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Grace 101 only mic preamp.

TL audio 5051 is COM, EQ,.

VOICEMASTER PRO

which better?

only for vocal. who can give me some advise?

Grace 101 > TL audio 5051 > VoiceMaster Pro right?

TL audio 5051 >Grace 101 > VoiceMaster Pro right?

VoiceMaster Pro>TL audio 5051 >Grace 101 right?

sorry,I only know a little English.My friend in England now. He will come to China...so,I want to let him helpe me buy one single ch mic preamp.

come on, everybody...give me some advise! thanks thanks thanks

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Comments

McCheese Tue, 06/21/2005 - 01:34

The Grace is a technically superior preamp by far. The Voicemaster doesn't get much love around here. Don't know about the TL.

The thing about the Grace is that it's going to let you know what your mic really sounds like. It's the poster child for "transparent, detailed mic pre". It adds about as close to 'no flavor' as is possible as far as I can tell. It'll make you really learn how to choose mics and prefect your micing techniques, which is always a good thing, but it can get frustrating. It's not going to cover things up or anything. You're going to hear what is really there, and that's not always what you want.

Cucco Tue, 06/21/2005 - 05:52

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the Grace 101. Great price point, EXCELLENT build quality and the sound blows away anything near that price point. However, bear in mind, it's extremely transparent. If you're looking for color, apply somewhere else. The only thing that sucks about the 101 is the wall wart.

Of course, there are 2 other pres you should be considering in that price range -
Summit 2BA-221 (the older, more sophisticated cousin of the TL Audio - better build quality better use of tubes)
GT Brick - reviewed with much acclaim in these parts.

J.

moonbaby Tue, 06/21/2005 - 07:36

I had to send the Voicemaster back twice before I got one that worked properly. After that, I just didn't care for the sound or build quality, so I sold it to my girlfriends' ex!!!!
Beware of the TLA box. The company doesn't have a particularly reliable past. Some of their stuff has been OK and they do have their fans. But I have seen a couple of the boxes drop like a rock in use do to IC failure from chassis heat.
The Grace is REAL pre, designed for maximum fidelity and reliability. What comes out is what you put in, which might not be what you want. If you want a bit of "color", I'd second The Brick over the others...

Cucco Wed, 06/29/2005 - 07:04

The Voicemaster, at least to me, is another "me too" preamp that essentially is no better than that in many stock consoles (Mackie, Tascam, etc.)

You also mentioned the TL Audio - despite some negative comments here, I've found their stuff to be quite usable with a decent amount of character. I've never found them to have physical problems as described. True, they use a lot of Surface Mount Technology and their utilization of tubes is minimal and not to the fullest potential, but in general, they sound pretty darned good for the price.

Just a thought.

J.

anonymous Wed, 06/29/2005 - 11:05

Sounds like you want us to tell you that buying the Voicemaster is OK. Sure! Go for it! But everyone here agrees that it's an inferior product. If you can't afford (or don't need!) a better preamp, than by all means buy the Focusrite. It'll be fine. But you keep asking the same question hoping for a different answer.

Cucco Fri, 07/01/2005 - 09:34

To loosely quote Tina Turner -

"What's price got to do, got to do with it..."

Just b/c something costs a lot, doesn't mean it's worth it. Just b/c something doesn't cost a lot doesn't mean it's cheap.

Examples -

Trident Mic Pre - $1200 - piece of crap

GT Brick - $400 - great piece of gear

Neumann KM184 - $1000 - IMO - junk

Rode NT 5 (pair) - $400 - pretty darned good mics.

Focusrite is selling this at a high price so that people who assume Focusrite is good and the price is high, it must be a quality piece of gear. Don't get me wrong, I really like Focusrite stuff, but only starting at the ISA level. And even then I have some minor beefs about some of their stuff.

J.

moonbaby Fri, 07/01/2005 - 10:06

SwingBaby, stay away from the "original" Voicemaster ( a single rack-space unit). If you are on a tight budget, you might be tempted to buy one used. They are total junk...the power supply couldn't deliver the current for all the bells and whistles, and they would overheat and shut down. If you REALLY have to get the Voicemaster, stick to the "Pro" version. But remember, GRACE rules!!!

anonymous Fri, 07/01/2005 - 11:28

I am in China. I find China pro audio gears price very laughably.

VoiceMaster Pro $640, I buy it need spend 4000RMB.

Grace101 $560,I buy it need spend 6000RMB.

expensive become cheap

cheap become expensive

very very very laughably.

i think Gracedesign China/HongKong dealer very ..bad...

I dont know I should how to do.

In fact,I needn't it cheaper to me. I only want to get natural price. :roll:

I will try hard..

Thanks 2 everybody again. :wink:

moonbaby Fri, 07/01/2005 - 15:22

That's interesting, because I thought that the Focusrite was made in...China! If you're looking at getting a mic pre and the cost is that much of an issue, maybe you might look at a Studio Projects VTB . I have read several posts in this forum raving about it, and have read some reviews that were not that impressed with it. But the SP gear (made in China) may be some of the only gear of its type available to you. I guess that we Yanks take for granted the availability of great audio gear at a reasonable price. I have seen distributors in other parts of the world who really gouge the prices.
Just a thought....

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

anonymous Thu, 07/07/2005 - 23:15

maintiger wrote:

in that case you might want to consider the hi gain version- its something like $60-80 more and it'll give you enough gain for ribbon mics. I use it with my rca d77 with great results :D

thanks.But,I have question. 8)

Grace 101(hi gain), Only for ribbon mic?

Or Grace 101 hi gain version for RIBBON/DYNAMIC/CONDENSER Microphones.

101 standard version for DYNAMIC/CONDENSER Microphones.

do you know my mind?