Advice? Preamp for use with impulses. Engl? Mesa?

[Evolution666]

I have been shilly-shallying for months now and finally decided to buy a real guitar preamp for direct-recording and use cabinet impulses.
First I wanted an Axe-Fx but as simulation is exploding so fast I believe a solid good preamp will last till death while an simulator is wasted in a few years? Just look what happening with Nebula3 right now! Awesome!
Feel free to hit me if you disagree :zombie:

Anyway I have been looking at Mesa Traxias, Engl E570 and Engl E580
I understand they are different but for solid thrash/death metal which is the best choice and value for money? Are there other preamps with better value and tone out there ? I know it's a matter of taste but I don't have any store to listen to them and want to hear some opinions before I buy one!

All inputs are welcome! And NO I don't want software preamp cause I feel I never get all the way with them

Thanks in advance!

 

[gorath23]

Personally before shelling out the kind of money you are obviously considering, maybe try the 'lowly' Engl e530. It's got the Engl vibe and if Kazrog's tone is anything to go by, it sounds fantastic with Impulses. You can pick them up over here used for about £299. Unless you want loads of MIDI switching capabilities and myriad different options and knobs (snooze) I can't see the e570/580 really being worth the huge amount of extra cash.

 

[Kazrog]

Here's a tone I got with my ENGL e530 and Recabinet impulses:

Guitars only, unprocessed:
http://recabi.net/mp3/GrooveMetal_Guitars.mp3

Full Mix:
http://recabi.net/mp3/GrooveMetal_FullMix.mp3

I'm really happy with the e530, it's killer!

 

[006]

You will hate the TriAxis.

The 570/580 are basically too much shit in one box. The 530 will cover you and have plenty to spare, not to mention the money you save Or if you really want to spend a fuck-ton of money, just go with an AxeFx Standard...it will still be good a couple of years from now, not to mention software/firmware updates so you don't have to buy a new unit, just plug it in and update the bitch

~006

 

[Evolution666]

Thanks for all inputs guys!
I listen to the E530 and without doubt that will do it well!
Why I considered E580 is that you can save everything in the presets even all the knobs if I got it right which means it is easy to move it between studios, recordings, bands..... Otherwise you get that DON'T TOUCH IT while recording and you have to glue it down =)
Still I get 5 E530 new instead of 1 E580 so maybe better to get 2 =P

I'm impressed by the sound sample ... it's a lot of tone and feeling in it. I can imagine that Nebula 3 will do it even more killer in the future.....

Damn now it's hard choice ... but I guess buy a E530 to try it out and if I love it get one more ... One for daily use and one for gluing it while recording hehe