b0b0
Full Member
Posts: 39
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Post by b0b0 on Jul 14, 2021 8:47:50 GMT -6
I know, I know...another exhausting question that will be answered with "buy both and send one back", however I would appreciate hearing from anyone who's ever heard these two side by side.
In one corner, we have the beloved AML 1073 500 series who many love dearly... I have 2 of these and love them. I gather from many that they're the "preferred" 500 series 1073 regardless of price. However, I have a bit touch of FOMO of wondering what I might be missing.
Enter the BAE 1073 19" version (which I have assumed as the next best thing to vintage Neve).
ANYWAY - it's all first world cork sniffing, I know...but anyone have any perspective on this? Do the 19" BAE classics still own the day next to a AML?
...also, I know some are partial to Heritage and AMS as the defacto "available new" standard for 1073, and so welcome those thoughts as well.
For discussion/context purposes, I'm looking at this for recording male vocals with a Flea 47 for Americana / Folk / Rock.
Cheers!
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 16, 2021 6:30:51 GMT -6
I have never heard the AML 1073 500 series in person, but I've been down the Neve rabbit hole. In general the 500 series 1073s are always a touch cleaner than the rack units. They have less transformers and are powered differently than the rack units. From what I've seen AML is always regarded as really good at it's price point, but when it comes to Neve there are usually only two names that come up when discussing the best modern day versions; AMS-Neve and BAE. Ask which is better and you'll get a split right down the middle. The AMS-Neve is slightly cleaner sounding with a deeper low end and more sparkle on top. The BAE has a big low midrange thing going on with a slightly warmer, but less focused sound. Truth is if you went to a studio with an old Neve console you'd probably find different channels that could match up with each of these. There are those on here who might call out the Stam, which is a nice piece if you can get it in a timely manner. Having heard them next to a BAE, I'd still choose the BAE. I just really wish the BAE channel strips were not so expensive. 3-3.5K is a a lot for a single channel.
Personally, I own the AMS-Neve 1073 DPX, which is their lower budget 2 channel 1073 channel strip (3K for 2 full channels). It's really nice, although it can be pushed into distortion easier than I ever expected. Albeit, I sing far louder than most people. I use it a lot these days for session vocals paired with my U67 or U87ai, particularly for anything pop/classical crossover. There is something nearly finished about the vocals when I record through it. For more traditional jazz or even opera I usually use my Dan Alexander 1272. The 1272 in general is a beefier sound than the 1073. My unit has vintage transformers and each channel is a little different. Channel one is a little cleaner and more in the vein of the AMS-Neve, but with more low mid growl. I love it with the U67. Channel two has a touch less sparkle on top with a bigger mid range thing going on. It's my preferred preamp with my FleA 49. The 1272 doesn't distort as strongly as the 1073. Its more saturation than distortion. In general picking one 1073 or the other is probably more a matter of genre and vibe than anything else.
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 16, 2021 8:47:44 GMT -6
I have the Stam 1073 with eq with Sowters. Love it. Little darker than Heritage or Neve (at least the 500s.) The BAE was really good too. I’d be interested to hear this new AudioScape too.
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Post by svart on Jul 16, 2021 9:08:19 GMT -6
I'm going to be a buzzkill here, as usual.. The difference in tone between clones is roughly the same as the difference between vintage units due to their old parts tolerances. Pick whichever one is available, affordable, and fits the slot/rack size you need.
I have a set of real BA283 based 1290 preamps with Marinair and carnhill transformers and my chinese Alctron clones sound almost the same. Huge difference in price. Very little difference in mojo.
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 16, 2021 9:44:33 GMT -6
I'm going to be a buzzkill here, as usual.. The difference in tone between clones is roughly the same as the difference between vintage units due to their old parts tolerances. Pick whichever one is available, affordable, and fits the slot/rack size you need. I have a set of real BA283 based 1290 preamps with Marinair and carnhill transformers and my chinese Alctron clones sound almost the same. Huge difference in price. Very little difference in mojo. I wish I was as happy with my pair of TNC ACMP84s as you are with your Alctrons, but I did not have the same experience when I compare them to my Neve or Dan Alexander units. I find the cheaper Chinese clones brighter and with less mojo. Still hoping to mod them down the road though.
