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ChudFusk wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 1:58 pm Re: pre's: I only work with budget and built-in preamps so I've never had the chance to do a shootout, but I have learned that other factors such as changing mics, mic position, and elements of the sound source (cab choice, drum tuning, etc.) have the most effect on the final result.

Also important is the feature set of the unit. I prefer preamps that have EQs built in or paired with them. Sure you can EQ in the DAW, but you can get more out of the final gain stage if it's not clipping from peaking bass frequencies, especially with proximity effect. I record digitally but with some analog sensibilities, and garbage in/garbage out will always be true. I get more use out of my ART Tube Channel and Focusrite Platinum Trakmaster than I could get from something costing 10 to 100 times as much if it doesn't have any tone shaping.

dfglv wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 11:08 am

pater_toma wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 5:58 pm A Prophet VS.

Even more ridiculous. I have been slowly selling my hardware and getting more "in the box." Arturia's V9 collection is actually pretty great. Reaktor is great. But my irrational mind wants to put some of the proceeds of my hardware sales towards this overpriced ancient thing. No idea why. But if the stars line up financially, I might not be able to be talked out of it.

There weren't many of them to begin with, fewer still of them have survived the past forty-odd years, and nobody can fix them when they die. The Korg Wavestate buries its capabilities at a tiny subdivision of the asking price with a vastly more accessible interface, and you can load your own fucked-up old samples into it.

Garth wrote: Fri Nov 25, 2022 10:45 am Agreed on mic pres. Preamps especially can have as much money as you want thrown at them with very very very marginal returns in sound quality. You MIGHT notice it more if you are using more gain-thirsty mics like ribbons but even then there are enough cloud-lifter devices on the market to help there for not that much money. Louder sources, more sensitive mics you'll hear even less of what makes a pre-amp "good" although you might get some reduced noise floor for extremely quiet sources w/ wide dynamic range (and even then some "fancy" mic pres have a surprising amount of noise).

One really good channel for your vocal or stand out tracks is about all you need. I think we've done a good job on this forum explaining how far along affordable preamps have come (maybe even earlier in this thread). There are so many options. Hell even some of the recordings I did 25 years ago using only A&H Mix Wizard sounds great to me.

Agree w/ the above, if you have money to burn, way better ways to spend it. If you have a few absolutely great channels already and then some other that are "fine" your money can go much further elsewhere.

pater_toma wrote: Thu Nov 24, 2022 5:58 pm Two things:

Any of those 1073 clones over $1000. I do not make money recording other people. I don't think I have the ear to pick out what such gear would do for my recordings. But when looking into "properly" recording vocals, preamps often come up. The old 1073 gets a lot of praise and the clones are getting pretty good reviews. But do I need this above something relatively cheaper for recordings which maybe a handful of people will hear? Probably not.

A Prophet VS.

Even more ridiculous. I have been slowly selling my hardware and getting more "in the box." Arturia's V9 collection is actually pretty great. Reaktor is great. But my irrational mind wants to put some of the proceeds of my hardware sales towards this overpriced ancient thing. No idea why. But if the stars line up financially, I might not be able to be talked out of it.

bikefvcker wrote: Tue Nov 29, 2022 6:36 am Altec lipstick mic


I am already drowning in mics but i feel like i could sell a bunch

yard barf wrote: Sun Feb 19, 2023 3:27 pm Heil Pro30B.

I have an sm7 and an m88 and an m201. Seems like I have plenty of nice dynamic mics for being a home recording guy. So why do I keep thinking of buying this cheap Heil mic?