While I don't yet have a my preferred preamp (m148, still in acquisition mode) to run in front of a recorder, for purposes of comparative listening exercises, I do have the opportunity over the next couple of weeks to record some amplified shows (Billy Strings, JRAD) and generate some A/B comparisons. I have 2 pair of AKG480/ck61 that just came back from being serviced by Harman Pro, which I need to run anyway to verify performance before the 90d warranty window closes. For sure can do SD-MP6ii vs Zoom F8n. If anyone is interested in loaning me an Oade mod tascam, etc. to put into the mix, then please drop me a PM.
Excellent, some A/B samples with 2 pairs of identical mics can be so revealing. Looking forward to it.
Alright, here's a comparison sample, from Billy Strings at the Frost Amphitheatre, 10/7/23. 480+ck61 (full bodies, no active cabling) into SD MixPre6ii and Zoom F8N, respectively:
https://we.tl/t-8HGHX5KwgK link is good for a week.
First and foremost, shoutout to Ryan H for his indispensable assistance (gaffer's tape for the win!) on this night.
Setup details, for those who give a shit:
Both stereo pairs were mounted on same stand, i.e: 40deg included angle, spaced 11" (I would have preferred much greater spacing in order to try to achieve better imaging / wider soundstage, but it was the best I could do, in light of gear constraints. And 'great stereo image' was not up high on the list of goals or outcomes for this exercise to begin with.) The 2 pairs were arranged such that the vertical (Y axis) offset was just enough to accommodate windscreens (Movo WST50, which were overkill), with a 2" horizontal (X axis) offset or stagger that allowed me to 'tetris' the 2 stereo pairs together in a way that minimized the vertical offset--I hope that makes sense. Otherwise, the capsules were all on the same plane (Z axis), so no offset in terms of distance to the PA. I shoulda taken a pic. Oh well. Mics raised to 10 or 11 ft high. We were at the front left corner of the FOH 'corral', which had us offset from DFC about 30 feet (the FOH area at the frost is LOC to begin with)--in other words, the mic stand was almost but not quite directly in-line with left PA stack.
Both recorders were configured the same: 24/96, limiters off. Same types of xlr cables used (brand new Canare L-4E6S with Neutrik Silver connectors, for those who REALLY give a shit). I did my best to match levels on each recorder the 'old fashioned' way (meaning fine-tuning the gain/trim settings during the show), but it was hard since the 2 units have different metering, and neither one shows a max dBfs for each channel (as far as I know). (FWIW, I was in the 25-28db gain range on the Zoom, and closer to 30-31db on the SD). Had some difficulties getting the SD up and running*, which is why the comp is limited to just the last 13+ mins of the first set. But I think it's plenty enough to allow folks to draw conclusions.
Post-production consisted only of normalization (I normalized each of the 4 mics/channels/tracks individually).
Anyway, have a listen please do post your impressions/observations, preferences, dislikes, guesses, etc if you feel so inclined. Happy to reveal the sources via PM.
*The first time ever even touched a Sound Devices unit was when Mean Gene handed this one--his spare/backup--to me 15 minutes before doors. It was still in the plastic wrapping, factory seal intact. And unsurprisingly, he didn't have any idea how to configure it, even though he owns and runs one... 
Topic: Running a preamp in front of a recorder that doesn't have a true "line-in" (Read 5041 times)