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 16, 2021 9:44:43 GMT -6
I'm going to be a buzzkill here, as usual.. The difference in tone between clones is roughly the same as the difference between vintage units due to their old parts tolerances. Pick whichever one is available, affordable, and fits the slot/rack size you need. I have a set of real BA283 based 1290 preamps with Marinair and carnhill transformers and my chinese Alctron clones sound almost the same. Huge difference in price. Very little difference in mojo. I think the output transformer makes a huge difference
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,817
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Post by ericn on Jul 16, 2021 13:04:34 GMT -6
I'm going to be a buzzkill here, as usual.. The difference in tone between clones is roughly the same as the difference between vintage units due to their old parts tolerances. Pick whichever one is available, affordable, and fits the slot/rack size you need. I have a set of real BA283 based 1290 preamps with Marinair and carnhill transformers and my chinese Alctron clones sound almost the same. Huge difference in price. Very little difference in mojo. I think the output transformer makes a huge difference It is all about both the input transformer. I keep thinking I should do the terrible thing and buy a bunch of the AML 1073 kits switch out the Transformers with the Dan Alexander’s, then I would have 8 ch with EQ Vintage iron and I could probably sell of the DA’s and laugh all the way to the bank, but that would wrong.
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Post by tkaitkai on Jul 16, 2021 15:12:06 GMT -6
Vincent nailed it.
I've had AMS Neve and Vintech pres here at different points. They both sound like 1073s, but the AMS Neve had a much more extended high end, whereas the Vintech was little more relaxed/almost rolled off (probably closer to a BAE in that regard). The Vintech also had a slightly thicker midrange, while the AMS Neve was a little cleaner and less saturated.
As Svart pointed out, this is probably not very different from the variations between vintage units. They all sound like 1073s with their own quirks. I would expect the AML and BAE to be a similar comparison.
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Post by svart on Jul 16, 2021 15:19:03 GMT -6
Vincent nailed it. I've had AMS Neve and Vintech pres here at different points. They both sound like 1073s, but the AMS Neve had a much more extended high end, whereas the Vintech was little more relaxed/almost rolled off (probably closer to a BAE in that regard). The Vintech also had a slightly thicker midrange, while the AMS Neve was a little cleaner and less saturated. As Svart pointed out, this is probably not very different from the variations between vintage units. They all sound like 1073s with their own quirks. I would expect the AML and BAE to be a similar comparison. Nobody ever considers that the clones might have *more* mojo than the vintage units. Somehow folks always believe the vintage units will be more "vibey".
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Post by notneeson on Jul 16, 2021 15:29:33 GMT -6
Vincent nailed it. I've had AMS Neve and Vintech pres here at different points. They both sound like 1073s, but the AMS Neve had a much more extended high end, whereas the Vintech was little more relaxed/almost rolled off (probably closer to a BAE in that regard). The Vintech also had a slightly thicker midrange, while the AMS Neve was a little cleaner and less saturated. As Svart pointed out, this is probably not very different from the variations between vintage units. They all sound like 1073s with their own quirks. I would expect the AML and BAE to be a similar comparison. Nobody ever considers that the clones might have *more* mojo than the vintage units. Somehow folks always believe the vintage units will be more "vibey". Speaking personally, when you "know" something is more special, you tend to hear it as more special. Much harder a year later with no session notes if you can't recall what was used on what source.
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Post by svart on Jul 16, 2021 15:43:12 GMT -6
Nobody ever considers that the clones might have *more* mojo than the vintage units. Somehow folks always believe the vintage units will be more "vibey". Speaking personally, when you "know" something is more special, you tend to hear it as more special. Much harder a year later with no session notes if you can't recall what was used on what source. You know, when I first got these 1290's I was actually quite disappointed in them. They were my first *real* preamp and my expectations were that angels would come down from the heavens and tickle my eardrums. I got.. Preamps that sounded not much different than those in my mixer at the time. Yeah some of that was poor tone through the mackie mixer masking the preamps, and some of that was the shitty monitors I had, and some of that was not knowing how to gain stage very well to get more tone out of them.. But I had convinced myself that all the "OMG these are awesome" posts on GS and other places meant these would somehow blow my socks off.. So yeah, they're great for the things you know they'll shine on. They're perfectly fine for everything else too. But I'm with you, if I put my Alctrons on some things and these on other things, I'm never going to be able to pick one or the other out of a mix. I'm not even sure I could differentiate these from API preamps either..
