Topic: V3 questions

[kindms]

Got a few questions about powering the V3 I recently got on YS.

Is there a way for me to figure out if my V3 is 6V or 12V? Or can I run it under either, so long as there is enough current? I was under the impression I might need to swap a jumper on the power board to switch between 6/12V, but the comments in this thread and the fact I didn’t see a labeled jumper when I popped the lid off have me questioning that.

Congrats, it's a great preamp. 

There are 2 labeled jumpers on the board (see manual linked above). I'm not sure they do anything other than perhaps adjust the V3's built-in in battery metering, but I'm only speculating so don't take that as gospel. The manual does warn against changing them without contacting the factory first, so maybe more to it.  The V3's built-in metering was intended for old-school SLA battery systems and is no longer needed with modern batteries like the Talentcell that have their own metering built-in, and different chemistry and discharge characteristics.  Best to just forget the V3 battery meter is even there.

Main thing to know about is a detail about the power input.  The center split-pin of the power cable will at some point become slightly loose in its contact socket.  When that occurs, screwing down the connector more firmly actually aggravates the power-intermittency problem rather than helping to eliminate it, because doing so centers the center pin more perfectly in its loose contact socket.  The fix is to gently spread the split pin a bit to achieve good contact again.  It will then, in my experience, work fine for many years.  If that were to ever occur in the field while recording where you need to remedy it ASAP, loosen the connector slightly and gaff tape the cable so that it pulls to one side slightly instead of being perfectly centered and the preamp should run fine the remainder of the night.

another thing to keep in mind is feeding it 12v will get it nice and hot so dont freak out but good to keep in mind if you close your bag etc

[wforwumbo]

Thanks to everyone for all the replies here. Ran the v3 successfully off a 12V Talentcell battery. I ran the v3 and mixpre6 stacked on the floor next to my bag, and everything stayed cool to the touch. Normally my mixpre-6 gets extremely warm in the bag, so I think having some air flow helped keep my gear cool.

[crunchy]

I love the V3. So glad to see there is still some current conversation about this almost 20 yr old pre/AD.

[rocksuitcase]

I love the V3. So glad to see there is still some current conversation about this almost 20 yr old pre/AD.

I was setting up at a show and the FOH guy was being a teacher to an apprentice guy from the local community college studying "sound engineering". FOH guy sees the Grace pre-amp, point it out, and says to the apprentice, "these taper guys carry the very best sounding gear and that pre-amp is one of the finest portables ever made".   
He also took time to explain what the difference is between the typical stage SM57/58 dynamic  mics and the condensor mics I was using. (AKG 460 based)
Good FOH guy.

Wumbo- The V3 seems to get very hot in an enclosed bag running at 12V. kindms also has put the battery out of the bag on the ground on very few occasions.

[barrettphisher]

Ran the V3 all weekend at a festival, somehow ended up with a little rock inside of the V3.  Took it apart and cleaned it out.  Been using my V3 since 2004. 

[Gutbucket]

A spontaneous conception after years of rollin'!
Rock on!

[KenH]

Main thing to know about is a detail about the power input.  The center split-pin of the power cable will at some point become slightly loose in its contact socket.  When that occurs, screwing down the connector more firmly actually aggravates the power-intermittency problem rather than helping to eliminate it, because doing so centers the center pin more perfectly in its loose contact socket.  The fix is to gently spread the split pin a bit to achieve good contact again.  It will then, in my experience, work fine for many years.  If that were to ever occur in the field while recording where you need to remedy it ASAP, loosen the connector slightly and gaff tape the cable so that it pulls to one side slightly instead of being perfectly centered and the preamp should run fine the remainder of the night.

An option that I learned about here to deal with that is to place a small piece of rubber in the split of the pin (a small snip of a rubber band, or heat shrink) which helps maintain contact.   Once I did that and kept the power cord attached, never had a problem.

[DSatz]

20 years isn't old for well-designed, well-made equipment. I'm still very fond of my V3. The ultra-low distortion, the low-cut options, the high input impedance and input headroom, the predictable and repeatable gain settings, the metering--all are just about perfect for me / the type of recording that I do / the mikes that I use.

A few years back I bought a Sound Devices MixPre-D to replace it--smaller and of more recent design--but I just couldn't "feel" it, and I never used it. Plus if I recall correctly, it had a somewhat awkwardly large amount of gain in its input stage and might sometimes have needed external pads at the inputs. That's sad when the first thing after those pads is a pair of built-in step-up transformers! It just gave me a less than ideal feeling, whereas the V3 gives me no bad feelings of any kind.

That said, for purely analog situations I have a Sound Devices MP-2 that also gives me no bad feelings of any kind, and I appreciate that it's so small and can run on internal batteries for hours. It's just for a different application, is all.

[Chilly Brioschi]

 The "feel" of electronics.
I know exactly what you mean.
Logarithmic vs. linear controls, and different gradients, taboot !
The physical, tactile feel of smoothness, resistance, and glide that represents quality and engineering of detail.

But most of all, and this lives in the land of M.A.SH. Army surplus radio...
There is nothing that models a vintage radio weighted (as in flywheel) tuning knob
Collins, National, Hammerlund, ...those old girls had serious knob feel !