who is rocking a high end mic pre in their recording rig?

[controlled_voltage]

I have done a lot of research on this topic and drove myself a bit crazy in the process.
There are so many great mic pre's out there and a lot of info and opinions to sort thru.
In the end after a lot of research it seems that the power supply for all of the lunchbox pre's is VERY important.
it can make or break the unit, and costs about 5-600 just for the power supply in most cases

i am finally buying one of these [ daking mic pre one pre - with a built in power supply]
srp new is 650.00
http://www.transaudiogroup.com/products ... c-pre-one/

also if it's good enough for vinnie moore than it's good enough for me
flip ahead o 9:43 for that

what are you dudes using?
peace

 

[stratjacket]

I have the Focusrite ISA One, cost about $500 at the time I think, had it for about 8 or 9 years. But then I bought the UA Apollo Twin and that’s been awesome. Came with some preamps to simulate some higher end stuff. So it’s been the only one I’ve been using.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

My only good pre right now is a LA610. It has a lot of character but can still be dialed back a bit to get a more clean reproduction- still oozing but clean enough for me. It kills for vox with a sm7B, hell it even makes the 57s sound great. I used to mic cabs all the time but lately it has been either amp>TNL>610 or Kemper>610.

I've owned a bunch of different stuff in the past when I used to hang out at Gearslutz all the time. That place will get the pre GAS going! One of the best chains I had was a chandler germanium, but the one I had kept making noise after it was powered up for 45 minutes or so, so I sent it back and just never got around to getting another one. I had a UA 8110 that was so bad ass but at some point I flipped it to focus the money back into more guitar specific stuff...bu tthe bottom line is the ua 110 pre is wonderful.

I've spent a lot of time in studios and used a lot of stuff there too, so much fun. I better exit this thread before I start spending my $!

 

[mjtripper]

I've had a bunch over the years but the only ones I have left are classic api vp28s. I used to have an isa one like stratjacket and went to pick up a second for stereo work and my acoustic but a friend lent me a vp26 in a small 500 series enclosure and it was all over. I've had the daking as well but it wasn't different enough from others I had to keep it. Now I have a small 6 slot 500 enclosure with 2 pres, 2 eqs, and 2 linkable compressors and it's all I've used for years. Like most things above a certain level it's really down to preference and it turns out I really like the api sound.

 

[Speeddemon]

I have a bunch of nice mid-end pre's (one man's mid-end may be another man's highend );
-SPL Audio Channel One; when paired with an Audio Technica AT-4047SV or Beyer M88, this is sonic bliss. Clear yet hefty and smooth.

-Summit Audio 2BA-221
-Audient Mico (for total transparency)
-Joemeek VC1Q (vintage version; for thick, gooey 'color')

 

[Thunkful]

Aren't the pres on modern interfaces already good enough or have i got it all wrong? I have a Focusrite scarlett 2i2 2nd gen and it sounds fine to me.

 

[Speeddemon]

Aren't the pres on modern interfaces already good enough or have i got it all wrong? I have a Focusrite scarlett 2i2 2nd gen and it sounds fine to me.

Before the Channel One, I had an ART Voice Channel; also a tube channelstrip, high plate voltage and everything. It sounded very vanilla. Not bad, but not inspiring either. And this is a level of preamps possibly on par or slightly above your Scarlett's preamps.

Then I got the Channel One (a $1200 channelstrip instead of a $400) and I heard more 'resolution'...hard to describe, since it was also a flattering, smooth tone, but there was a higher level of clarity, punch, definition.
And mind you, that Channel One according to most is still no API 3124 or Neve 1073, but I can't justify $2k+ on a pre right now when there's other stuff to upgrade.
My mixing desk ain't shabby pre-wise either by the way; Allen & Heath GS-R24.

 

[lll]

My avatar is the one I use (UA 2-610); loaded with NOS Mullard CV4004s & CV4024s

 

[stratjacket]

Aren't the pres on modern interfaces already good enough or have i got it all wrong? I have a Focusrite scarlett 2i2 2nd gen and it sounds fine to me.

Yes, I think it’s splitting hairs. They’ve come a long ways since the early days when there were noticeable differences. Your Scarlett will get you more or less 90% of what an expensive preamp would do. That last 10-20% will cost a lot and probably not even noticeable to 99% of people. Main thing is that for your purpose, which I assume is home recording, it’s awesome. You can get professional sounding recording with it.

 

[CEG85]

Running 4 Avedis Audio mic pres (a pair of MA5's and MD7's)

 

[Spaceboy]

Mic pre is seriously like the last 2% to worry about.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

Scarlett pres are great, especially for loud rock guitars, bass, drums

But the pricier preamps can really deliver, especially on Vocals & acoustic guitar IME

 

[rickenbacker198]

Studio gear is like a black hole.
But the good stuff does hold its value extremely well.

Great River MP-2NV and 2 Aurora Audio Channel Strips here.
For guitar imo the Great River is hard to beat , Aurora is good too, it excels on acoustic and voice.
Picked up a 8 channel Audient ASP800 for the extra channels to record drums , nice sound on this as well.
Would seriously look at one of their smaller units on a budget.

Compared to the RME pres on my FF UFX all the above rock.

