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Author Topic: Favorite preamp for AKG's?  (Read 15476 times)

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Marshall7

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #30 on: March 09, 2015, 11:17:28 PM »
Yep, that is what you need - more gear.  ;D

Yeah, especially another preamp.   ;D  I haven't even added my second Tinybox to that list, or this baby that I just got last Thursday:

http://us.focusrite.com/mic-pres/octopre-mkii

Offline Nick's Picks

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #31 on: March 19, 2015, 07:54:40 AM »
back when I ran mod'460's, the Apogee MMP preamp was my favorite pairing.  Pulled some really great recordings.

Offline ts

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #32 on: March 22, 2015, 10:57:35 AM »
Even though I ran it for quite a few years, JW460>V3 was not my favorite combo. :facepalm:

Offline obaaron

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #33 on: March 22, 2015, 12:34:23 PM »
Gonna run my ck63's with my fp24 for Karl D on 4/2....ill be sure to post it.
Mics:  Gefell M20,M21- sms2000/nbob | Schoeps MK4V;MK4- cmc1L/cmc6/nbob | AKG ck1,3,8,22;ck61,62,63,69- c460b/c480b/Naiant/nbob actives | Neumann KM140/150 | AT853, AT933 | CA-11 | DPA 4022 (on loan)
Pres: Naiant Littlebox | Tinybox | BMod Edirol UA-5 | Church ST-9200
Recorders:  Zoom F8 | Tascam DR-680 | Tascam DR-60D | Sony PCM-M10
Video: Canon VIXIA HF R42

**ISO** -   Schoeps mk22 matched pair | Neumann Ak43 pair

Offline F.O.Bean

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #34 on: March 23, 2015, 12:54:21 AM »
Even though I ran it for quite a few years, JW460>V3 was not my favorite combo. :facepalm:

Yea, same here :( I ran 481/3>V3 for a few years, and just didn't like the results consistently(highend too grating/fatiguing). Not saying I didn't pull some smokin tapes with the combo, but once I got my 722, I sold the v3 pretty quickly. It was just something about the V3's ADC with the AKGs?!?!?! I even bought a modSBM1 to run V3>XLR>ModSBM1>JB3 because I didn't care for the V3's ADC lol ;D I guess I just ran the v3 because it was the best preamp out there at the time! And it had the option for an optical output, which I upgraded to, which was the easiest/best preamp on the market at the time with an optical output for all of us JB3 users ;D

Grace needs a new preamp on the market. The V3 came out in 2002, and its been 13 years since it came out :P :)
Schoeps MK 4V & MK 41V ->
Schoeps 250|0 KCY's (x2) ->
Naiant +60v|Low Noise PFA's (x2) ->
DarkTrain Right Angle Stubby XLR's (x3) ->
Sound Devices MixPre-6 & MixPre-3

http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/diskobean
http://www.archive.org/bookmarks/Bean420
http://bt.etree.org/mytorrents.php
http://www.mediafire.com/folder/j9eu80jpuaubz/Recordings

Offline easy jim

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #35 on: April 05, 2015, 04:35:23 PM »
I've run 460s, 452s, 568s and 414s, and have generally liked AKGs best paired with some kind transformer pre amp.   Aerco is generally my favorite (have one), though I also enjoyed the SD MP2 when I had one.  I've also heard great sounding recordings by others with the Oade bricks and the Portico. 

When using omni capsules (ck22) and with outdoor cardioid recordings, however, with both the 452s and 460s, I have really enjoyed them paired with a V2/V3 and a Mini-Me. Large diaphragm AKGs also pair well with the Grace and Apogee pres.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2015, 09:12:04 PM by Jackrabbit »
Mics:   AKG c452eb(x2)/c460b(x2) + a60m(x2)/a51(x2)/vr-1(x2); ck1(2),ck22(x3),ck3 (x2)
Pre/A2D:  Aerco MP-2 | Benchmark AD2K+
Recorders: Busman V/T Mod. Edirol R-4 Pro | MOTU Traveler/MacBook Pro | Sony R500 | Sony PCM-M1
Post: Digital Performer 8/iZotope RX 9

