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Author Topic: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P  (Read 13362 times)

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Offline lsd2525

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #15 on: July 18, 2016, 11:48:33 AM »
I'm bumping this in the hopes of getting more info from any users.

I love my mod dr-70d setup, but external preamps might take the Schoeps tapes to the next level. The Audioroot femto is another option, of course, but Millennia's reputation precedes them.

Another good option is the SD MixPre / Shure FP-24 on eBay (and here) every so often for under $400.  But I find my modded 70D equal in quality to the FP24 preamps until I need very high gain levels, since where the 70D starts to get noisy.  But even recording 100% acoustic / classical music, I never need to go there.  The 70D is always set to MID or even LOW gain.   The FP24 only gets used when I need 6 channels going, and it's feeding into the M10.

I'm sure this Millennia is outstanding, but I think we're now getting to the point where a lot of built-in preamps are plenty good enough and externals are not needed.  If you are recording highly detailed music in a quiet hall which will allow you to hear those fine differences (i.e. not stack taping) then maybe you will hear the benefit from an external pre.  But at that highest level of performance, it would probably make more sense to have a one-box professional solution from SD, Nagra, Sonosax, etc.

Volt, I forgot - which mod does your 70 have? Thanks!
Mics: SKM184's; ADK A51s; AT4041; Superlux S502; CK91 active w/homebrew BB; AT853; Naiant X-X; Nak 300's
Recorders: M10; DR-60D; DR-701D

Offline voltronic

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #16 on: July 18, 2016, 12:03:14 PM »
I'm bumping this in the hopes of getting more info from any users.

I love my mod dr-70d setup, but external preamps might take the Schoeps tapes to the next level. The Audioroot femto is another option, of course, but Millennia's reputation precedes them.

Another good option is the SD MixPre / Shure FP-24 on eBay (and here) every so often for under $400.  But I find my modded 70D equal in quality to the FP24 preamps until I need very high gain levels, since where the 70D starts to get noisy.  But even recording 100% acoustic / classical music, I never need to go there.  The 70D is always set to MID or even LOW gain.   The FP24 only gets used when I need 6 channels going, and it's feeding into the M10.

I'm sure this Millennia is outstanding, but I think we're now getting to the point where a lot of built-in preamps are plenty good enough and externals are not needed.  If you are recording highly detailed music in a quiet hall which will allow you to hear those fine differences (i.e. not stack taping) then maybe you will hear the benefit from an external pre.  But at that highest level of performance, it would probably make more sense to have a one-box professional solution from SD, Nagra, Sonosax, etc.

Volt, I forgot - which mod does your 70 have? Thanks!

Jim Williams mod.  He does not do the mod himself, but provides the full details for free.  You just have to be comfortable working with surface mount components (or find a shop that does).  Details at the bottom of the 70D FAQ.

To my knowledge, the only other TS member who has that particular mod is Cheesecadet. 
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Offline lsd2525

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #17 on: July 18, 2016, 12:52:54 PM »
Duh......if I had looked at your signature line, I would have seen it :facepalm: Going to see Steve Miller and imbibing too much on a school night makes for a bad Monday. Thanks!
Mics: SKM184's; ADK A51s; AT4041; Superlux S502; CK91 active w/homebrew BB; AT853; Naiant X-X; Nak 300's
Recorders: M10; DR-60D; DR-701D

Offline noahbickart

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #18 on: August 31, 2016, 10:12:36 PM »
...if you aren't happy with the way your rig sounds, then it definitely makes sense to switch things up and maybe get an external preamp 8)

I'm not unhappy with the way my rig sounds.

I just have the same insatiable drive for more and better gear like the rest of you sluts.

The truth is, I think the transducers make most of the difference.

Nonetheless, the Millennia seems like the kind of thing tapers would be into these days- 4 separate preamp flavors into a f8
Recording:
Capsules: Schoeps mk41v (x2), mk22 (x2), mk3 (x2), mk21 & mk8
Cables: 2x nbob KCY, 1 pair nbob actives, GAKables 10' & 20' 6-channel snakes, Darktrain 2 & 4 channel KCY and mini xlr extensions:
Preamps:    Schoeps VMS 02iub, Naiant IPA, Sound Devices Mixpre6 I
Recorders: Sound Devices Mixpre6 I, Sony PCM m10

Home Playback: Mac Mini> Mytek Brooklyn+> McIntosh MC162> Eminent Tech LFT-16; Musical Fidelity xCan v2> Hifiman HE-4XX / Beyerdynamic DT880

Office Playback: iMac> Grace m903> AKG k701 / Hifiman HE-400

Offline noahbickart

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #19 on: March 26, 2017, 11:11:33 PM »
I'm having trouble between deciding which preamp to spring for. I think I've narrowed it down to the following three:

1. https://www.mil-media.com/HV-32P.html
2. http://rupertneve.com/products/portico-5012/
3. http://www.puebloaudio.com/isleta---battery-preamp.html

