) and put the additional $600 out of your $1000 budget into acoustically treating your recording room or a nice vocal mic...even both!

About the Brick...

Is there not an insert I/O on it?
Many of the Pres I've seen lately have got one, and was just wondering how any of you guys would link the signal chain so there can be some mild compression on the front-end.

My new upgraded chain (before buying he Brick) is:
Rode K2--->K2 Power Supply--->JoeMeek 3Q (Insert I/O to FMR RNC 1773)--->M-Audio MobilePre USB.

If I were to upgrade to a Brick, how would I do the compression?

Thanks,
Brad Venable
Voice For Hire, LLC

"If I were to upgrade to a Brick, how would I do the compression? "

Brick -> Compressor -> wherever...in series.

Don't know about the Sebatron, but I've heard and seen the Groove Tubes stuff inside out and it's really straightforward, no compromise and powerfull.
Cheers ! :)

Would anyone please confirm that there is no Insert I/O on the Brick, please?

I know how to hook up a signal chain without one, I just need to know that, having never seen one up-close-and-personal.

Thanks,
Brad

There's no insert on "The Brick" ... it doesn't need one. There's also no inserts on the Sebatrons except for the THORAX.

If all there is to a mic pre is the amp stage with no output trim, like on "The Brick" and the ~Sebatron~ vmp series ... then there is usually no insert. With pres like the ~Sebatron~ THORAX, where you have the pre amp stage as well as an output stage, then you will usually see an insert point between the two.

When there's no insert point provided, simply come out of the pre and go into the comp and then to the recorder or eq or whatever's next.

Thanks, Kurt...I really appreciate telling me that.

I really didn't want to have to go from XLR to TRS and then TRS to XLR if I'm going:
Brick--->RNC--->mobilePre USB

But I guess I have no choice, do I?

Regards,
Brad Venable

where did you find a 2000e for under 1000 dollars?

you need to bargain with good people to get a good price Frob!!

frob wrote: where did you find a 2000e for under 1000 dollars?

I know where. email me if you're interested.

wrs169 @ hotmail.com

Is Sebatron VMP2000 DI good quality for Mastering? How's the sounds like?Grit?Punch?Warm?Good for Rap Vocal?Drums?
Thanks for help

Alyi wrote: Is Sebatron VMP2000 for Mastering?

Not really. Pre-amps are different than mastering devices. Some guys claim to master without mastering equipment. But I say "you can't record with mastering gear, what would make me believe that the opposite would be true"?
You don't say "I'm going fishing. But I'm gonna catch 'em with my frying pan, and a fork". First you have to catch the fish with a different tool (a hook & a fishing rod). You don't come home with the fish and cook it over the stove with a fishing rod. You have different tools to cook his ass with.
I know that there are guys who "master" (that's what they call it) without "mastering gear" but, mastering gear is alot more exp. than most gear, and to say you are mastering without mastering gear is the only truth to the whole subject.
-------------------------------------------------
And for those who use pro audio gear for mastering, next time you go fishing just dunk your head under water and when you come up with a fish yell,
Goo-nee GooGoo

Operadragon wrote: Thanks, Kurt...I really appreciate telling me that.

I really didn't want to have to go from XLR to TRS and then TRS to XLR if I'm going:
Brick--->RNC--->mobilePre USB

But I guess I have no choice, do I?

Regards,
Brad Venable

It would be no difference in quality really as the signal will be balanced through the whole chain. Just make sure you end up in in a balanced line-in and not a mic-in.

I need make decision now.Just want to know is Sebatron VMP2000 DI ,MIC have "Record" quality for Vocal, Synth Drum, bass, Piano....when I recordin to my Computer? or Groove Tube Brick also have "Record" Quality for recrdin but no EQ. I know it's can't compare with Avalon stuff . I hope can release like the Independent Lable Quality not the Major Lable and I can't compare the sound, cuz I can't test those preamp in my country.So I need help

Alyi wrote: I need make decision now.Just want to know is Sebatron VMP2000 DI ,MIC have "Record" quality for Vocal, Synth Drum, bass, Piano....when I recordin to my Computer? or Groove Tube Brick also have "Record" Quality for recrdin but no EQ. I know it's can't compare with Avalon stuff . I hope can release like the Independent Lable Quality not the Major Lable and I can't compare the sound, cuz I can't test those preamp in my country.So I need help

Both are considered pro preamps, but the Brick is cheaper and the Sebatron has more options.
The Brick is on the clean side of valve-preamps. It has no output controll, only gain, so it will be hard to saturate much without cliping your A/D inputs.

It seems to me like you might need a stereo preamp, so you have to decide whether two Bricks are better than one VMP2000.

Hello

Well i'm using both (VMP4000e & the Brick)

Both are really good stuff but i say :

-Seb are really good for Instruments,samplers, Drums (kickDr are really good with the Seb). The EQ from the Sebatron isreally great

-The brick, i really love it for vocals, just plug My ADK A48 thru the brick+RNC
sounds amazing.

so just choose what you need.

PS also with the Sebatron you can tweak a lot more than the Brick so sometimes it could be really usefull (EQ hmmmm)

Is the Brick really that good that it rivals the mighty Sebatrons? :shock:
Please, anyone else with both chime in.
If it's true, I got to get one.

Yeah I wanna know more about the sebatron.Is it good for recordin a album quality? Mr. Kurt Foster.Could you tell what the sound "Color" of the Sebatron? Is it can compare with Avalon 737?
Thanks

Well i say no if you really want to compare !!!
Why? because you can have much more with the Seb (EQ and tweaking) than the Brick and both sound good and hot.

And Alyi : yes it's a good quality album sounding !!!, we've record all our album with it and and we've got good feedback about the sound.