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Looking to expand the studio...

What flavor of mic preamps are best suited for the following:

The big, upfront, not bright but extremely clear vocal that cuts through and sits on top?

Giant guitars with all the fatness and sparkle anyone could want that somehow dominate the mix and yet get out of the way of the vocals?

Drums with so much punch it feels like the drummer is attacking you and overheads that capture all the subtleness of brushes and sparkle from the cymbals while sounding silky and smooth?

I realize that the room, mics, and recording techniques play into all these things, but in my experience mic preamps can push you in the right direction.

Money is not much of an issue.

Any thoughts? By flavor I mean along the lines of Telefunken, API, Neve, Avalon, Manley, Focusrite, Millennia, etc.

I'm wide open for any suggestion. I'll try almost anything once.

Comments

McCheese Mon, 04/18/2005 - 11:29

From what you're describing, I would say for pre's: Drums - API, Guitars - Neve, the Vocals depend too much on the characteristics of the voice, but I think a lot of what you're hearing also comes from compression, especially that "cut through and sit on top" sound. For compressors I just can't live without an 1176 and LA-2A. A distressor is also nice.