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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: waltmon on June 26, 2018, 04:21:09 PM
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I find myself needing and external pre after selling my mint v-2 (ugh) Any thoughts on these (or other) externals?
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I really like the SD USBPre2. SD sound, great meters and easy powering. Great build like all SD gear.
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I own both. Both are rugged (probably the Shure slightly more rugged — no problem driving over the FP24, other than paying to fix my car) and low noise. The Femto is slightly smaller and weighs a little less. The Shure uses two AA batteries and it lasts longer than I would have thought — at least 5-6 hours using phantom power and turning the LEDs down as far as they can go (still blindingly bright) ... the Femto uses two 9volt batteries — I can’t give estimates about how long the two 9v last because I haven’t used it in enough situations to know.
If I could only own one, it would by the Shure. The difference is that the technicians who service the units are here in Wisconsin (because it is a Sound Devices product). If I need service on the Femto, and I hope I never do, am I going to send it to France? I don’t think so.
Folks in Europe might have the opposite feeling.
both are excellent products and will provide quite a few years of use.
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I've got a Femto and a mixpre-D, too. They're similar in build quality. The Femto is easier to carry and overall the better option if you're going to record long sets / festivals as it features both a Hirose input and two internal 9V battery trays. If you're using LiIon rechargeables you might get >5h out of the 9V batteries. The mixpre-D is the better option if you need multiple outputs, limiter, channel ganging / linking. It's also a bit less sensitive than the Femto if you're recording super-loud stuff (Swans, Dinosaur Jr. etc.). It's bulkier though and you'll always have to carry some NP-1 rechargeables and cup-adapters for longer runs.
I might be selling one of these preamps at some point because I also have a mixpre-6 - but haven't decided yet which one to keep.
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The FP-24 is a rebadged Mixpre preamp. It has Lundahl transformers. The Femto and Mixpre-D do not. Mixpre-D has transformers but they are NOT Lundahls. Total redesign.
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The Femto is easier to carry and overall the better option if you're going to record long sets / festivals as it features both a Hirose input and two internal 9V battery trays. If you're using LiIon rechargeables you might get >5h out of the 9V batteries.
When I had the Femto I could get around 8 hours off two high mAh rechargeables.
Walt did you get the Femto? Looks like it sold.
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No, I bought mine directly from Audioroot (Antoine Malnati) about two or three years ago.
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I meant the op (Walt).
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I loved my fp 24......shit tons of clean gain, and sounded great with all of my mics. You will need a set of attenuators as the inputs run hot!!! Im looking for another one again lol
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I find this thread a little funny. I bought obaaron’s FP24 — I really love it too! — as well as the exact Femto unit which I believe Gordon used to own.
What I said in a previous post still is true: both are excellent pieces of gear that should last a very long time. I expect there’s going to be at least one and maybe more owners of these exact metal boxes I own, since they will probably outlast my taping career. Preamps seem to last (practically) forever!
My only concern, and this is theoretical, is how I am going to get any kind of service on the Femto if it ever needs it. For the Shure, I can drive for an hour or two and drop it off at Sound Devices HQ if necessary. (I used to do that with my old Koss headphones which had a lifetime no questions asked warranty — I would drive about two miles to the factory store with my broken set and get a replacement set in person).
Keep having fun out there!
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Never getting rid of my FP24. Thing just sounds so nice...there really is something to those Lundahls.
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Never getting rid of my PF24. Thing just sounds so nice...there really is something to those Lundahls.
Agreed on all points, except I don't think the Lundahls add a "color" of their own, in contrast to other transformer-based pres I've heard. What it does have is gobs of gain without getting noisy, if that is something you need.
One of the best audio-related investments I've ever made.
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And then there is this:
http://violectric-usa.com/pre-amplifiers/MPA_RS_01
Runs on standard 5.5V USB power. XLR in and out.
Currently $738 with the 10% summer discount, which seems a very fair price for a high end portable preamp.
I’ve not used one, but apparently well regarded over on GS. Competes in the Pueblo, Gordon preamp space. Made the now discontinued Schoeps VSR5 preamp.
http://violectric-usa.com/image/cache/data/RS01/LakePeople-RS01_left-960x430.jpg
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And then there is this:
http://violectric-usa.com/pre-amplifiers/MPA_RS_01 (http://violectric-usa.com/pre-amplifiers/MPA_RS_01)
Runs on standard 5.5V USB power. XLR in and out.
Currently $738 with the 10% summer discount, which seems a very fair price for a high end portable preamp.
I’ve not used one, but apparently well regarded over on GS. Competes in the Pueblo, Gordon preamp space. Made the now discontinued Schoeps VSR5 preamp.
http://violectric-usa.com/image/cache/data/RS01/LakePeople-RS01_left-960x430.jpg (http://violectric-usa.com/image/cache/data/RS01/LakePeople-RS01_left-960x430.jpg)
Very nice design. I've often thought of doing this, This is (probably) a standard SSM2017 design (from the old GP devices we had years ago). Inside there is probably a simple 5V -> -12/+12 V converter unit.
As for great Pres, I love the Sound Devices MP2.I love this thing but it's got noisy pots and needs the AA mod.Sound Devices does not want to help me, I am in Canada. USA service I hope is better.