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by seaneldon_Archive
What kind of sound are you looking for out of the preamp? What kind of mics will you primarily be using with it? What kind of music are you doing? Do you want this to be an accurate preamp, or a more british/colored preamp? Instead of waiting for you to answer I'm going to go ahead and give my reccomendations for each situation.
Vocal Condenser Mic with pristine accuracy? Look into a Grace Design 101. Transformerless preamp with boat loads of gain, but no real "color" or "sound" to it, other than the fact that everyone that hears their voice or guitar through it thinks it's some kind of trick. Great amp for "up close and personal" vocalists or an acoustic electric guitar. For the same kind of sound with a little bit of tube saturation (still no real color, still has tons of headroom) look into the BLUE Robbie. Great for making any shitty mic cut through in a mix, and makes a bass guitar sound like it's having sex with whoever is playing it.
Vocal Condenser Mic with some sugar on top? For subtle, yet noticeable "weight" to a vocal or instrument track, look into a Universal Audio M-610, or for a couple hundred over your budget, it's channel strip of a cousin, the LA-610 which adds a LA2A style compressor in a 2U rack.
An even better deal is to investigate the Trident line, which I am very fond of. I own the entire line of equipment they make except for their large format consoles, though I am seriously thinking of picking up the 24 Channel "Dream" console they just came out with after I move to my new house. 24 channels of British preamps and godly eqs, and an automation package later, I will live in a ditch. Here's what they have to offer:
S20: Dual mic pre (insanely close to the preamp that's used in their most expensive Series 80 5.1 console, to be more informative), with 1/4" ins for each channel, with a selectable A/B switch on each channel. Phase reverse and phantom power, and really unique and sexy "gradually brighter red backlight" in place of a VU meter. The mic pres are VERY clean, quiet, and accurate, though EQ sections are substitued with a variable sweep low cut from 5hz-200hz, which is how you add your color. Really comes in handy for overheads or boomy acoustic guitars. $1000
4T: This is the project studio owner's best kept secret. This is an entire channel from John Oram, with the same attention to detail as his console strips, for only $1000 in the US, though it's a little more direct from Trident. The mic pre is the same one used in the S20 and soon to be mentioned S40. Really clean with 60db of gain. Front panel instrument input with "EQ Magic", which is exactly what it says it is. 30 pounds of color can be added if the pristine mic pre doesn't fit the mix. You see, next to that instrument in is a bypassable 3 band parametric eq with sweepable mids. Turn everything down for the telephone effect that would fool a full time operator, or roll some knobs clockwise for the most delicious tone ever put into a rack. Go ahead and boost the highs as far as they'll go and blow a dog whistle into a damn thing and it still sounds like a million dollar recording. Also has a compressor/limiter with analog VU metering and gain reduction. Best value you'll find anywhere, ever.
S40: Imagine that last description, only you add another band of EQ, more compressor options (and a more usuable compressor all together), and Major League Baseball's steroid problem. It really is that much better for an extra $500.
S80 Producer Box: This is two channels of the Series 80 console in a giant English Ash wooden casing. Unbelievably sexy if you've got a nice place to display it. Not only is the same preamp used...ALL OF THE SAME PARTS that constuct the console are found in this box. Can't spend 80 grand on a board that won't fit in your bedroom? Here you go. Two Series 80 preamps taken out of a desk and put into a breadbox side by side with phantom power, phase reversal, and inserts. No "replica" bullshit here. This preamp recorded Queen. What else? 4 band EQ with two sweepable mids, low cut, and bypass. This is, in my own opinion, the most musical EQ that will ever be sold in something under $5,000. Panning on both channels which sum into the outputs of two 100mm faders and XLR outputs. Incredible.
Sorry, I tend to talk a little too much about Trident Audio once I get started. Seriously though, consider the S20 or 4T for keeping the budget around $1k. Or sell your car, and your neighbor's car, and get the Dream console.