I do agree with Spaceboy , the pre is a small percentage of what you hear.
But you can hear it.

In terms of influence on the sound it’s basically
1- Source
2- Room (depending on what’s being recorded)
3- Mic
4- Pre
5- Interface

I like to think of it in terms of photography.
The mic is basically like camera/ lens your using.
The pre would be more akin to a subtle filter.
The interface like the brand of film inside.

 

[fusedbrain]

Studio gear is like a black hole.
But the good stuff does hold its value extremely well.

Great River MP-2NV and 2 Aurora Audio Channel Strips here.
For guitar imo the Great River is hard to beat , Aurora is good too, it excels on acoustic and voice.
Picked up a 8 channel Audient ASP800 for the extra channels to record drums , nice sound on this as well.
Would seriously look at one of their smaller units on a budget.

Compared to the RME pres on my FF UFX all the above rock.

I do agree with Spaceboy , the pre is a small percentage of what you hear.
But you can hear it.

In terms of influence on the sound it’s basically
1- Source
2- Room (depending on what’s being recorded)
3- Mic
4- Pre
5- Interface

I like to think of it in terms of photography.
The mic is basically like camera/ lens your using.
The pre would be more akin to a subtle filter.
The interface like the brand of film inside.

Yeah the part about influence on the sound is bang on!
While I do agree that the mic pre is a smaller part of what you hear, don't forget that all this stuff is cumulative. If you start trying to layer 6-8 tracks of distorted guitar, recorded with a 57 into a mediocre pre, you're gonna get a giant wall of indistinct mush pretty quick.
The other thing that's important to remember is the effect that the mic pre circuit design has on the operation of the mic. How the output impedance of the mic interacts with the input stage of the pre is a HUGE factor in what you hear. This is a big reason why 57's, and especially ribbon mics, sound like dog poo plugged into most of the mic pre's built into recording interfaces. We all know how important the iron is in our guitar amps, and it applies to mic pres as well. Transformer balanced input and output stages cost money and take up space, but are definitely worth the investment.

As for recommendations for recording guitar, a 57 into a Great River MP-1NV is tough to beat. There are a crap load of companies doing "Neve 1073 style" mic pres, but if you aren't going to spring for a real 1073, the Great River is the best option for that "1073" thing as far as I'm concerned.
The other mic pre I need to mention for recording guitar is the Chandler TG. Yeah it's expensive ( less so if you get the 500 series one ) but if you plan on using ribbon mics, it doesn't get any better than this.

Last point about the power supplies for the 500 series modules: yeah it matters! If you're going down the 500 series route, get the best lunchbox / rack you can afford. A lot of the better 500 series modules draw a lot of current in order to get the goods. I know in the past many manufacturers were reluctant to port their designs to the 500 series format because of power issues, but 500 series lunchboxes / racks have come a long way in the last few years and there are some great options from all the high end companies now. ( Chandler TG2 -500 being one )

 

[Speeddemon]

Mic pre is seriously like the last 2% to worry about.

Disagree.
Interface (AD/DA) is the last 2% to worry about.

 

[JTyson]

Aside from the internal Apogee pre's, we are running a Universal Audio LA610, an Avalon VT737, a Warm Audio WA73-EQ, and an old Peavey TMP1. My favs are probably the LA610 and the WA73, the WA does the 1073 thing beautifully for a killer price. I tried one thinking I would be sending it back after it disappointed me but I was really surprised at how good it was. The EQ in it is fantastic.
The Apogee internal press are very neutral, super clean and useful for just about anything that you don't want to have the tone influenced by the preamp, but in guitar tones (and bass too) I much prefer the external preamps. For guitar, Ill run a Royer 121 into the LA610, a Bock 195 into the WA73, and a 57 into the TMP1, each to their own track. I might use a Senn MD421 in place of the Bock for certain things, and for really clean ambient stuff Ill just run the Royer and the Bock, with the Bock going into the Apogee internal pre. they are amazing and huge together.
Convertors do make a huge difference, when we updated to the Apogee's, the convertors were much better and it was a huge difference in our mixes compared to the old setup.
Just my 2 cents

 

[Speeddemon]

Convertors do make a huge difference, when we updated to the Apogee's, the convertors were much better and it was a huge difference in our mixes compared to the old setup.
Just my 2 cents

Well yeah, given the fact that your whole preamp/mic chain is already quite high-end to begin with. The R121 has been on my wishlist for ages, although a dedicated guitar mic became less of a requirement, once my Torpedo Live was acquired.

But for a guy struggling with a 57 and some M-Audio/Presonus level mic pre's, I'd say money is better spent on other things than the converters.

 

[dstroud]

im using the bae 1073 DMP. really like it a lot.

 

[Monkey Man]

Slate VMS.

I'll see myself out.

 

[Thunkful]

This is a big reason why 57's, and especially ribbon mics, sound like dog poo plugged into most of the mic pre's built into recording interfaces.

I've used a 57 with my scarlett and it sounded just fine. Ofc it could sound better as i've done test recordings only in my untreated apartment room which has shitty acoustics.

And as have many others recorded with a 57 + scarlett combo on youtube, they too have had really professional sounding results without any external pre's.