Jus my 2c but...the M-audio Tampa is a pretty good pre for the bucks. Nice clean compressor as well. They go for 350.00 to 500.00 depending on where you find em. I use them (I bought two) on vox and bass mainly, but have used them on about everything at one time or another. Like I said...jus my 2c, and a little food for thought. Peace...kel

I've been using a Universal Audio 2-610 lately, and it sounds just awesome.

I second the 2-610! One of the creamiest and delightful newer pres out there, no qestion.

I thought when it first came out that it was going to explode on the market, but there are a few who know the depth of this unit! For one, it is extremly versital. It has XLR line ins and on board EQ. For under $2,000.00, with total profesional results, ya can't beat it.

Highly recomended by Mad John! :tu:

I also do like my M-610 for my vocal chores. though for doing hiphop/spoken word I'm really loving my Cactus-Grace 201-Manley Elop combo, the grace has no color and a very extended frequency range, the Elop warm but clean, helps add a little bit of warmth and round those transients, and the cactus is a creamy low mid, warm big and present sounding mic so I don't need to much color.

The best preamp i've ever used for vocals is the Neumann's version of the rca ba71 i was shocked it had no competition from my neves avalons ua's and the original rca ,this mic pre is pure magic

Tan Tan ,whats the model number on that preamp and the price?

bump

To be frank I don't have a favourite. I often use a bog-standard transistor desk channel pre (Alan & Heath) because the other items in the chain have a much greater impact on the overall result. So long as you got gain without distortion and noise, then the transducer (mic) at the front of the chain is far more inportant than what follows it, (I've played with nearly every pre-amp that exists including at least a half dozen or so I designed and built to my own specs).
I'll share with you a rule of thumb that I learnt from some BBC engineers around 40 years ago, (yes doesn't time fly), and I discovered later when I got some money behind me that never a truer word had been spoken in jest. The more expensive and higher quality the microphones the less of an impact and less important the pre-amp becomes. Then I ended up talking to B&K mics in the 80's(now DPA), took out a mini mortgage and made the purchasing plunge. That's when I realized how right those BBC engineers were.
I'll share another little but true story. I once had a part-time job working at a Studio in East London during college vacation. The main engineer was always experimenting and we ended up working on a song for the B side to an A side single that had been wrapped up. This guy was a real engineer and used to roll his own and had built an impedance converter to allow some of the studio mics go through some of the guitar amps and then took the feed from the guitar amps into the desk return. The vocals sounded different to say the least but the sound of the vocals really added some magical sheen to the overall mix. I would never have dreamed it possible.
Both the A and B side went vinyl, got released and sold over a million copies in Europe.
(PS. the guy still owes me a meal for the work I did on that).

GT Vipre - you can't go wrong with it.

depends on the artist/song style but the API 212's seem to work quite well. The 737 is also a good pre for getting at least a "good" sound on just about anyone. I don't really have a go to pre though..I like to match a pre to an artist/song.

I would not go for a 737 it's a nice pre with almost unusable compressor (with the exception of woodwinds) ,the eq on this unit is the best part of it , its a smooth warm bright and flexible tool that will be good for almost everything ,the main 737 problem with vocals is the vocal don't cut throuh a mix like the descrete transistor models (api,neve,great river,ua,quad eight,rca,Neumann...)does.

Fruition2k wrote: Heres a few of my Redd 47, first batch John made.
So much to discuss, I think John will post all of it soon on his own web page. Its under construction now but will be johnhinsonaudio.com.
Abbey Road is currently having John recreate serveral REDD peices for them. I must say he's a great guy and my future plan is to buy a 2 channel unit, w/line - mic switch and hi-z input. This one doesnt have the hi-z option, wanted the purest path possible. Pictures arent the clearest..sorry..
-enjoy-

photobucket.com
Link removed
http://img17.photobucket.com/albums/v51/redd47/Redd_47_b.jpg

