Topic: Tascam DR100mkII Preamp Comp Vs. Schoeps VMS 52UB

[stevetoney]

Here's some live music I recorded a week or two ago that should give a rough idea of what the stock preamps in the Tascam DR100mkII sound like.  You'll need to click the following links and download the files to your machine.  I've provided both 16bit FLAC files and MP3 so you can take your choice of whether you want to take more time to download the larger uncompressed format. 

This comp was completely unscientific and please don't worry about commenting on how or why my comping methods are flawed.  This was just a simple attempt to figure out if the Tascams preamps sound like crap or if they sound decent.  (FWIW, they sound really nice, IMHO.)  So, this comp was done with four different bands with the mics in the same location and nothing else was changed downstream, except for first putting the VMS in the chain and then adding the mini-me. 

For reference, the music was recorded in a medium sized room, maybe 40 feet wide by 60 feet deep that may hold a hundred or so people.  The mics are 7 feet high, DIN and maybe 30 feet from the stage.

Schoeps MK41 > M221b tubes > Tascam DR100mkII

Nicos Gun
FLAC:   http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?q00wss96im004j0
MP3:  http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?xko3uvv61xuddai

Court Four
FLAC:  http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?865m8103g783v8w
MP3:  http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?6rm54d065z4r7lf

Schoeps MK41 > M221b tubes > Schoeps VMS52UB > Tascam DR100mkII

Glenn Strother Project
FLAC:  http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?4j2hn7ufa25n2vv
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1ut297phcboyga0

Schoeps MK41 > M221b tubes > Schoeps VMS52UB > Apogee Mini-Me > Tascam DR100mkII

Sweet Earth
FLAC: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?axhcr5d8t4965se
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?va7t8mqbgoblepa

[F.O.Bean]

And for comps sake, here are links to my GSP/Sweet Earth recordings on etree

mk41>Sonosax>M10

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=551750&hit=1

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=551782&hit=1

[newplanet7]

Thanks Steve!!!!!!!!!!
Yep the pres sound clean to me.

[hi and lo]

The MME is so warm! Night and day difference vs. just the VMS. 

The Tascam samples are not bad at all. Cranking the m902 all the way up, I do hear more self-noise than the VMS source, but the difference is very minimal. Overall they have a slightly warm tone to them.

Nice work on this!

[newplanet7]

High Steve.
Quick question. Did you have the mic in set to low with the material you recorded?
And if yes, where was the gain from the gain wheel control set and where were you peaking

[stevetoney]

High Steve.
Quick question. Did you have the mic in set to low with the material you recorded?
And if yes, where was the gain from the gain wheel control set and where were you peaking

For the recordings where I didn't use the external preamp, I actually had it set to Line In and levels were peaking at something like -25db, so I had to add lots of gain in post to get levels up for the samples.  I didn't expect the low levels for fairly loud music, but I didn't want to change settings after the band started so I left the switch on Line In.  Then for the second band where I recorded without the external preamp, I forget about changing the switch to mic-in until after the second band started...ya know, by then it was 12:30 or so and a few beers had crept upwards to the brain.   

[F.O.Bean]

High Steve.
Quick question. Did you have the mic in set to low with the material you recorded?
And if yes, where was the gain from the gain wheel control set and where were you peaking

For the recordings where I didn't use the external preamp, I actually had it set to Line In and levels were peaking at something like -25db, so I had to add lots of gain in post to get levels up for the samples.  I didn't expect the low levels for fairly loud music, but I didn't want to change settings after the band started so I left the switch on Line In.  Then for the second band where I recorded without the external preamp, I forget about changing the switch to mic-in until after the second band started...ya know, by then it was 12:30 or so and a few beers had crept upwards to the brain.   

And I forgot to hit Pause/Record to actually record that 1st band

[F.O.Bean]

Just did some searches for any VMS52ub pics, and stumbled upon this comp. I am really diggin the vms52ub source!!! Now if I can only convince tonedeaf to sell me the damn thing So Steve, if your watching, just go ahead and sell me your VMS52ub I'll keep it between us and I PROMISE if I EVER sell it, it will only be back to you Besides, you bought a new car and IM SURE you need the money Just wait until November since I need all the funds I can get for Hampton

[cashandkerouac]

This comp was completely unscientific and please don't worry about commenting on how or why my comping methods are flawed.  This was just a simple attempt to figure out if the Tascams preamps sound like crap or if they sound decent. 

well that sure does take all the fun out if it.