Offline rockymtnryan

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #36 on: April 08, 2015, 06:16:02 PM »
What about 4 channel options that don't cost an arm and a leg? Would love to find a unit that gives good clean gain, taking the PFA XLR's in and sending out XLR to the deck. The DR-70D I just got doesn't have digital inputs so it would have to be XLR.
AKG CK61-ULS > Nbob actives > Naiant PFA > Sound Devices MixPre-6 II
AKG CK63-ULS > Nbob actives > Naiant PFA > Sound Devices MixPre-6 II

Offline obaaron

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #37 on: April 08, 2015, 07:45:10 PM »
Well i ran my ck63's > naiant actives/pfa > fp24 > dr60 last Thursday along with my gefell m210's full body > tinybox (p48)  > dr60 and the AKG source was overloading in the input stage on the fp24 and it came out unusable.  This was with the gain all the way diwn on. The fp24. Weird thing is that I ran my m21 caps > nbob actives/pfa > fp24  last month for Lettuce and there was no overloading.  It was the same PFA/extension cable used the different mics so it has to be the naiant akg couplings or ck63's causing the overloading.  Need ti send some pics to Jon for analysis.

Bummed i wanted to hear how the ck63 Naiant actives sound with the fp24 guess ill habe to wait for the next show....

Good luck and have fun with the new gear!
Mics:  Gefell M20,M21- sms2000/nbob | Schoeps MK4V;MK4- cmc1L/cmc6/nbob | AKG ck1,3,8,22;ck61,62,63,69- c460b/c480b/Naiant/nbob actives | Neumann KM140/150 | AT853, AT933 | CA-11 | DPA 4022 (on loan)
Pres: Naiant Littlebox | Tinybox | BMod Edirol UA-5 | Church ST-9200
Recorders:  Zoom F8 | Tascam DR-680 | Tascam DR-60D | Sony PCM-M10
Video: Canon VIXIA HF R42

**ISO** -   Schoeps mk22 matched pair | Neumann Ak43 pair

Offline carlbeck

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #38 on: April 30, 2015, 09:47:47 AM »
FP24 spec for input clipping is -10dBu (-12dBV), which my AKG actives can easily exceed.  I think their sensitivity was around -37dBV/Pa and max level was 134dBSPL?  That's +3dBV.

You could either use an inline pad, or switch the FP24 to 15V phantom, which when used with a PFA will act as a -10dB pad on the active capsules.  Neither is the best solution, the basic problem is the FP24 probably has a fair amount of minimum gain from its input transformer.

There also seems to be a different in the FP24's line vs. tape output, with the line output capable of much higher levels.  I don't know if that could be the source of the problem.

I'd recommend testing with a controlled source to determine what is clipping and under which settings.

I will second what Jon said but in much less techno detail. The FP24 runs HOT, I have clipped the input numerous times with my 414's unless I used the pad on the mic or an inline pad. Running my Berliner's into the FP24 was fine without the pad probably due to them being less sensitive. I tried running my MBHO 440's at WSP last weekend & bam, overloaded the input, I couldn't turn the gain down enough to stop the dreaded red clip lights on the FP24 so I put my inline pads in & viola all was well again. In other words a set of pads with your actives & you should be good to go!
I know you like, tape for people's approval and stuff, and wave your tapes around like they're your dick...  but even you can't actually think section tapes from philips sound good.  



Mics: Telefunken Elam 260, 61, 62, MBHO KA200, KA500 > Niant PFA's, AKG C34L-MS
Preamps: Grace Lunatec V2, Shure FP24
Decks: Tascam DR-2d, Zoom F8

Old rig: Recording: AKG C34 & AKG CK1X or CK2X > MK46 > 460 > Aeta Mix2000 > Sound Devices 702

Playback: Thorens TD125, Denon DVD-2900> Bel Canto DAC-1 > Audible Illusions 3B > Rogue Atlas >ZU Wax Shotgun> Hyperion 938
ALL TUBES BABY!!!

