Good clean 2 ch pre for grand piano under $2000

Any recommendations. Piano is not bright, not dull, in the middle.
Need a clean 2 ch pre. Wouldn't hurt if the pre was good on mandolin as well!

 

Several come to mind...I personally like the True Systems P2 Analog for piano,mandolin,acoustic guitar,acoustic bass, banjo, basically all things acoustic. It is not colored,it has tremendous depth to its sound,has enough gain for ribbon mics and has a nifty M/S metering as well as phase metering if you're using it as a stereo mic pre. Most people would simply use their ears but this makes it even easier and it sounds really good..Distributed bt Neumann...dont know if that means anything but if they trust it its gotta be good.

 

great recommendation - did not know about the True 2 analog!

Thanks - I have a feeling that may be the one!

 

Look into the Earthworks Mic Pre's.
I have a 4 channel version of it and love it on piano and acoustic guitar. I think it's the biggest sleeper out there. Worth consideration imho.

Chris

 

Ahh, the piano, This is where I usually go to my Neotek MicMax but in addition to the Earthworks, I like those made by - John Hardy, Millineia Media, dbx 786, True Systems, Martech, Manley and even API

 

Any difference between 2 ch True Systems analog and System 8

Does the two channel have different pres than the 8 True Systems?

 

Re: Any difference between 2 ch True Systems analog and Syst

I don't think they are supposed to be different, but most people seem to think they do sound different.

 

This is my take on this too...My studio where I do my mixing just got an 8 channel True and I'm gonna go hear it. He's got API 512's,Focurite Red's,TLA British Channel,Digi pres so it'll be telling.I cant find any thing in the specs that says they are different...but a LOT of people have related this...so who knows? I do know the P2 Analog is a serious piece....although the John Hardy stuff turns my crank quite a bit....I personally like really good and clear pres and let the tone of the mic,setting,and source do its magic...If I have to 'create magic' electronically then it wasnt there to begin with....thats just me....

 

True Systems wrote me - they are a little different

Thanks for your interest in our products.

The P2Analog preamp design is basically the same as the preamps in the Precision 8. The overall "tonality" of the preamps is identical. However, some changes were made to the signal path routing and the printed circuit board design that resulted in slightly increased mid-range detail. This is a subtle difference, but can be noticed in critical applications. Of course, there are substantial feature differences on the P2Analog: selectable HPF, hi/lo gain range, Stereo Phase Correlation Display. Both units have exceptional DI's and the MS decoding feature.

 

I am pretty sure the True Systems pre wil be great, but what matters most is the piano itself. A piano is not just a piano. 8)

 

AB2:

Many preamps exist in this range that would be great for recording grand piano. The True Systems are good pres, but I far prefer the Grace and Millennia to the Trues. Also, check out Sytek pres - designed for clarity.

My secret weapon in clean mic preamps is the Benchmark mic pres. Dirt cheap and BADASS pres. IMHO, they sound far better than the Millennia and are less than half the price per channel!

J...

P.s. Check out the Acoustic Music forum for more discussions on similar topics...

 

I have both a Benchmark 4 channel and a Millennia HV3-8 and I can't agree with you less.

There is no comparison, the Millennia sounds way better all day long.

Sorry, they sit in the same rack and the Benchmarh is nice and all, but it's used strictly as an overflow mic pre.

This is my opinion, no disrespect intended.

Chris

 

Chris:

Don't worry, no disrespect taken. We've all got opinions.

Just curious, what do you typically track with the Millennias that the Benchmarks don't stack up?

J...

 

Mostly our Steinway Grand and as over heads on drums. I fell the Benchmarks lack the depth (very subjective/fuzzy term). Also the low-end clarity isn't there.

Don't get me wrong, the Benchmarks, for the price, are a great deal. I just think that they are in two different leagues.

Some of our staff engineers call the Benchmarks "the poor-man's Millennia". I tend to agree.

My.02

Chris

 

Depth - I don't think that's too subjective of a term.

My take on them is, I find the Millennia to be a little etchy in the upper frequencies, where I find the Benchmarks to be more smooth and naturally extended. My take on the bass is that, I personally find Millennias to be a bit punchy in the bass. Don't get me wrong, I totally see your point of view - I personally just find the Benchmarks to be more linear. Now, in all fairness, I use them with Schoeps CMC6xt/MK2S which have a reputation for "kick-your-teeth-in" bass depth. I just personally prefer the sound of the Benchmarks on both piano and on full orchestra.

I'll be curious, I just ordered a pair of Gefell M-296's. This should be a completely different sounding mic than any of my standard Schoeps. I wonder how they will work with the Benchmarks???

J...