What preamps are you using?

[Aearth]

Ok we all have been here for a while now . Just want know what pres you guys are using/liking the most.

I have few but my favourite are the Chandler LTD-1 for just about everything, followed by some module pres in the lunch box, like A-Designs P-1 and the Purple Biz. For drums API all the way.

nIC

[davemc]

Might be in the wrong area as in "for sale" he he

I have used a few of pres over the years and found some work better for somethings then others. When you get to a certain depth of a pre above mackie/focusrite plat/TL audio pres etc it is just different flavours.
What i have owned
Buzz Audio MA2: first good pre i brought. Only one I have left. might not have much color although sounds good on everything. Great on acoustics,snares and overheads.
Amek 9098: not bad top end was not the best. Used for guitars etc sold it when i brought the Calrec.
Calrec PQ1347: some color although clean. Nice EQ. works on most things used a bit with instruments i wanted some EQ down to disk.
UA 2-610: Has a color. clips with signals not great had to run with a pad. Eventually ended up on room mic duty and went when i got a API.
Focusrite ISA430 mk1: Pre was ok had a couple of weird peaks etc. EQ nice. Compressor usable. Funny the pre won a lot of vocal shoot outs as a little hyped. Good bass pre with the eq and comp. also nice on kick.
Drawmer 1969: Basic Pre clean not full. Used for overheads as the compressor worked well. Moved to room when I got my second API.
API 3124: Real nice color works on everything. eventually brought a second and had 8 channels.
Great River NV1: Nice thick sound for things you want a thicker sound. not my first pick for acoustic. good for guitar and male vocals.
Shep 1084: Similar sort of pre as the Great River EQ was nice Got to for guitars and some vocalists.
Neotek Elan Dual pre: Great smack on snare. had a shiney sort sound. worked well for some acoustics and guitar etc. Nice broad EQ on them as well.

Stuff I tried and did not buy.
Pheonix audio DRS1: Sounded like my Calrec although less low more top end. so passed.
Avalon 737: pre was ok not great not as nice as the Buzz. EQ was nice. Compressor was good for stuff like Bass. Actually thought it was a real nice bass channel although not for the $'s
Sebatron 4 channel: Tried twice. Very coloured and mushy even on pad setting. just gave me the UA vibe. I personally like pres not to colored.

Although everyone was different. I had a few freelancers who loved things i thought were just ok. so try for yourself.

[Jason Dirckze]

Stuck in the position of using only one pre on everything... though it's not a bad pre

I use the Preamps on my Studer 169 10 channel desk. Quite smooth sounding, with crunch when needed...

[heathen]

I've just been using my Buzz Elixir pre, very very nice on vox and acoustic or electric guitar, awesome DI for bass too, still gotta buy a P1 as I thought they were awesome, still remember the sound of them from the gear shootout. Got another new mic coming next week, so after buying that I'm going to get the P1, still 1 slot left in my lunchbox.

Has anyone tried the Shadow Hills Gama yet?

Maybe another shootout coming up soon Nic?

[Aearth]

Sorry this is the wrong section.....oh dear the meds are working.

nIC

[heathen]

Hehe, hope your feeling better Nic, everything going well with your recovery?

[Aearth]

[quote="heathen"]Hehe, hope your feeling better Nic, everything going well with your recovery?[/quote]

Yeh getting there slowly...some dark nights.
Hey why don't you come over and try the P-1s

nIC

[heathen]

Hey Nic if your keen over the next week some time sounds cool, could bring over my Blue Kiwi mic I just purchased also if your keen for a test run with it.

I'm glad your getting there and feeling a bit better, hopefully you'll be fit as a fiddle in no time.

[TimS]

I'm popping down to Nic's to hear his Telefunken's as well sometime next week.
Bringing a singer with me to maybe do a shootout.. ;-)
Sounds like a little mic festival is originating!!!
TimS..

[heathen]

Good stuff! Do you know which day you'll be going over to Nic's place Tim? I'm busy on Tuesday, got a driving test, but the rest of the week I have free I think.

Anyway would be cool to test a few different mics.

Cheers
Heath

[heathen]

Hey Tim, are you the Tim that was at the Limestone studio gear shootout? Just wondering?

Cheers
Heath

[TimS]

Good stuff! Do you know which day you'll be going over to Nic's place Tim? I'm busy on Tuesday, got a driving test, but the rest of the week I have free I think.

Anyway would be cool to test a few different mics.

Cheers
Heath

Hi Heath,
I'll probably only be able to go to Nic's in the evening after work.. I'm not sure if it will be Tues or Thurs yet, but I said I'd ring Nic on Mon to finalise with him..

Hey Tim, are you the Tim that was at the Limestone studio gear shootout? Just wondering?

Cheers
Heath

No, sorry I'm not.. Different Tim..
What was the Limestone gear shootout??
Interested..

TimS..