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Post by audioscape on Jul 16, 2021 17:25:23 GMT -6
Vincent nailed it. I've had AMS Neve and Vintech pres here at different points. They both sound like 1073s, but the AMS Neve had a much more extended high end, whereas the Vintech was little more relaxed/almost rolled off (probably closer to a BAE in that regard). The Vintech also had a slightly thicker midrange, while the AMS Neve was a little cleaner and less saturated. As Svart pointed out, this is probably not very different from the variations between vintage units. They all sound like 1073s with their own quirks. I would expect the AML and BAE to be a similar comparison. Nobody ever considers that the clones might have *more* mojo than the vintage units. Somehow folks always believe the vintage units will be more "vibey". Spot on! Couldn't agree more. There is such a thing as "too much" when t comes to "N" style mojo, IMO... Can't wait for everyone to hear the V1290 - I'd be interested to hear your thoughts as well, svart !! What output transformers are in yours? ...assuming original input and Carnhill output?
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Post by svart on Jul 16, 2021 17:35:06 GMT -6
Nobody ever considers that the clones might have *more* mojo than the vintage units. Somehow folks always believe the vintage units will be more "vibey". Spot on! Couldn't agree more. There is such a thing as "too much" when t comes to "N" style mojo, IMO... Can't wait for everyone to hear the V1290 - I'd be interested to hear your thoughts as well, svart !! What output transformers are in yours? ...assuming original input and Carnhill output? Yes that's correct. I have a couple other channels with carnhill on input too
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Post by hadaja on Jul 16, 2021 23:46:33 GMT -6
Well i am going down a slightly different road and am going for the Vintech x73. Have not got it just yet but from all from reports it sits in well for the $$$ whilst being a considerable step up from the clones and the Warm Audio wa73eq type units. Hopefully we are not too far off from it getting built.
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Post by bricejchandler on Jul 17, 2021 2:14:38 GMT -6
Over the last couple of years I've owned most Neve clones it seems, Heritage, BAE, AML, AMS, Scheps and a studio I work at has a vintage BCM10 so I'm familiar with the sound of the original.
I find they all sound great but they excel on different things.
The only one I didn't love is the Heritage, I found it pretty disappointing to be honest, it sounded a bit small compared to my other preamps, it had a nice color to it, but it was pretty lean in the low end and lacked some high end extension. ( This was comparing it to Coil preamps, Tree Audio Branch, Capi Heiders, BAEs). The one I had was the table top version, which is supposed to be identical to their handwired strip.
The AMS dpa and the AML are pretty similar, they're versatile, they sound cleaner, flatter than some Nevish preamps, I've used both over the years and have always been very happy with the recordings. I'm not a huge fan of the AML eq, I find the BAE eq is much better, it sounds thicker, more exciting but the AML eq is still useable, but I wouldn't buy the pre just for the eq.
The AMS handwired is an amazing sounding preamp, it's a great balance between color and clean, it's a little thicker than the DPA, but not quite as fat as the BAE, which I think is the perfect balance, if I could only have one currently made Neve 1073 pre this is the one I would get. The eq is fantastic, the preamp sounds amazing on vocals. ( Though to be honest I like their 1081 even better ).
Lastly the BAE, I really like the sound of this preamp for electric guitars. I've kind of gone back and forth with this preamp over the years, I really like the vibe, but I find it sounds a bit unbalanced sometimes compared to the AMS.
This is the one I currently own and I've been using it quite a bit on vocals also, though I find I always have to cut some low mids, which were never a problem with the Neve DPA. However there's a bite in the mids that I've really grown to enjoy, it's more agressive than the DPA. It's not quite as Hifi though, for a modern production I'd probably go for AMS.
So anyway, to sum up my meandering post, what do you feel is missing from the AML? If you find the AML too clean, the BAE might be the ticket. The BAE also has a nicer distortion if that's your thing. The BAE low mid thickness might be a bit too much with the FLEA47.
