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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: rastasean on February 01, 2008, 12:18:27 PM

Title: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: rastasean on February 01, 2008, 12:18:27 PM
Hey Everyone,

I want to know what your favorite portable pre-amp is. I don't know all that much about pre-amps yet so when you tell me your favorite, I'll google it and read all about it, or you could tell me a little bit about it too. Not only do I want to know your favorite pre-amp but I want to know what pre-amp you have, it may be a different one, and what his or her name is.
I would do a poll for this but let's just have a running list.

have fun,
rS

[edit: I am looking for your favorite non-rackmountable, non-usb amp. In other words, something portable with great sound If you're recording into say a 670,670, R-09, 2LE, is it very cost effective to have something like the miniMP with usb? I certainly don't think so but what is a reason you would would get a device with USB for field work? I could be wrong, don't be afraid to tell me so.]

Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: OOK on February 01, 2008, 12:41:02 PM
anything with the name apogee in it....... >:D
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: sygdwm on February 01, 2008, 12:56:25 PM
oade m148
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: rastasean on February 01, 2008, 01:05:36 PM
oade m148

Yeah, I've heard about the Oade m148 & m248. I don't think I need anything that high tech like USB inputs like the minime has. What is the difference between the 148 & 248? maybe its the number of inputs? How much does a 148 & 248 run?

appreciate the help!
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: JD on February 01, 2008, 01:09:06 PM
Neve Portico 5012   ;D
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: easy jim on February 01, 2008, 01:25:55 PM
Aerco or PSP2 ;)
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: willndmb on February 01, 2008, 01:54:11 PM
ua5 is my fav for features like 4 channels on the fly mix
v3 is my fav for sound
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: powermonkey on February 01, 2008, 02:06:39 PM
I've only used two different pre's - a Church-Audio ST9000 which got me a couple of very nice results indeed, and my FEL BMA-1, which sounds fantastic. Both were used in between a pair of CA STC-11s and an Edirol R09.

Taped a couple of bands last night, with really pleasing results. The second folks - Two Cow Garage - were as loud as FUCK, and I have no idea how I ddn't melt the FEL, let alone overdrive it, but it sounds great. Even with the minimum 10db boost on it, which just means that I can keep the R09 input low. Last night - despite the sound being so loud I very nearly quit rolling tape and headed out for a minute to clear my ears - I didn't even get close to clipping. I'm seriously impressed, both with my mics and my pre.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: sygdwm on February 01, 2008, 02:07:45 PM
oade m148

Yeah, I've heard about the Oade m148 & m248. I don't think I need anything that high tech like USB inputs like the minime has. What is the difference between the 148 & 248? maybe its the number of inputs? How much does a 148 & 248 run?

appreciate the help!

148 is fixed gain (20db)
248 is variable gain (not sure the db range)

the innards are entirely different beasts. number of inputs in limited to 2 on both. they run from 900-1500.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: stirinthesauce on February 01, 2008, 02:15:08 PM
anything with the name apogee in it....... >:D

x2

I miss my mme.   :'(
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: rastasean on February 01, 2008, 02:27:19 PM
148 is fixed gain (20db)
248 is variable gain (not sure the db range)

the innards are entirely different beasts. number of inputs in limited to 2 on both. they run from 900-1500.

holy crap!
If that is really what it sells for, I should just get the miniMP even though I would probably never use the damn UBS ports.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: bgalizio on February 01, 2008, 02:28:22 PM
Aerco or PSP2 ;)

These seem to work great with most mics.

I like many other pres, but the mic/pre combo is very important.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: OFOTD on February 01, 2008, 02:33:58 PM
http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,96907.0.html
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: stirinthesauce on February 01, 2008, 03:35:30 PM
148 is fixed gain (20db)
248 is variable gain (not sure the db range)

the innards are entirely different beasts. number of inputs in limited to 2 on both. they run from 900-1500.

holy crap!
If that is really what it sells for, I should just get the miniMP even though I would probably never use the damn UBS ports.

mini mp doesn't have usb, it's only a pre.  mini me does, it is also an a>d converter

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,96907.0.html

Watcha need ^^
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: Nick's Picks on February 01, 2008, 04:10:31 PM
Of all the preamps i've used, the Apogee MMP was my most universal, user friendly favorite.  sounded great w/every set of mics I ran into it. (lots of them).

