The Preamp Shootout!

[Glenn Fricker]

Hey guys,

I've been wanting to do this for a while, & finally got around to it: A preamp shootout for heavy rhythm guitar.

What we have here is five preamps. Some hi-end, some not-so hi end & one "what the fuck is that?" The clips are named A-E. No, I'm not telling anyone what's what yet.. this is meant to be a blind test. I'm sure a few of you guys know what I have in my aresenal, but I ain't saying what file is which pre... not for a week or two, at least.

The clips are all reamped. Meaning, same mic, postion, amp settings, & performance. That's the real trick, because subtle changes in performance can have a big effect in the overall sound. Thankfully, reamping negates that last bit.
Only the preamp has changed & the tracks have been level matched as best as possible.
No mixer processing of any kind was added to these tracks. It's just a raw 57 in front of the amp.



On the guitar was Brandon White from "Assassinate the Following" a technical metal group that I'm currently working with. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the song from which this performance was taken when it's fully mixed.


The files are all in .wav format & the download is about 37 megs.
Here's the link:
PREAMP SHOOTOUT

Please, feel free to post your comments & opinions.

Have fun,
-0z-

 

[metalkingdom]

I assume you're talking about a mic pre as opposed to a guitar pre, right?

 

[KeithRT99]

i don't hear a huge difference between them. The only difference i can discern is that some of the clips have alittle more mids. I think i like B the best.

 

[Ice Man]

What A/D are these going into?

 

[ReliXKeepeR]

A great shootout, thank you very much!

I can't hear too much difference between them.
A, C and E have just a bit of extra highs and B and D - lows.

Between B and D, D sounds a little bit bigger and ugly to me.
Between A and C, A sounds a little bit brighter.

I don't know... they're all so identical or may be my ears just suck!
OZ, what's your opinion about the sounds? If you can be objective, of course.

 

[tdr]

can you just post the names of the pres used for this test, so we can match them with a letter?

 

[JeffTD]

I like D and E best.

 

[broken81]

I like E and C

I hope one of those is api

 

[MetalWorks]

I didn't want to be the first to reply earlier and say they all sounded the same in my crappy work headphones.

But now that someone else already has.....

They all kinda sounded the same to me.

 

[STINNETT]

I'm just listening on PC speakers at work.

They all sound good, I can at least say that.
The only one that I can honestly say that I like noticably less than any of the others is B. It seems to be missing a little something that the others have in the midrange, but it still sounds good.

I think I'm liking C the best because it seems the punchiest somehow. It's a tough call between c and e for me. I'm trying hard to pick out what is different in the midrange, but I keep second guessing myself. I think I like C the best.

D seems to be a little tubbier than the others, which I don't like right off.

 

[broken81]

I think having my room treated with 703 absorbers now and built monitor stands and bought aurlex mopads for my monitors now i can finally hear subtle differences.

I Def suggest you treat your room if they all sound the same......

Each one has a different sound I would have to listen again but some are pretty beefy in the low mids and one almost a bit woofy and some have more highs. I have rookie ears so I'm drawn to the highs pretty easy as sounding better but I just answered what i think was my fav. Keep in mind my weak point is guitar tone still though :Smug:

 

[Radd]

They sound basically the same to me also. Maybe A is less "gainy" than the others?
Yeah, rookie ears and no treated room here.

 

[chadsxe]

**Warning*** I am not in front of my setup. I am at work on some decent JBL speakers. I am guessing I am not going to make a fair assesment on the low end until I get back home.

How much did you pay attention to the gain staging? It sounds like some might be hitting the front end a little harde then others. But then again that could be the nature of the pre. All things equal...

B and D sound really weak to me. Sounds like there being chocked of life. D is a tad better then B though

A sounds the best to me...Has a healthy mid section without getting to harsh on top.

C sounds a tad harsher then A.

E sounds a tad smoother then A

If I had to pick my preference it would be in this order....

Best - A , E , C , D , B - Worse



***Side note***
I know this is for fun and I appreciate all the effort but the guitar play needs to work on his picking technique. The whole up down thing on the palm muted parts would sound way better if it was hard down picked.

 

[kev]

C sounds tightest to me! From my brief listen, D is my least favourable.

 

[greyskull]

It sounds like some might be hitting the front end a little harde then others. But then again that could be the nature of the pre.

thatd be the api then

 

[J.DavisNJ]

The file just looks like a rar text file...Very strange. I'm on a Mac, can anyone help me out?

-Joe

 

[STINNETT]

The file just looks like a rar text file...Very strange. I'm on a Mac, can anyone help me out?

-Joe

A .rar is a compressed file.
You need a program to extract it. I'm not sure what you use on a MAC for that.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

A .rar is a compressed file.
You need a program to extract it. I'm not sure what you use on a MAC for that.

Stuffit

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Yeah I have a rar program but it usually does it automatically, let me give it a shot. thanks guys,

-Joe

 

[J.DavisNJ]

Weird, it's labeled as rar, but when it starts downloading it's rar.txt