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b0b0
Full Member
Posts: 39
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Post by b0b0 on Jul 17, 2021 6:58:29 GMT -6
Over the last couple of years I've owned most Neve clones it seems, Heritage, BAE, AML, AMS, Scheps and a studio I work at has a vintage BCM10 so I'm familiar with the sound of the original. I find they all sound great but they excel on different things. The only one I didn't love is the Heritage, I found it pretty disappointing to be honest, it sounded a bit small compared to my other preamps, it had a nice color to it, but it was pretty lean in the low end and lacked some high end extension. ( This was comparing it to Coil preamps, Tree Audio Branch, Capi Heiders, BAEs). The one I had was the table top version, which is supposed to be identical to their handwired strip. The AMS dpa and the AML are pretty similar, they're versatile, they sound cleaner, flatter than some Nevish preamps, I've used both over the years and have always been very happy with the recordings. I'm not a huge fan of the AML eq, I find the BAE eq is much better, it sounds thicker, more exciting but the AML eq is still useable, but I wouldn't buy the pre just for the eq. The AMS handwired is an amazing sounding preamp, it's a great balance between color and clean, it's a little thicker than the DPA, but not quite as fat as the BAE, which I think is the perfect balance, if I could only have one currently made Neve 1073 pre this is the one I would get. The eq is fantastic, the preamp sounds amazing on vocals. ( Though to be honest I like their 1081 even better ). Lastly the BAE, I really like the sound of this preamp for electric guitars. I've kind of gone back and forth with this preamp over the years, I really like the vibe, but I find it sounds a bit unbalanced sometimes compared to the AMS. This is the one I currently own and I've been using it quite a bit on vocals also, though I find I always have to cut some low mids, which were never a problem with the Neve DPA. However there's a bite in the mids that I've really grown to enjoy, it's more agressive than the DPA. It's not quite as Hifi though, for a modern production I'd probably go for AMS. So anyway, to sum up my meandering post, what do you feel is missing from the AML? If you find the AML too clean, the BAE might be the ticket. The BAE also has a nicer distortion if that's your thing. The BAE low mid thickness might be a bit too much with the FLEA47. Thanks so much for the complete response! Much appreciated. In general, I’m happy with the AML, and it’s well complimented with my vintage 1272’s, VP28s, LA610, and RPQs. I want to add more “neve” flavour for when I do drums, but also want the best vocal chain I can assemble. Again: I fully appreciate that I can get great results with what I already have…and so it truly is a curiosity thing. I would say that I welcome colour (as we spell it here in Canada). So I would expect that I’d like what the BAE can do…especially if I only have 1 or 2 channels of it. With that, I wonder as well about the 19” AML, and if the power makes it any different than the 500 series.
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phil
Full Member
Posts: 32
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Post by phil on Jul 21, 2021 10:39:44 GMT -6
Over the last couple of years I've owned most Neve clones it seems, Heritage, BAE, AML, AMS, Scheps and a studio I work at has a vintage BCM10 so I'm familiar with the sound of the original. I find they all sound great but they excel on different things. The only one I didn't love is the Heritage, I found it pretty disappointing to be honest, it sounded a bit small compared to my other preamps, it had a nice color to it, but it was pretty lean in the low end and lacked some high end extension. ( This was comparing it to Coil preamps, Tree Audio Branch, Capi Heiders, BAEs). The one I had was the table top version, which is supposed to be identical to their handwired strip. The AMS dpa and the AML are pretty similar, they're versatile, they sound cleaner, flatter than some Nevish preamps, I've used both over the years and have always been very happy with the recordings. I'm not a huge fan of the AML eq, I find the BAE eq is much better, it sounds thicker, more exciting but the AML eq is still useable, but I wouldn't buy the pre just for the eq. The AMS handwired is an amazing sounding preamp, it's a great balance between color and clean, it's a little thicker than the DPA, but not quite as fat as the BAE, which I think is the perfect balance, if I could only have one currently made Neve 1073 pre this is the one I would get. The eq is fantastic, the preamp sounds amazing on vocals. ( Though to be honest I like their 1081 even better ). Lastly the BAE, I really like the sound of this preamp for electric guitars. I've kind of gone back and forth with this preamp over the years, I really like the vibe, but I find it sounds a bit unbalanced sometimes compared to the AMS. This is the one I currently own and I've been using it quite a bit on vocals also, though I find I always have to cut some low mids, which were never a problem with the Neve DPA. However there's a bite in the mids that I've really grown to enjoy, it's more agressive than the DPA. It's not quite as Hifi though, for a modern production I'd probably go for AMS. So anyway, to sum up my meandering post, what do you feel is missing from the AML? If you find the AML too clean, the BAE might be the ticket. The BAE also has a nicer distortion if that's your thing. The BAE low mid thickness might be a bit too much with the FLEA47. Hi guys! This is my first post! For two years I have been collecting a lot of information and listening to a lot of shootouts between AMS Neve and BAE. Unfortunately, in the country where I live, there is no way to test the AMS and BAE modules. So I would appreciate it if you could point me to the right direction. A couple of years ago I bought an AMS 1073 DPA and to be honest I was not happy with the sound of this preamp. In my opinion, it sounded quite sharp and piercing in the upper mids on vocals. I expected the sound to be smooth, but it was sharp, edgy and cold. Ams 1073 Dpa also has a very tight, punchy sound (which is great for recording instruments), but I think the transients are too fast and sharp on vocals, and they just hurt the ears. I read somewhere how John Kenn described it as Laser Beam like upper-mids, and I think that's exactly what I heard. Could you please tell me if the AMS Neve 1073/84 Classic handwired modules have the same sharpness in the upper mids area as the AMS 1073 DPA, or do they sound smoother? Also, in the country where I live, BAE and AMS cost the same. But it is very difficult for me to choose, because there are very few tests with AMS handwired modules on the Internet. You guys have a lot of experience. I would be very grateful if you could tell me about the sound of AMS Neve modules, and how they sound compared to BAE and AMS 1073 DPA. Cheers!
