I was so thinking of starting a new topic here, but since the V3 is discontinued, it seemed like I'd post a few things and this would die off.
So here we are.
My very favorite preamp so far has been the gigantic, in-the-way-and-needs-its-own-bag Apogee Mini MP.
I taped all last year with it, and it only let me down once, when I got a file filled with scratchy noises (I still don't know why).
See here, if you care:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=167179.0;allWell, preparing for the summer season I slutted it up big time, and $825 later I am next in line for this old ACM V3, which now has an ownership tree that looks like this:
spreadheadtom > edtyre > microburst > jbell > bass_ur_face > jb63
I just wish I still lived in NYC again, because there is currently more stuff there happening in a week than i can find in a year out in the desert.
So I spent a quite a bit of research pulling samples taped with one of these modded and unmodded before I decided that's what I wanted to try, but also because (like some cranky old hermit) I drag a big bag of gear along and make 3 or 4 tapes every chance I get. With the 3 outs on this pre, it gives me a chance to pull modded AND unmodded each time I use it.
The first outing was St. Vincent.
Couldn't have asked for a better test tape. Deep in the crowd, in the sweet spot, relatively respectful 30-something audience. The db levels of the show were all over the place and I had 3 other backup tapes running so I could fiddle with this. Turned out I nailed the levels perfect for the digital out, and ran them slightly high from the XLR out to the MR2.
The levels on the V3 were at 12 o'clock (35) and the trim was also at 12 o'clock. The right trim got nudged just a bit over 12 which I think is why the right channel is a bit thicker.
Levels on the MR2 were set to -11db, and while that looked right on the meters, it was still too hot for me.
Single samples in 16/44.1:
ACMV3:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VlqN5R8fn6bVFwZ0ZybWhvMDQ/edit?usp=sharinganalog:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VlqN5R8fn6X3IyUFIxVnhwdTQ/edit?usp=sharingfull show in 24/48:
ACMV3:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VlqN5R8fn6VDNOMXVOeTVZaWM/edit?usp=sharinganalog:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-VlqN5R8fn6MUtIZXVkZlA4aTA/edit?usp=sharingThats the best I can do for comparisons for now.
Anyone with more experience with one of these, please chime in and give me some settings tips.
Anyone else, feel free to grab the samples, shows, and ask questions.
Plus, go see St. Vincent.
I had no idea Annie was in the Polyphonic Spree when they opened for David Bowie all those years ago.