Offline SmokinJoe

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #39 on: May 17, 2015, 11:39:54 AM »
I had a littlebox with switchable input trannies, and I loved running my 460/mk46/ck1x combo into that littlebox with the trannies on. If was wonderfully warm. The problem was that it ran hot, and I was always worried I was going to brickwall at a loud show. Most recently I was running 461's or 481's into my OCM R4 Pro, and liked it, it seemed significantly mellower than the V3.

I've always found it interesting that different mics and pres seem to blend differently in different combinations; interesting because it's not always predictable.  I used to think "those are bright mics" and "that is a warm pre", etc, but it's not that simple.  Here are some rambling examples.... With AKG's my V3 is "too detailed", AKG's into OCM R4 Pro is "smoother".  With my Gefells, it's exactly the opposite.  Gefells and AKG's into Mini-MP was good (too bad the form factor sucks). With a Busman T-mod R4, it seems neutral with AKGs or Gefells... a bit lifeless, but not objectionable in any particular way.  In some cases, with a given pre and caps, switching between 460 and 480 bodies seems to matter, and sometimes it doesn't.  I never got an "akg active project" setup mostly because it adds another variable, and I would probably have to go through another 3 preamps until I found one I liked with them. ADK-TL's seem to mate well with almost any pre, and Schoeps seem to tolerate almost any pre well also.

What does all this mean? I don't know, except that it's not always predictable, and at an intellectual level I would really like to understand it.  I suspect a lot of it has to do with input/output impedances of the particular devices, which most of us don't think about very often.  Some studio pres have variable input impedance to allow the engineer to tweak the flavor of the mic.  I've never used one so I don't know if it's really audible with music, or only when recording unicorn farts with properly burned in cables. 

Anyway, I just bought back into Team Gefell. but I haven't sold all my AKG's yet. 
« Last Edit: May 17, 2015, 02:39:15 PM by SmokinJoe »
Mics: Schoeps MK4 & CMC5's / Gefell M200's & M210's / ADK-TL / DPA4061's
Pres: V3 / ST9100
Decks: Oade Concert Mod R4Pro / R09 / R05
Photo: Nikon D700's, 2.8 Zooms, and Zeiss primes
Playback: Raspberry Pi > Modi2 Uber > Magni2 > HD650

Offline MakersMarc

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #40 on: May 17, 2015, 08:40:11 PM »
BRICK. 
😈 Mk4v/41v>nbob actives>Baby nbox>Oade warm mod Marantz 620.

Open: 4v/41v>nbobs>Nicky mod Naiant PFA>Oade warm mod 661.

Home: the Stereo Hospital budget refurb rig: Lappie>DragonFly Cobalt/Red with Jitterbug>Nikko NR520/Sansui 221>B&W V202 speakers.

Offline scb

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #41 on: May 18, 2015, 11:48:04 AM »

Offline MakersMarc

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #42 on: May 18, 2015, 04:33:01 PM »
😈 Mk4v/41v>nbob actives>Baby nbox>Oade warm mod Marantz 620.

Open: 4v/41v>nbobs>Nicky mod Naiant PFA>Oade warm mod 661.

Home: the Stereo Hospital budget refurb rig: Lappie>DragonFly Cobalt/Red with Jitterbug>Nikko NR520/Sansui 221>B&W V202 speakers.

Offline wlp

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Re: Favorite preamp for AKG's?
« Reply #43 on: May 23, 2015, 09:21:11 AM »
I run a Shure FP24 and needed a solution to the high line output.  Jon had a great recommendation -
"The maximum output of the FP24 is rated at +22dBu, and the maximum input of the FR-2LE is +2dBu. Therefore, you should use a 24dB attenuator if you want to operate the FP24 at its nominal level."
I ordered a cabled pair from him at a good price.  Perfect solution.

 

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