well, for anyone that is interested... after much debating about as many factors as I could think of and realizing I wouldn't be fully happy with either route... I went with the RNP/RNC combo... I won't bore you with details of why... but, I am fully planning on buying at least one different pre by next summer, very likely a sebatron...

I've only used the RNP a bit, but so far I am very happy with it, considering... I can't say too much more until I have a chance to really test it...

at any rate, I mostly just wanted to thank everyone for their opinions, suggestions, and comments... I really appreciated them!

I'm notsureprised that you're happy with your RNP...Mark McQ knows his way around a design, and I think he's really done a good thing with the RNP. There's really nothing that competes with it in the under $500 price range. Maybe some folks will sneer because it uses monolithic IC's. Well, so does the expensive focusrite ISA110...so does the Amek 9098!

The RNP uses a servo technique for removing DC...the same technique used in John Hardy's preamp, and the Jensen twin servo. This gets cheap coupling caps out of the audio path (a good idea IMO).

The power supply issue...well, it uses a wall wart. Okay, but is there a DC-DC converter inside the box? Probably, since the max output is something like +26dBu. I'm a DIY kinda guy, and I'd never do this, but thats only because I don't have to get UL approval and meet international standards since I only build stuff for my own studio. FMR, obviously has found a way to make the wall wart work.

If I didn't already have tons of preamp options I know I'd be taking a serious look at the RNP. Personally the only thing I have against it is the front panel...it has a kinda cheap look about it. But, at under $500 its pretty amazing what you get.

Cheers,

Kris

I like the 9098 eq section but I think the pre leaves a bit to be desired when compaired to say, the Great River "emulations" of the 1073 pre.. like the MP2NV.. or a tube pre like the Sebatron vmp, both which use transformers.. I have never really cared much for the 9098 pres... they are ok for things that don't need fatness like overheads..

I would love to get my hands on an RNP to listen to and record comparisons.. perhaps soon, I am working on it. I am very interested to hear how they would get a "great sounding" pre by doing almost everything wrong they possibly could with the design .. no transformers, monolithic ICs, surface mounted roboticly stuffed sub assemblies and a chinzy 8 volt DC power supply .... ??? From everything I have ever seen or heard, these are all bad things to do when designing a mic pre.. (am I wrong about this?) Of course, that's just my opinion, I have never heard the RNP. I just wonder how the sum of that could be so great? I suppose what I think sounds good, big, fat, warm, smooth body and what other people like, may be completly different ??? After all some people swear that a Mackie pre sounds better that those found in "mega dollar" consoles (at least that's what Mackie claims).

I am unexpectingly getting a Behringer mixer later next week... I've haven't heard good things about those, but I could perhaps A/B the RNP with that if anyone is interested... I don't have very good equipment, but it might give some idea... I'd have to find somewhere to post results as well...

ANY mic pre with a wall wart style power supply is not gong to be able to have the raw horse power necessary to get it over the hump (so to speak) in order to be as open and punchy (large dynamic range) as a neve/api/etc.

Are all "wall wart" style power supplies really created equal?

The RNP is reported to be an uncolored / “photo realistic type” of mic pre. The Mackie pres are the same thing. This is the least expensive type of pre to build because you don’t need transformers and discreet parts. OP AMPs are perfect for this kind of application. On paper, they look great ... but in use, uck!

If you'd heard them both, you wouldn't say that they were the "same thing" as the Mackie preamps...just because they're both said to be realistic doesn't mean they sound the same as each other, or the other "photo realistic" types of preamp, like the Milliennia, Earthworks, Grace, etc preamps, which while all claiming to be "realistic" or "transparent" or whatever you want to call them, sound quite different. As for op-amps, aren't API preamps op-amp based (rhetorical question, no need to answer)?

There is still only one way to get "there" from here and that is, Class A, with adequate power supplies.

The RNP is a Class A preamp, and just because it uses a wall wart does not mean it's not an adequate power supply (actually, it will tell you if you've plugged an inadequate wall wart into it).