Can't go wrong w/the Oade preamps.
for that matter, you can't really go wrong with an Oade modified recorder where he rebuilds the preamp (or at least tweaks the hell out of them).  The resulting modifications usually come out very, very nice.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: Brian Skalinder on February 01, 2008, 09:37:56 PM
It depends in large part on the mics.  Some mics/preamps are a good match, others not so much.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: Chris K on February 01, 2008, 10:00:56 PM
V3 for mics

V-Twin for guitar   ;D
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: H₂O on February 02, 2008, 12:00:08 AM
PSP-2
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: Nick's Picks on February 02, 2008, 08:31:01 AM
some preamps are more universally friendly, IMO.

for example, the MMP or V3.  I have not heard anything that sounds bad through those.  I dont even find that they complitment any one particular brand of mic over another.  they just sound goooood!

an m148 on the other hand....
I wouldnt' use w/certain mics.  Def. not w/any LD mics.

the 248, I would only want to use that with MK4s or Geffels.

but to each ear, their own.
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: Tim on February 02, 2008, 11:45:19 AM
an m148 on the other hand....
I wouldnt' use w/certain mics.  Def. not w/any LD mics.

betcha I can change your mind on that one ;D

the u89s sound great through a transformer based pre
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: digifish_music on February 03, 2008, 01:49:07 AM
Hey Everyone,

I want to know what your favorite portable pre-amp is.

[edit: I am looking for your favorite non-rackmountable, non-usb amp. In other words, something portable with great sound If you're recording into say a 670,670, R-09, 2LE, is it very cost effective to have something like the miniMP with usb? I certainly don't think so but what is a reason you would would get a device with USB for field work? I could be wrong, don't be afraid to tell me so.]



Sound Devices MixPre, mainly for its very very low noise, nice gain, nice limiters and ruggedness.

(http://www.dvuser.co.uk/images/img/sony-hd-hdv/nick-way-z1-audio/mixpre.jpg)

http://www.sounddevices.com/download/photos/mixpre-in-out.jpg

http://www.sounddevices.com/download/photos/mixpre-master.jpg

BTW: IMO the mics, recording location, mic placement etc have far far far far far (did I say far enough?) more effect on the sound than the mic preamp...assuming it's not a cheap piece of crud. 

My favourite thing about the MixPre is the low noise, I do mainly field-recording so it wins my vote there, you can wind it to + 60 dB and hear almost nothing.

The thing I hate about it is the LEDs will blind you...in daylight...on the dimmest setting  ;D

digifish
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: dmonkey on February 03, 2008, 12:45:50 PM
Quote
The thing I hate about it is the LEDs will blind you...in daylight...on the dimmest setting  ;D

I just got one of these and noticed the same thing. You can use them as flashlights if you kick the brightness setting all the way up. Hell, you could probably signal airplanes with those things.  :yack:
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: digifish_music on February 03, 2008, 06:55:29 PM
Quote
The thing I hate about it is the LEDs will blind you...in daylight...on the dimmest setting  ;D

I just got one of these and noticed the same thing. You can use them as flashlights if you kick the brightness setting all the way up. Hell, you could probably signal airplanes with those things.  :yack:

Indeed. Honestly it's a bit stupid...what were they thinking?  ::)
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: jlykos on February 05, 2008, 04:41:09 AM
148
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: muj on February 05, 2008, 05:28:17 AM


portable: m148 the best

non portable: gordon audio ..
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: it-goes-to-eleven on February 05, 2008, 10:12:01 AM
Indeed. Honestly it's a bit stupid...what were they thinking?  ::)

Maybe that some folks will use the pre in the sun?
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: Nick's Picks on February 05, 2008, 12:39:43 PM
what?  you mean unobtrusive concert taping wasn't the design goal?
these freakin companies.  what are they thinking?

Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: digifish_music on February 07, 2008, 10:56:45 PM
Indeed. Honestly it's a bit stupid...what were they thinking?  ::)

Maybe that some folks will use the pre in the sun?


The dimmest setting is fully visible, at the beach, on a sunny day. I have tested.   ;)

digifish
Title: Re: What is your favorite pre-amp
Post by: stirinthesauce on February 08, 2008, 12:30:46 AM
If in need, you could use as landing lights for a runway.  Or to signal aliens in the next galaxy.