[Aearth]

I'm cool anytime guys just give me a call just in case I'm at the Physio.
Mob: 0400616934

nIC

[Chris H]

Mostly using the discreet preamps in my Amek recall for most tracking. Very open sound with great eq.
Also.........
Optro pres with eq and opto comp limiters for a bit of a different eq and sound. Great for guitar vox and squashing room mics.

AWA germanium pres for bass. They get a lovley dialed in dictortion and sound big. Very hot output at +8 so i use an inline pad of 10 dB.
Also use them for vox and doubble bass etc with an STC ribbon.

Byer valve pres for electric guitar and the STC mic.

For live recording in venues i take out a trident VFM that is quite punchy sounding but can sound a bit hard with some vocal/mic combos
so i also take out some of the racked pres.

[Simon B]

I have a chandler LTD-1, 6176, langevin dual vocal combo.

for me these have a bit of magic.
using an r84 ribbon with the chandler on guitar sounds AMAZING!, using the 6176 for bass DI blows me away, and using neumann tlm 170 through the langevin really just has a specail mojo on vocals......

had a 737 and an amek cib and a few other things which were in the partner ship.

never been a fan of the 737, the CIB is good just not my thing I guess....... not coluorful, not that something specail. maybe I just didnt find the right mic and sound combination.

I really want some GML,
and I really want some api.

[David W]

Well I'm a big fan of the Manley Mic Pre's.

I have brought UA M610, tried the Focusrite ISA and Avalon channel, put together a coupple of calrec 1347's, JLM 99v and 1290.

After trying all these I went and brought a few more Manley's. Sold the U.A. and didn't even bother purchasing the Focusrite or Avalon not that they wernt good but the Manley is just more to my taste, Will give a very big thumbs up for the JLM 99V though.

[davemc]

Hi David. What you think of the Calrec's. Did you buy these racked or the raw ones that have been poping up on ebay? I know i got a few emails with guys buying raw ones with out connectors or output transformers. Do you still have them or want to sell. The guy who brought my pair might be after another.

So how have you been? Long time no speak. You still on Melband or did you leave as well after all the home recording guys took over. he he.

[Aearth]

Doesn't seem like a lot us around here are into the 500 series rack pres. I for one love them, small but have a big punch and once you buy the rack/power supply the modules end up being a cheap and progressive way to build up your collection.
API 512.........real all rounder pres, the same pre as in the API 3124+......great on the drum kit, bass and screamers
A-Designs P-1........are pretty similar to the A-Designs Pacifica with the Pacifica having a bigger sound of the two, but then there is more in the box. Really works well with OH and vocals.
The Purple Biz......clean with heaps of headroom, I'm sure it has 3 x amps inside (in, out and DI)......diffinitely a choice for acoustic instruments and ribbon mics.
The Buzz stuff I'm really not sure of, maybe someone else can take it from here.

nIC

[heathen]

The Buzz Elixir is pretty smooth sounding at a low to medium gain setting, actually very smooth from the low freq's to the highs, the top from it is very sweet sounding, at a higher gain when the thing starts distorting the sound just gets thicker and thicker. It's class A design with a lundahl output transformer. Since getting some better mics I realised how good a pre the elixir actually is.

Perfect for any source I'd say. Tim Farrant is making some great quality gear.

A P1 will be the next module in my lunchbox for sure.

[David W]

[quote="davemc"]Hi David. What you think of the Calrec's. Did you buy these racked or the raw ones that have been poping up on ebay? I know i got a few emails with guys buying raw ones with out connectors or output transformers. Do you still have them or want to sell. The guy who brought my pair might be after another.

So how have you been? Long time no speak. You still on Melband or did you leave as well after all the home recording guys took over. he he.[/quote]

Hi Dave.

We'll havn't met you in person yet but feel like I know you via all this cyber-recording-forum stuff. I must admit when I first stumbled upon the Melband site I thought this would be a great resource and local to, unfortunatly I do feel it just needs a little guidance and credability. Don't worry I know you tried your best.

Anyway the story on purchasing these 2 Calrecs over E..bay was an event in itself (won't go into it here).But I purchased a Joe Malone power supply to run 16V and 8V and got some connectors from RS Components in Port Melbourne which fitted perfectly. I kinda just put it together to get it working and it sounded great so I left it at that. Considering how little it cost me in the end I don't think I'll be parting with these just yet.

[davemc]

Hey David,
Cool yours are working. I got a few emails from guys on the web as they found my site via searching for Calrec. Someone I think was selling them with half the parts he he. So what do you think of the sound? Yeah mate brought them off me and my Neoteks. He is thinking about more pres. Has the fever now he heard past stock 002 type pres..

Yeah only float through melband now and then. have not been there for a while now. Only here, gearslutz and DUC now. No engineer talk only really home recording stuff. You also have a lot kids there who think they know everything. I love guys who do not use things only re type what they read elsewhere. Seems a lot like that there.

Hope your well and busy. Once bubs gets bigger will then look at doing some more work hopefully.

heath,
be interesting to hear a Buzz Exliar next to a MA2. Still have to A/B my MA2 to a couple of mates SSA still.