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fibes 1 August 2002

I own an Allen & Heath Mixwizard (16 channel). I use this exclusively for drums. I would like to upgrade one of the preamps for the kick drum. I would first like to know what will an upgrade do for the sound? And how much do I need to spend for the upgrade to be worthwhile? Please give makes and models with prices. Thanks.

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RecorderMan Fri, 08/02/2002 - 07:47

Originally posted by fibes:
I own an Allen & Heath Mixwizard (16 channel). I use this exclusively for drums. I would like to upgrade one of the preamps for the kick drum. I would first like to know what will an upgrade do for the sound? And how much do I need to spend for the upgrade to be worthwhile? Please give makes and models with prices. Thanks.

My first recommendation is a Neve....1081 would be the absolute best...there are other Pre Amps (1073 being class A , while the 1081 series are Class A/B) where the PreAmp it self are a little fatter, but you usually (even with great mic placement) need to suck out some mids...so that's where the 1081 reccomendation comes in...Great Pre AND Great EQ with the right frequencies and shapes to get AWESOME kick sounds.
Now that's my first and best recomendation. It's not cheap though...1081's are expensive ...a company called SHEP makes a reissue, and then of course there's the reissue that AMS/Neve is making...I think between $3K & $4K per channel (just guessing that #)

Let's get some other recommendations, and then I'll help fill the holes (if there are any).
:cool:

RecorderMan Fri, 08/02/2002 - 09:48

Originally posted by Bob Mould:
maybe vintechs x81(1081) or x73(1073), supposed to be very good an sells for around $2k.
http://www.vintech-audio.com

/mike

Great Info Bob....didn't know that they were doing a 1081 knock-off. What with there (Vintech) approach (making it a class A rather than a Class A/B design) would make me give this a serious look. (Wish I had a couple.....)
:w:

anonymous Fri, 08/02/2002 - 13:17

Ditto... Shep RM!!

I have a rack of 6 and use them nearly every day, and thios is in conjucntion with the Neve 8024 wher i work and they just so right evencompared tot he real 1073's that fill out the console.

The extra EQ points atruely a godsend. They are at all the right frequencies like RM said. They are all original circuitry, switches, pots and original NOS Marinaire transformers..

They have a stack of headroom to burn and sound so damn good i use them for most thing over the 1073's.

but when Neves are not an option deinfately try API's... cos IMHO the API preamps have far better bottom end response for kick, snr and bass instrumnets. They are very punchy and fat, which in comparison tot he neves are more up front and agressive and driven sounding. On one of fave's is to hire ina lunchbox or a 3124 4 ch preamp rack for drums and put kick close (d112) and Kik far (FET 47) thru this and have km-84 and sm-57 taped together going throught the other 2 channels.... whata smacking combo.. then insert some shep eqs for furhter tone shaping and put ya feet up cos when it comes to mixing the tones are alreadyt here!

ALso chekc out he CLM dynamics db8000's 8ch premap system its very good sounding on a budget and has digital outpus as well as being one the most flexible 8ch units around on the market with 32 outptus and 8 di's as well

Pls keep us posted on your findings..

Cos we are all gear nuts here!

PEACE
Wiggy

RecorderMan Mon, 08/05/2002 - 08:28

Originally posted by wiggy neve freak:
Hey Henchman...

Ditto Ward becks... the undevalued premaps of the century.. along with Calrecs!!

Hmm...I agree. I own apair of Calrec1061's.

Brent Averill explained it to me like this. In the early '70's the BBC defined standards as to EQ points/curves,ect. And Neve, Calrec and Audix then built and designed fro the BBC. They use alot of the same parts, ect. Therefore they're (Calrec, Audix) ALOT like neve's. Enough , in fact, that if you find a pair they're worth the savings of not having the Neve name attached,

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