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Post by christopher on Jul 21, 2021 12:16:15 GMT -6
I’ve used the BAE strips, for me the EQ was a revelation, what I remember was they overdrive easily and the harmonics sound pretty great. The drive worked out great on snare and drums, bass got grungy and gritty not what I was looking for but it worked. Dirty clean guitar was sm57, very pretty but right on the borderline of too much edge. Vocals were a gorgeous tone but a battle to sit back and simply tolerate, very sharp and painful. I figured it was the room and the mic, a mid level tube mic. If I had more time with BAE strips, I would experiment with lower gain settings and see if I can get a cleaner more transparent sound and see what happens. I have the heritage 500 EQ only, which is like the neve / BAE pretty sound but no overdrive. I drive it with a 511 no silk. What I’ve learned, the harder I hit the input of the heritage EQ, the more I get to the opened up ‘neve’ land. If I hit the EQ too soft, kind of lifeless. That has been a great revelation, and now I always have the input on the pre cranked(!) and output trim on the EQ backed off. Much better results.. I’m so liking it that I’m now looking at the heritage 80series modules on Sweetwater like everyday, lol. That said I’m also visiting the Stam site quite a bit. The Stam strips would be my first choice if they were in stock.
Edit: sorry about the confusion, I have the 500 series HA73EQjr
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Post by ab101 on Jul 21, 2021 13:44:17 GMT -6
I’ve used the BAE strips, for me the EQ was a revelation, what I remember was they overdrive easily and the harmonics sound pretty great. The drive worked out great on snare and drums, bass got grungy and gritty not what I was looking for but it worked. Dirty clean guitar was sm57, very pretty but right on the borderline of too much edge. Vocals were a gorgeous tone but a battle to sit back and simply tolerate, very sharp and painful. I figured it was the room and the mic, a mid level tube mic. If I had more time with BAE strips, I would experiment with lower gain settings and see if I can get a cleaner more transparent sound and see what happens. I have the heritage 500 EQ only, which is like the neve / BAE pretty sound but no overdrive. I drive it with a 511 no silk. What I’ve learned, the harder I hit the input of the heritage EQ, the more I get to the opened up ‘neve’ land. If I hit the EQ too soft, kind of lifeless. That has been a great revelation, and now I always have the input on the pre cranked(!) and output trim on the EQ backed off. Much better results.. I’m so liking it that I’m now looking at the heritage 80series modules on Sweetwater like everyday, lol. That said I’m also visiting the Stam site quite a bit. The Stam strips would be my first choice if they were in stock. I have tried the Heritage 1073/500 and the eq is killer on bass! So I would hope their 80 series does that for you. I now have the Heritage 73 eq jrs, and it does a lot for me on the eq that the 1073/500 did, to my surprise. I would love to try the 80 series. Good luck! (I know nothing about Stam.)
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Post by maldenfilms on Jul 21, 2021 13:58:41 GMT -6
I had an AMS Neve 500 series 1073 preamp and EQ and I similarly heard the "laser beam" upper mids thing, especially on vocals. It was not at all what I expected from it. I ended up returning those and went with a BAE preamp and RND 551 EQ. This is exactly what I was hoping for. It's thick, creamy, and just sounds "right". The 551 EQ is significantly smoother than the AMS EQ too. It's a beautiful pairing.
