My suggestion is to save your money. For a Neve like sound on the cheap, you might research the Vintech dual 1272 or single x73i, Brent Averill single 1272, or Great River ME-1NV.

My local HY-END -DEEL'R is now a Vintech dealer.Hes got an x73 and an x81 right now so I'm gonna have to demo these units to see whut all the fuss is about....Gaff, you know these two items? When he told me the x73 comes in at around $1300 it certainly got my attention. Both of them seem to have EQ.

Neve like clones ... yummy!

Thank you all, really,
but I was trying to get another type of input and I posted a new topic hoping for more luck.
I was more interested in the combination of mic AND mic pre, probably based on impedance matching between the two pieces.

Impedence typically isn't nearly the issue with condenser microphones as it is with dynamic and ribbon microphones...especially with tube microphones, which not only have the preamp circuitry to buffer the capsule from the mic amp but also a power supply.

As for the "the" ideal combination, I don't believe that it exists. It's as much subjective as anything else.

-Duardo

Cool,I am getting there.
But don't different pre amps work better with different loads?
couldn't a subtle difference make any difference?
what about transformerless mic? :confused:
Thank you Duardo

Sure, you may still notice a subtle difference depending on the microphone and preamp...but not nearly the difference you would with dynamic or ribbon microphones. I have a couple different preamps with variable impedence and have never found the difference with condenser microphones to be enough to bother, while it makes a considerable difference with dynamics and ribbons.

But sure, I definitely agree that the subtle differences can be important. My main vocal preamp does not have variable impedence, so I may not have listened to the differences as I would have otherwise...

-Duardo

Thank you very much Duardo.
I have never tried a variable impedance pre but the concept makes a lot of sense to me. however if you tell me that you do not notice much difference when you used them with tube mics.... that is pretty much all I wanted to know.
Now you really changed my position:
I was thinking about variable inpedance for my tube mics but in the end I have way more dynamic mics than tubes and if you tell me that dynamics really take advantage of a vipre kind of thing well....
what pre you have?
if I can ask.

thanks again
cheers

Gaff, you know these two items?

Ya, I have a pair of the x81's that I love dearly and use often. The x73 is a 1073 clone. The x81 has the 1073 mic pre with the eq from 1081 (4-band) run in class-A (The original 1081 was of Class-AB design)

As of last AES, there is the new x73i which has less handwiring, doesn't use the concentric pots, (has seperate pots for freq and gain) but also has more eq freq choices than on the x73 allowing an even cheaper price.

Da Dog gonna luv dem mere dan the corner fire hydrant...

In general I have found that only two impeadance selections seem to be needed or make the most difference, And that is 300 or 1200. Many of the orignal Neve modules had a switch to select between these two and a few other mic pres that had those two and more to choose from, it was those two that made the most difference. But as Steve says, it really isn't a big deal anymore these days if your using a modern mic, with a newer, decent mic pre to begin with. Your better off trying to match your mic and preamp based on the sound/tone character that has more of a difference

I was thinking about variable inpedance for my tube mics but in the end I have way more dynamic mics than tubes and if you tell me that dynamics really take advantage of a vipre kind of thing well....
what pre you have?
if I can ask.

Sure you can ask. The variable impedence preamps I have are a Focusrite ISA428 and an M-Audio Tampa. I have used the Vipre as well, and that's one amazing preamp. I wouldn't mind owning one some day...it's also got the variable rise time settings, which can make more of an audible differences with condenser microphones. Nice if you want to take a little "edge" off of things.

-Duardo

variable rise, what is it?
See my problem is that I am going to buy mics and pre (is a huge problem that makes me so happy you can't belive) I am going to get an AKG C60 for sure and than I am considering a AKC C12a (by the way what you guys know about this one)and a Neumann 582h.
I guess at this point,since they're all tube mics, the mic pre impedance doen't really matter, does it?
however would you point any mic pre for me?
do you know anything about Pndulum ?
this site is precious and fun, thank you.

The mic pre impedance doesn't matter except that the mic will sound very different when connected to various impedences. especially if you choose a mic pre with an impedance that is relatively low (i.e. less than 5k ohms).

Steve