This is the problem I have. So many varied opinions. Some like it, some don't. I fear the only way I will ever know the truth is to hear one myself.

My issue is the power supply, 8 volts DC is not enough. Construction techniques, surface mounted / robot stuffed, easily damaged, hard to service in the field and probably manufactured in Asia. The way the company markets them, FMR controls the product tightly and they don't make it easy to hear one, unless you purchase it. You almost have to mail order one to hear it. The whole thing smells fishy to me. If it was so great I would think they would want to get as many of them as possible, into the hands of dealers and independent reviewers, like Alan Hyatt, Joe Malone, Millennia, Audix and Sebatron do, instead of keeping the lid on them and only allowing a few select people (who appear to be dealers, advertisers or friends of the company) to review it. Doesn't that make you wonder what is up??

8 volts DC is apparently not enough for it, either...according to their website, it requires 9-12v (and an amp and a half of current). As for it being easily damaged, didn't Harvey drive his truck over one? And are they built in Asia, or Texas? I don't see a problem with having to order one to hear it. Isn't that the same way it is with Sebatron, and lots of other smaller companies? I'd rather do that than walk into a store and hear one any day. I don't know how many dealers carry them, but I know that at least a few of those that do offer money-back guarantees, so there's no risk there. Sure, everything makes me wonder what is up, but it doesn't make me suspicious at all. They have a great track record with the RNC. They're a small company. The word seems to be spreading fairly rapidly on its own, and if they can't keep up with supply as it is, through selling direct and through the few dealers that they have, why would they bother to send out a bunch of units for review (and I know I've read at least one magazine review for it, maybe two)? I've certainly read more reviews, formal or otherwise, for the RNP than I have for any Sebatron pieces.

I don't see how it does anyone any good for you to spend so much time speculating on why you don't think this product that you haven't even heard can sound possibly sound good, when there are plenty of well-respected people (Harvey, Steve Albini, Larry Seyer, even Ozraves and the myriad of people who rave about it who, while possibly biased, have earned respect for their opinions over the years) who have so many good things to say about it.

All that and a huge marketing push saying the thing is as good as many pres at many times the cost.

I haven't seen a huge marketing push. If there have been any ads for it, they haven't made enough of an impression on me to remember. Their websitde doesn't seem to have been updated for months, and I can't see anywhere on their site where they say it's as good as many preamps at many times the cost. There is a section, though, where it talks about possible drawbacks for the box...including the use of a wall wart...but it does say that it will output +27.5dBu at unity gain, so 8v must be enough (actually, their website says it requires 9-12 v, with at least an amp and a half of current).

I am very interested to hear how they would get a "great sounding" pre by doing almost everything wrong they possibly could with the design .. no transformers, monolithic ICs, surface mounted roboticly stuffed sub assemblies and a chinzy 8 volt DC power supply .... ??? From everything I have ever seen or heard, these are all bad things to do when designing a mic pre.. (am I wrong about this?)

Who's to say what's "right" or "wrong"...there's nothing "wrong" with not using transformers, for instance, but that'll generally give you a sound that's more on the transparent side of things. As for the others, I'm not sure if it really matters if it sounds good. Since you seem to like the warm sounds you typically get from transformer-based preamps, though, you may well not like it if you ever get the chance to hear it. But that certainly doesn't make it junk.

-Duardo

Originally posted by Kurt Foster:
Steve,
In five years what will they be worth? If you pay $1500 for even an Averil 1272 package (which I don't much care for), in five years you will probably get that and whatever the inflation has added to the price. Vintage gear doesn't get less expensive.

I have to agree on that and that is one of the great values of this forum, to open our eyes and ears- I had been reading electronic musician for too long and wasn't aware of the value of great gear- I've been upgrading my gear and you are right, like my RCA 77D is now worth a lot more than when I got it- I do have a grace 101 and I am very happy with it- it works great with the ribbon mic as I got the high gain version. I was going to get another one but I am seriously now looking at the sebatron- Keep it up guys, this is great!

maintiger :D