hey dean. If you have a chance, could you comment more on the sonic characteristics of the pre, mainly its response to being opened up/pushed hard... Does it get "hotter" as it is pushed harder...ala tele v series? I am torn between purchasing this unit and a new v78.
From your verbal description, the preamp sounds more clean, accurately graceful and musical than it is "tube colorful"...
As a young musician/engineer who is looking for something with a lot of "color", (and also one who thinks the abbey road recordings have never been topped) I am wondering if a lot of the color I love on the abbey road records is coming more from the u47, studer j37 and fairchild comps/telefunken eqs, none of which I can afford...This may be an impossible question, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Tonystl,
I wouldnt say it has tube color at all, its just huge sounding, and very dimensional. The very first thing I noticed was the high end silk...open and wonderful, up until then I used a pair of Dakings which I just recently sold after 7 years of little use.
I wouldnt say it has a definable "tube sound", hard to describe
...I recently found a song which was a quick demo I made the first week I had it maybe I can email you an MP3.
Its 8 tracks acoutic and electric GTRs, Bass, vocals, DR660 - tempo track. Just through an O1V with very little eq.
Thats what changed the most, it totally changed my approach to needing eq. Turn it on set your levels do a vocal track and there it is without anything else needed!

Let me know if you want the MP3...its easier than words.

Cheers...

Dean

My favorite mic pre for vocals is the one that best fits the mic and the vocalist that I am working with at that moment in time. It could be anything from the list I have to choose from or that I have access to.

More times than not, it tends to be narrowed down to the ViPre, Focusrite Red-7, Vintech x81, API 512, Neve 1272 or Neotek MicMax.

Probaby the GT Vipre or the Avalon AD-2022. I have been going with the Vipre a little more recently, especially since I've been doing some rock stuff. I know it has sure saved me when I've had some weak sounding vocalists.

everett wrote: To be frank I don't have a favourite. I often use a bog-standard transistor desk channel pre (Alan & Heath) because the other items in the chain have a much greater impact on the overall result. So long as you got gain without distortion and noise, then the transducer (mic) at the front of the chain is far more inportant than what follows it, (I've played with nearly every pre-amp that exists including at least a half dozen or so I designed and built to my own specs).
I'll share with you a rule of thumb that I learnt from some BBC engineers around 40 years ago, (yes doesn't time fly), and I discovered later when I got some money behind me that never a truer word had been spoken in jest. The more expensive and higher quality the microphones the less of an impact and less important the pre-amp becomes. Then I ended up talking to B&K mics in the 80's(now DPA), took out a mini mortgage and made the purchasing plunge. That's when I realized how right those BBC engineers were.
I'll share another little but true story. I once had a part-time job working at a Studio in East London during college vacation. The main engineer was always experimenting and we ended up working on a song for the B side to an A side single that had been wrapped up. This guy was a real engineer and used to roll his own and had built an impedance converter to allow some of the studio mics go through some of the guitar amps and then took the feed from the guitar amps into the desk return. The vocals sounded different to say the least but the sound of the vocals really added some magical sheen to the overall mix. I would never have dreamed it possible.
Both the A and B side went vinyl, got released and sold over a million copies in Europe.
(PS. the guy still owes me a meal for the work I did on that).

Great Stuff Everett!

Daking micpre IV

Pendulum quartet

My goto is my Quartet. Its huge and warm, and flexible. The compressor is the perfect blend of invisible and euphonic - it never gets in the way. I have yet to try the transformerless path - but based on some posts I'vee seen here, it might work well with some of my nicer transformerless mics like the THE. hmmmm - I think I just talked myself into trying that right now now - so excuse me for a moment....

nak,

What kind of stuff are you using the Daking on? I saw some studios in Nashville w/ some and I've been thinking about trying them out.

Transformerless pendulum

ok, that doesn't work. No way to supply phantom. That's why the manual specifies tube mics - I guess.