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Post by tkaitkai on Jul 21, 2021 14:29:31 GMT -6
I had an AMS Neve 500 series 1073 preamp and EQ and I similarly heard the "laser beam" upper mids thing, especially on vocals. It was not at all what I expected from it. I ended up returning those and went with a BAE preamp and RND 551 EQ. This is exactly what I was hoping for. It's thick, creamy, and just sounds "right". The 551 EQ is significantly smoother than the AMS EQ too. It's a beautiful pairing. Yep, I experienced the same thing with the 1073 SPX. I was trying to be polite earlier by describing it as a "more extended high end," but since we've ripped the bandaid off... I returned it long before the demo period was over. A really cool piece of gear for sure, and it occasionally sounded great, but in general, it had this really grating/piercing (almost "squeaky") quality to the high frequencies that I just couldn't get along with. Especially for vocals. The Vintech X73 was noticeably different in this regard. Much smoother, darker (but not dull or muddy), thicker, and more relaxed. Based on what I've heard, the BAE seems to be quite similar. No telling which one is more true to the original, but when I'm actually ready to commit to a 1073, it'll be BAE or Vintech for sure.
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Post by hadaja on Jul 21, 2021 14:51:28 GMT -6
Hey Phil welcome to RGO, I too live in a country where the BAE and AMS are near impossible to test/buy locally. Like you I have scoured a lot of pages over the years about Neve and clone products. I am seeing more people talk about the original/vintage transformers helping to impart the sound that most people are looking for. I think you make a good point and I think by taking that point further that maybe there actually may not be ONE specific Neve unit that works on vocals as well as instruments if we are also chasing the goal of achieving that last 10% of high quality sound we are hearing in our heads. That is an interesting thought. Currently I am in the process of buying a less popular quality Neve/Clone 1073 unit as I am not chasing that last 10% in sound but going for a "all in one" option for both vocals and instruments. I am not in same commercial league as others here on the forum so it will be interesting to read up on your journey through this . But once again, welcome to the forum.
EDIT/UPdate :Actually I see tkaitkai above me mentioned the Vintech x73, that's the unit I am going for. None in my country so I have to buy one OS sight unseen. Fun times but we are getting closer.
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Post by drsax on Jul 21, 2021 16:08:39 GMT -6
Have used BAE and AML extensively here. Like them both a lot. The BAE is bigger, warmer, more vintage sounding and the neve-ish sweet high end is silkier and sweeter than the AML. That said, there are times that when I don’t want the extra mojo and softness, and would use the AML as it is a bit cleaner than the BAE. That’s my two cents. At the end of the day I wouldn’t sweat it though... pick one and make some music
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Post by bricejchandler on Jul 22, 2021 8:45:55 GMT -6
Over the last couple of years I've owned most Neve clones it seems, Heritage, BAE, AML, AMS, Scheps and a studio I work at has a vintage BCM10 so I'm familiar with the sound of the original. I find they all sound great but they excel on different things. The only one I didn't love is the Heritage, I found it pretty disappointing to be honest, it sounded a bit small compared to my other preamps, it had a nice color to it, but it was pretty lean in the low end and lacked some high end extension. ( This was comparing it to Coil preamps, Tree Audio Branch, Capi Heiders, BAEs). The one I had was the table top version, which is supposed to be identical to their handwired strip. The AMS dpa and the AML are pretty similar, they're versatile, they sound cleaner, flatter than some Nevish preamps, I've used both over the years and have always been very happy with the recordings. I'm not a huge fan of the AML eq, I find the BAE eq is much better, it sounds thicker, more exciting but the AML eq is still useable, but I wouldn't buy the pre just for the eq. The AMS handwired is an amazing sounding preamp, it's a great balance between color and clean, it's a little thicker than the DPA, but not quite as fat as the BAE, which I think is the perfect balance, if I could only have one currently made Neve 1073 pre this is the one I would get. The eq is fantastic, the preamp sounds amazing on vocals. ( Though to be honest I like their 1081 even better ). Lastly the BAE, I really like the sound of this preamp for electric guitars. I've kind of gone back and forth with this preamp over the years, I really like the vibe, but I find it sounds a bit unbalanced sometimes compared to the AMS. This is the one I currently own and I've been using it quite a bit on vocals also, though I find I always have to cut some low mids, which were never a problem with the Neve DPA. However there's a bite in the mids that I've really grown to enjoy, it's more