Any thoughts?
Recording:
Capsules: Schoeps mk41v (x2), mk22 (x2), mk3 (x2), mk21 & mk8
Cables: 2x nbob KCY, 1 pair nbob actives, GAKables 10' & 20' 6-channel snakes, Darktrain 2 & 4 channel KCY and mini xlr extensions:
Preamps:    Schoeps VMS 02iub, Naiant IPA, Sound Devices Mixpre6 I
Recorders: Sound Devices Mixpre6 I, Sony PCM m10

Home Playback: Mac Mini> Mytek Brooklyn+> McIntosh MC162> Eminent Tech LFT-16; Musical Fidelity xCan v2> Hifiman HE-4XX / Beyerdynamic DT880

Office Playback: iMac> Grace m903> AKG k701 / Hifiman HE-400

Offline pohaku

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #20 on: March 27, 2017, 12:26:08 AM »
Tough decision to make.   ;D

FWIW, here are some random thoughts in no particular order.

The Portico and the Millennia are very different sounding preamps (keeping in mind that, IMHO, the sound distinction between preamps has been somewhat oversold).

See the mic preamp graph from the listening sessions:

http://www.prostudioreviews.com/mic-preamp-graph.html

Millennia and Neve Portico inhabit opposite ends of the graph.

I don't know where Pueblo falls on this graph, but knowing some of the users of the current Pueblo preamp line from GS and what they record, I would expect it to fall on the transparent end.

I have one old converted module Neve preamp (not the more modern Portico line) and I would say it is certainly not a "clean" pre.  I have a couple Millennia TD-1s (which have the HV-3 preamp), which are just great, but really too large and heavy for location recording of the type that we do here.  I really like the sound (and having Millennia EQ and DI is a bonus), so I would not be at all averse having that type of clean/transparent preamp in a smaller more portable package.

More bells and whistles with Millennia and Neve.

More gain with Pueblo.

I don't know what the Pueblo will weigh in at, but the Millennia is significantly lighter than the Neve (3 pounds compared to 8 pounds) - and smaller too.  A 5 pound weight differential is pretty significant to me.

« Last Edit: March 27, 2017, 10:21:52 AM by pohaku »
Mics: akg c460 (ck61, ck63), c414buls, c568eb; at4049a, 4051a, 4053a, at853; josephson c42; neumann U87, km84i; beyer m130, m160, m500; aea r84; gefell m71, mt711s, m200, m201, um70S; sony c38; schoeps cmc6, CMBI (mk4, mk21, mk41, mk4v); sennheiser mkh30, mkh40, md421, md431, md541; audix m1290
Pres: API, a-designs, pendulum, purple, millennia TD-1 and HV-32P, gt, littlebox, tinybox, usbpre2, CA 9200, pipsqueak, grace V2, DAV BG1
Cables: KCY, CMR, Naiant AKG actives, PFAs, asst.  GAKables and Darktrain
Recorders/converters/monitors: dr680, m10, dr-2d, d50, zoom f8 & F8n pro, 788T SSD CL-8, lynx aurora 8, Neumann KH20


Yeah, I'm an attorney, but everyone needs a day job

Offline noahbickart

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #21 on: March 27, 2017, 07:54:20 AM »
See the mic preamp graph from the listening sessions:

http://www.prostudioreviews.com/mic-preamp-graph.html

Millennia and Neve Portico inhabit opposite ends of the graph.

I suspect the Neve is rated "colored" assuming the "silk" mode is engaged. One of the things that I find attractive about that unit is the ability to both use and defeat that mode (though in general, I think it's better to add "color" in post with DSP).

Thanks for the other comments, though, weight is always an issue.
Recording:
Capsules: Schoeps mk41v (x2), mk22 (x2), mk3 (x2), mk21 & mk8
Cables: 2x nbob KCY, 1 pair nbob actives, GAKables 10' & 20' 6-channel snakes, Darktrain 2 & 4 channel KCY and mini xlr extensions:
Preamps:    Schoeps VMS 02iub, Naiant IPA, Sound Devices Mixpre6 I
Recorders: Sound Devices Mixpre6 I, Sony PCM m10

Home Playback: Mac Mini> Mytek Brooklyn+> McIntosh MC162> Eminent Tech LFT-16; Musical Fidelity xCan v2> Hifiman HE-4XX / Beyerdynamic DT880

Office Playback: iMac> Grace m903> AKG k701 / Hifiman HE-400

Offline yug du nord

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Re: New PRE Alert: Millennia HV-32P
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2017, 09:50:23 AM »
I've never run one..  but the Portico is sweet!!  Normal mode is more transparent than the silk mode IMO, but the silk mode has that Neve smoothness.  The thing is a beast though..  big and heavy compared to most "portable" units these days.  It sounds great with Schoeps IMO. 
The sonic "color" of Neve is a preference...  either you like it or don't.  Somewhat similar in the way that the Apogee pre amps have a sonic "color".  Either you like the Apogee sound or you don't.
There are a number of people on TS that use the 5012..  ask around for opinions on it.
.....but you WILL need a bigger gear bag! 
.....got a blank space where my mind should be.....

 

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