"I just blew my wad on the Neumanns"

That's an expensive thrill. Gross isn't it?

Of course, the other option is to live with the 002 for a few months and save for something really worth it...

Greener wrote: "I just blew my wad on the Neumanns"

That's an expensive thrill. Gross isn't it?

I shed a single tear when the bank teller counted the hundreds.

Gotta love craigslist, though - $3k for the pair. Mint.

Stop it with the body fluids. I get it, the mics are nice.

What kind of conceivable budget do you have for pres?

Like, can you save for a few months extra and get something drool worthy or do you need to get something slightly slick now?

For one thing, dropping 3k on mics then feeding them into ten bucks worth of electronics is decadence.

Greener wrote: Stop it with the body fluids. I get it, the mics are nice.

What kind of conceivable budget do you have for pres?

Like, can you save for a few months extra and get something drool worthy or do you need to get something slightly slick now?

For one thing, dropping 3k on mics then feeding them into ten bucks worth of electronics is decadence.

That's exactly my thought. After researching and talking with some former colleagues I think the best thing to do is "suffer through" some months with the 002 pres and save some cash for a tube pre/compressor like a UA LA-610 (or a pr of them for that matter). I think I need to take some time to see how everything sounds on the stock pres before I jump at something.

I could probably save and throw $2-3k at it in a few months. Probably the best idea...

http://recording.org/modules.php?name=Shopping_Cart&file=product&c_op=viewprod&prodID=69

"Incredible transparency..."

Meh, got nothing.

As long as you operate under the assumption that you can very easily overload the preamps in your 002, and you use this as your absolute limit in your gain staging, and you get to know the sweet spots in the pattern of those mics and adhere to it closely, you'll make great sounding recordings.

You could go with the RNP and be very very happy with it until something else comes along. They're fairly transparent and the soundfield through that circuit will be a bit clearer and more defined than the 002 pres.

Thye LA 610 is anything but transparent. If you're going to save up then look into the likes of the John Hardy stuff or George Massenburg. Sytec is another decent unit that doesnt add much to the noise.

Davedog wrote: As long as you operate under the assumption that you can very easily overload the preamps in your 002, and you use this as your absolute limit in your gain staging, and you get to know the sweet spots in the pattern of those mics and adhere to it closely, you'll make great sounding recordings.

You could go with the RNP and be very very happy with it until something else comes along. They're fairly transparent and the soundfield through that circuit will be a bit clearer and more defined than the 002 pres.

Thye LA 610 is anything but transparent. If you're going to save up then look into the likes of the John Hardy stuff or George Massenburg. Sytec is another decent unit that doesnt add much to the noise.

What are your thoughts on Manley gear? I've been looking at the dual mono pre as an option.

You cannot go wrong with that choice with those U87's. Period.

That piece is a cornerstone piece in any studios' arsenal.

I would also consider the Focusrite Red, the True Systems Analog P2, or a real sleeper like the ADK AP-2.