got 1800 to spend on a single channel preamp, what's the smart buy?

[joeymusicguy]

i really want something high end

for the longest time i thought great river would be the perfect buy, but i read some reviews from sound on sound and others that convinved me otherwise

so what would you recommend?

this would probably be used for vocals, if that helps narrow down the suggestions.

also, im probably against avalon m5 before you recommend that, unless you've got some info or clips that show it shines...

 

[unsilpauly]

the great river is super solid, it is one of my next pres for sure. also on my list of sweet mic pres to buy in the next couple of years is:
vintech x73
chamaleon labs 7602
api 3124
chandler undecided which model possibly the germanium

i think anything in the price range you mentioned is gonna produce great results as long as everything else is good(performer, mics, converters, etc.).

 

[Matt Crooks]

For vocals? AVALON-737. Nice pre, workable compressor, really nice EQ. Used they're $1500. New you can get the Mercenary edition (black and yellow instead of chrome) for $1750.

 

[joeymusicguy]

the great river is super solid, it is one of my next pres for sure. also on my list of sweet mic pres to buy in the next couple of years is:
vintech x73
chamaleon labs 7602
api 3124
chandler undecided which model possibly the germanium

i think anything in the price range you mentioned is gonna produce great results as long as everything else is good(performer, mics, converters, etc.).

wanna sell that tascam? lol I WANT IT

 

[joeymusicguy]

For vocals? AVALON-737. Nice pre, workable compressor, really nice EQ. Used they're $1500. New you can get the Mercenary edition (black and yellow instead of chrome) for $1750.

i work with a lot of screaming, 's good for that too?

 

[unsilpauly]

wanna sell that tascam? lol I WANT IT

sorry, i like the tascam, so its staying until something better comes out. im sure you can find one used somewhere.

 

[deathtotaliban]

i dont really have a suggestion, but are you the joey that runs foundation recordings?

 

[Matt Crooks]

i work with a lot of screaming, 's good for that too?

Yup. Hardcore screams, death metal growls, black metal screeches, burps, farts, etc.

 

[joeymusicguy]

i dont really have a suggestion, but are you the joey that runs foundation recordings?

yeah

 

[joeymusicguy]

Yup. Hardcore screams, death metal growls, black metal screeches, burps, farts, etc.

i wonder if thats the preamp andy used when micing his fart
or that coulda just been the talk back

dang

 

[Disconnekt]

One of my favorite pres for just about everything I put through it is the Universal Audio LA610 (Putnam 610-style tube pre/EQ in front of an LA2A-style opto compressor). It makes everything I've plugged into it sound better.

 

[greyskull]

i love the la610 loads too but it clips really easy.
my suggestion would be....

manley dual mono
chandler tg2
api 3124
great river
ua 2 610
langevin dual vocal combo (la2a style compressionx2!!!)

 

[metalkingdom]

For vocals? AVALON-737. Nice pre, workable compressor, really nice EQ. Used they're $1500. New you can get the Mercenary edition (black and yellow instead of chrome) for $1750.

Yeah, for the price the 737 can't be beat because it's a complete channel-strip instead of just a pre. Don't listen to the 737 bashers because most of them don't even know what they're talking about. It's for sure the most widely used pre on vox for the past 10 years.

Just as I predicted, the price of the black ones went up! It's like $1895 or something now. I got mine used in excellent condition.

 

[Machinated]

I have also had good experiences with the 737 for vocals. Used it on bass and guitars too and it didn't sound too bad either.

 

[TheSweetener]

You really should check out different preamps for yourself.
All the pres mentioned above sound great! The differences are audible but they will all give you a professional sound. Mostly it's a matter of taste.
I just made some comparisons a few days ago (API, Germanium, ADT, UAudio) and stayed with my 8 channels of APIs. Not because they are better but because I like the uppermidbite they add to my guitar sound. The Germaium instead pronounced the guitar tone nicely. Some people may prefer that. The Uaudio sounded suprisingly precise (did not like that for guitars). In the 500kohm setting it was more in the vein of the Germanium.
Again, think about what sound you prefer for yourself, think about what you need the pre for and test it in the studio YOURSELF!

These are all good preamps and suggestions from this forum won't help you very much!

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I was gonna say the avalon also, but I see others have beat me to it.

 

[metalkingdom]

These are all good preamps and suggestions from this forum won't help you very much!

That's so not true. Believe it or not, there are people here with lots of experience and there's a lot of great advice found on these pages. Most gear purchases are made on word-of-mouth.

And "testing" a preamp in the studio is, for the most part, a complete waste of time unless you're gonna be "testing" it for a long ass time. It'll take weeks (most likely months) before you can really hear the true sonic character of nearly all outboard gear. If you have a lot of experience with lots of pres, then maybe a test will work but otherwise.... You can just plug in a mic and instantly find out most of what they're doing...pre's aren't nearly as apparent. Anything that provides good headroom and isn't lopping off lows and highs is good enough. You can read the specs to find that stuff out.

The mic is far more important than the pre.

 

[QV]

anyone has an opinion on the UA-6176?

 

[TheSweetener]

That's so not true. Believe it or not, there are people here with lots of experience and there's a lot of great advice found on these pages. Most gear purchases are made on word-of-mouth.

Yeah right.
But I think all those "which preamp sounds cool for metal guitars" threads don't really help. If you really don't know what you want it might help to hear what other people like and it might be cool to get a general impression of the different sounds. But in the end you have to learn and try for yourself.

For example. Everywhere people are talking about the colourful and dark sound of the 610 preamps. I don't know how many people really have heard the 610 themselves, but I was suprised how "transparent" it was sounding when I tested and compared it last week.
So be careful guys!

 

[QV]

The environment and your signal chain before and after the pre's is as important as the quality of the pre-amp. What may be apparent in one environment may not come across as clearly in another. As for the 610 I can compare it to the LA-610 (same pre-amp, minus the comp stage) and from my experience seems to add a unquantifable something compared to my onboard pre's (Harrison MR-3). IT seems like it adds a bit more clarity but that's not really it. When I A/B the two they sound almost identical, but I just seem to prefer the LA-610 even though the Harrisons give me more dynamic range.
go figure.