bump

I would opt for the Langevin DVC. It will have better resale value and IMO sound waaaaaay better.. the limiter in the Langevin will be very similar to the LA3a type elop.. which is the solid state version of the venerible LA2a.. The Manley / Langevin moniker will add respectability to your gear list.. For me it's a no brainer.

The ART PRO VLA is a nice clean optical compressor.Its not really all about slamming and pumping but more of a nice shiny upper limit.I use mine across the bus on drums....not heavy rock and roll but rather a pseudo-bluegrass...it works great for this.I never track with it...but then I dont track any compression but instead rely on simple things like mike placement and good sounding source material.As for a comparison to Manley/Langevin, this unit is in another realm from these.Its not designed to do what the Manley/Langevin's can do and it doesnt.

It does a good job on acoustic instruments.For the money it is a bargain.It is a crap load better than all the other ART pieces combined.I'm talking the Pro series...VLA, MPA,ProChannel....the rest is at beat, only a bit above the semi pro gear you find at Git-Target and other fine retailers.If your a DIYer the Pro series stuff is readily upgradeable.Be sure you know what yer doing.The web has much info on this.

Thanks Kurt & Davedog.

How do the pres in the Langevin stack up with Great River, Hardy, or Spek?
The Langevin sounds like it would be a nice unit... with the el op for tracking vocals, guitar, bass, but not really drums.

Davedog,
I like to track the drums with no comp also, then use Waves Ren comp or Vintage Warmer later. Blues...the real old style, Country, Rock.

Thanks also Kurt for steering me to the Studio Projects C4's they blow the old C1000's away!

mmmm-kay,
The Great River MP2NV is my current favorite mic pre.. The Langevin is close to it in terms of quality but in a different way. It's not an apples to apples comparison. But there is not one piece of gear that Manley makes that is not the best it can be.. so it is very difficult to get hurt buying their stuff.

The Langevin design is an old one ... many of the DIYers here at RO build these..

Glad you like the Studio Projects C4s .... I do too. I often use them instead of my vintage ORTF / AKG 451's ...

Wondering what the general opinion is on the ART Pro VLA.

The general opinion or ART by most Pro's is that it is cheap crap. The Pro VLA seems to be a rouge in the product line as it gets some respect. I have not heard or used it but others like DaDog has said above, who is no sloutch in knowing what is good or not, likes it so it must have some value. I'm a gear snob so I still wouldn't own one. The ART mic pre would indeed be similar to the Meek but worse. The Meek is at least useable and capable of good sound but hardly in the great catagory.

I spent about 5-years owning and using the Langevin/Manley dual mic pre (before the DVC was born) and liked it a lot. It is a cleaner and faster preamp than the Neve types. It is a little shy on headroom and can seem harsh when driven very hard so you you have to pay more attention in setting it up. The Langevin optical comp is the solid state version of the Manley El-Op which is a GREAT comp and really shines on vocals. The Langevin version fits the Langevin mic pre really well and for the price the DVC is one heck of a bargin that is hard to pass up. Not the perfect tool for every source or instance but offers solid value and unique musical tone.

How do the pres in the Langevin stack up with Great River, Hardy, or Spek?

They all stack up well and have their own sound and features.

What kind of apples would compare more closely to the Langevin sound? Focusrite or other transformer on input type pres?

I'm sure it will be different than the Sebatron, (thanks to you and Chris again). :tu: It would be nice to have a couple of great choices for vocals, etc, not to mention a couple more pres for tracking my drums. Langevin O/H's or Kick and Snare. The rest Sebatron. Ya!
At any rate the elop included in the price makes for a pretty nice package. It would save me wanting to buy a separate elop or similar unit later.

Gaff

That helps to explain the character of the Langevin for me.
Sounds like a good complement to the Sebatron. One fast type, one fat. That should give me a couple of good choices for my little home project.

Thanks all :)

What kind of apples would compare more closely to the Langevin sound?

The Langevin leans more on the clean side than the colored side so look for apples that are not over ripe or brusied...

Cool as long as they're not too sour. ;)