agressive than the DPA. It's not quite as Hifi though, for a modern production I'd probably go for AMS. So anyway, to sum up my meandering post, what do you feel is missing from the AML? If you find the AML too clean, the BAE might be the ticket. The BAE also has a nicer distortion if that's your thing. The BAE low mid thickness might be a bit too much with the FLEA47. Hi guys! This is my first post! For two years I have been collecting a lot of information and listening to a lot of shootouts between AMS Neve and BAE. Unfortunately, in the country where I live, there is no way to test the AMS and BAE modules. So I would appreciate it if you could point me to the right direction. A couple of years ago I bought an AMS 1073 DPA and to be honest I was not happy with the sound of this preamp. In my opinion, it sounded quite sharp and piercing in the upper mids on vocals. I expected the sound to be smooth, but it was sharp, edgy and cold. Ams 1073 Dpa also has a very tight, punchy sound (which is great for recording instruments), but I think the transients are too fast and sharp on vocals, and they just hurt the ears. I read somewhere how John Kenn described it as Laser Beam like upper-mids, and I think that's exactly what I heard. Could you please tell me if the AMS Neve 1073/84 Classic handwired modules have the same sharpness in the upper mids area as the AMS 1073 DPA, or do they sound smoother? Also, in the country where I live, BAE and AMS cost the same. But it is very difficult for me to choose, because there are very few tests with AMS handwired modules on the Internet. You guys have a lot of experience. I would be very grateful if you could tell me about the sound of AMS Neve modules, and how they sound compared to BAE and AMS 1073 DPA. Cheers! I don't quite hear the laser beam upper mids thing a lot of people talk about tbh but then most of the mics I tend to use aren't super bright to begin with, or at least I personally don't hear it as being harsh or edgy. Now I do think the Handwired sounds smoother, fuller compared to the DPA, and it's not subtle. However if you didn't like the DPA, I'm thinking you'll probably be better served getting a BAE because most AMS products do have a similar sound. The BAE is a bit slower and the mid bump when pushed feels to me like it's lower, I'm just going off the top of my head, but the AMS feels like it's pushing above 4k whereas the BAE feels more like it's pushing around 2k, which I personally love on electric guitars. It gives them a nice bite and intelligibility.
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Post by maldenfilms on Jul 22, 2021 10:28:08 GMT -6
Hi guys! This is my first post! For two years I have been collecting a lot of information and listening to a lot of shootouts between AMS Neve and BAE. Unfortunately, in the country where I live, there is no way to test the AMS and BAE modules. So I would appreciate it if you could point me to the right direction. A couple of years ago I bought an AMS 1073 DPA and to be honest I was not happy with the sound of this preamp. In my opinion, it sounded quite sharp and piercing in the upper mids on vocals. I expected the sound to be smooth, but it was sharp, edgy and cold. Ams 1073 Dpa also has a very tight, punchy sound (which is great for recording instruments), but I think the transients are too fast and sharp on vocals, and they just hurt the ears. I read somewhere how John Kenn described it as Laser Beam like upper-mids, and I think that's exactly what I heard. Could you please tell me if the AMS Neve 1073/84 Classic handwired modules have the same sharpness in the upper mids area as the AMS 1073 DPA, or do they sound smoother? Also, in the country where I live, BAE and AMS cost the same. But it is very difficult for me to choose, because there are very few tests with AMS handwired modules on the Internet. You guys have a lot of experience. I would be very grateful if you could tell me about the sound of AMS Neve modules, and how they sound compared to BAE and AMS 1073 DPA. Cheers! I don't quite hear the laser beam upper mids thing a lot of people talk about tbh but then most of the mics I tend to use aren't super bright to begin with, or at least I personally don't hear it as being harsh or edgy. Now I do think the Handwired sounds smoother, fuller compared to the DPA, and it's not subtle. However if you didn't like the DPA, I'm thinking you'll probably be better served getting a BAE because most AMS products do have a similar sound. The BAE is a bit slower and the mid bump when pushed feels to me like it's lower, I'm just going off the top of my head, but the AMS feels like it's pushing above 4k whereas the BAE feels more like it's pushing around 2k, which I personally love on electric guitars. It gives them a nice bite and intelligibility. I wonder if the handwired vs non-handwired thing has anything to do with the laser beams (pew pew!). I had the 500 series version which I don't think is handwired. In any event, these things definitely are subjective and I could see the right mics and sources being a good fit with the AMS!
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