help me spend my 600€ for pre/comp/strip

[yava]

Hey dudes...(thrilled to start my first thread in this forum!)

I'm planning to go outboard for tracking. I need to say that this is my first outboard gear, so i don't know exactly how to start this mission.

During my last mixing sessions I started to like to narrow my possibilities for the future process and just slightly touch the major changes i made to focus and build up on the impression i had when i get in touch with a source the first time.
So now i think it's the right time to start the go-outboard-mission to have almost the signal i want to have when i start to mix (and i just love to turn real knobs!). I think u got the point

So, like everyone who asked this questions in the last years, i have no money but want everything. (Just joking) I have about 600/650€ (670/730$) and need your experience, which pres/comps/strips are the best-bang-for-bucks products out there within my budget.

Firstly i thought i would i go for something like the ART Voice Channel 555€. http://www.thomann.de/de/art_voice_channel_b_stock_2.htm

Then a ton of reviews and the possibility of a stereo solution for tracking acoustic gtrs for example brought me to the following products, which could be combined for my budget to have sth similar to this strip mentioned above:

ART Pro MPA II 359€ http://www.thomann.de/de/art_pro_mpa_ii.htm
ART Pro Channel II 439€ http://www.thomann.de/de/art_pro_channel_ii.htm
Golden Age Project Pre-73 MKIII 339€ http://www.thomann.de/de/golden_age_project_pre_73_mkiii.htm
Golden Age Project Pre-73 Jr 259€ http://www.thomann.de/de/golden_age_project_pre_73_jr.htm
Warm Audio WA12 Mic Pre 479€ http://www.thomann.de/de/warm_audio_wa12_mic_pre.htm
FMR Audio RNC 1773 219€
http://www.thomann.de/de/fmr_audio_rnc_1773.htm
FMR Audio RNLA 7239 259€ http://www.thomann.de/de/fmr_audio_rnla_7239.htm
FMR Audio PBC-6A 399€ http://www.thomann.de/de/fmr_audio_pbc6a.htm

Also i'm open for any suggestions.

Extra-info:
-Interface: PRO 40

-I'm able to get a decent sound ITB and have like 10 yrs experience with recording. I just stated this to say that i'm not a beginner and understand the controls of a compressor and hear the difference between different ones .

-I find myself using more colored plugins than crystal-clear sounding ones at the moment.

I know, in the end it's my choice but as i said, i need someone who probably used this stuff and can tell me about some dis/advantages.

cheers and thanks in advance,
yava

 

[mickrich]

Would have to be focusrite isa one with digital card.
Superb sounding pre with variable impedance, headphone amp, di input.
The digital card will let you plug into the spdif input on your interface giving much better analog to digital conversion.
I have 9 channels of isa (isa828 and 220) and use them alongside api, neve clones and universal audio la610 and they sound great.

 

[JeffTD]

IMO you'd be much better off getting a 600€ pre vs trying to find one that has everything. I'd probably start a little 500 series rack going; you can get an API or Neve clone + the chassis for around that price, especially if you look used or go the DIY route. From there you can start adding EQs and Comps as you go and have quality parts the whole way through rather than going with something that does everything okay but nothing great.

 

[Trevoire520]

Personally I wouldn't worry about the eq side of things too much, thats easy enough to deal with ITB. A decent pre and compressor would be a good start though. I'm using a GAP 73 and a Hairball 1176 clone and have been really happy.

A Warm/GAP/ISA preamp will be fine, and Warm are also doing a very budget friendly 1176 clone that's getting good reviews, or there's a few lunchbox 1176 variants available now if you want to head down that route.

 

[yava]

Thanks for your replies!

 

[Delitzsch]

The Vintech Audio 573 is a great choice and it's close to your price range.

 

[MrBongo]

avoid the ART stuff, unless you definitely want to go for their super-slow transient response. they tend to soften recordings a lot.
also, the noise floor is higher than those of different preamps

the FMR Audio PBC-6A is pretty good and useful, but not a preamp, just a compressor

i second the Focusrite ISA, as i have the 4-channel version and it gives great results