Topic: Sennheiser MKH8040 > ??? > PCM-d50

[spcyrfc]

in the process of switiching things up.

curious if anyone has any suggestions out there.

price range is sub 700 and size matters. (smaller the better).

looking for inputs of all kinds.
thanks

[JasonSobel]

how about an aerco pre-amp.  if you have the patience to wait for a new one to be built, that's a nice, small, great sounding pre.  $750 new if I recall correctly.

[jlykos]

Sound Devices MP-2 / MixPre should also work.  About $650 new, and maybe $400 used.  You could also probably use a dpa preamp, but I have no experience with that one.

[BC]

size matters. (smaller the better).

Sonosax or core sound mic-pre? No personal experience with either of these tho. Aeta PSP 2 or PSP3 also.

[NOLAfishwater]

I would go for a transparent preamp b/c the 8040's are colored in my opinion.

[Jamos]

I'd also suggest an Aerco.
They are awesome sounding...
and would feed signal to a D-50 perfectly since they have a 1/8" out.

Although a mix-pre would also sound nice, just not as "robust" as the Aerco.

[spcyrfc]

Although a mix-pre would also sound nice, just not as "robust" as the Aerco.

does 'robust' mean bass response?  i have listened a bit, but not to anything with 8040's and mp2.. and am having a hard time telling what is colored for a pre and what not.

the mp2 from accounts here seems to be not transparent, but not too colored...
what sort of pre could offer the same form (size) as the mp2 and a more transparent or detailed response?

[Jamos]

I guess by "robust", I mean rich, lush, and/or powerful...not just in low-end response, but across the whole spectrum.  In all my listening to Aerco recordings, I always came away with the feeling that they were really detailed, and that they added so much depth to recordings.  While maybe not totally transparent, I think what I just described would complement almost any microphone.

There's an Aerco over in the yard sale right now, BTW.

Best of luck "searching for the sound".
I used to have a Phil Lesh shirt that said that on the back!

[jlykos]

what sort of pre could offer the same form (size) as the mp2 and a more transparent or detailed response?

Check out a Sonosax SX-M2.  I don't believe that they are in production any more and finding one used may push you a bit past your $700 limit, but it is definitely more transparent than the MP-2.