i am currently running a quite high-end, but not very portable setup for the chamber music i do. i have pairs of DPA 4006s (omnis), DPA 4011s, AKG c481s, AT4051s, and DPA 4061s, with 8 channels of millennia media HV3 preamps, into a roland vs1880. in the past, i have also owned pairs of tlm103s, km184s, royer r-121s, rode NTKs, gefell m300s, and many others. i think out of all themics i have used, i sort of like the akg c481s the best - i can literally use them on anything in almost any kind of situation, though i also like the sound of the DPA omnis - a more spacious and lush sound, though they dont image quite as well as ORTF cards. however, blumlein ribbons are often wonderful for chamber music in many situations hwere condensers can come across as sort of too crispy, even harsh, for strings and woodwinds. i am considering dropping abunch of my current gear in favor of a nice portable 2 channel system, and may move back to a blumlein ribbon setup like the royer sf12, or maybe a akg c426b.
so, a couple of questions for you guys who have used every preamp, converter, and mic known to mankind:
1. what would be your absolute dream 2-channel setup - mics, pres, converters, recorder?
2. are there any of the portable 2 channel preamps that can handle ribbons effectively? maybe the sonosax? others?
thanks.