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Post by carymiller on Dec 25, 2022 23:09:29 GMT -6
Does anyone prefer the Great River?
I was listening to some mic pre shootouts today, and the Great River was sounding pretty amazing on some applications (Vocals/Guitars)
I used to own a MP-2NV back in the Mercenary Audio Days but flipped it towards getting a pair of vintage 1064s racked by Brent Avrill back when I was buying up vintage stuff for my old location. I haven't had one to listen to since 2009. But I remember really liking and missing it after selling.
I'm just curious if there's people who prefer the Great River, and don't care about the clone wars.
I know it's not a Neve anything really. More an evolution of that kind of topology. Maybe my tastes are changing, or I'm a little bored. I'm just thinking about picking one up again to see if it's for me now. Whatever that turns out to be.
I do remember it being a little "harder/faster" sounding in the transient response. But also, being clearer overall.
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Post by ragan on Dec 25, 2022 23:38:39 GMT -6
I’ve used a Great River MP-2NV for years. I’ve compared it to a Heritage DMA-73 and Stam 1073MPA and find that it sounds extremely similar to both, but I very slightly prefer the Great River to either of them. I find it just a bit smoother in the high mids.
But I like all of them.
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Post by carymiller on Dec 26, 2022 0:04:39 GMT -6
A 500NV was my first "nice" preamp and the first time I bought a pricey thing and had my mind blown. I remember playing back demos with two friends and all of us just being floored at how much a difference a great preamp made in the stacking and overall picture seeming more lush and involving. I think of it as Neve-like with clearer transients, less thickness and saturation but still enough character to make you smile. But a friend of mine always heard Great River stuff as "zingy" so to each their own. I know that feeling. When something just has a touch of class, depth, and space. When it feels like a record even before you go to mix. I miss that feeling. I'm kind of on a quest to get back to it. |
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Post by carymiller on Dec 26, 2022 0:07:04 GMT -6
I’ve used a Great River MP-2NV for years. I’ve compared it to a Heritage DMA-73 and Stam 1073MPA and find that it sounds extremely similar to both, but I very slightly prefer the Great River to either of them. I find it just a bit smoother in the high mids. But I like all of them. See I loved the Great River Vs. my old vintage 1064s and 1272s too...but people were booking me because of vintage gear back when I ran a studio, so I kept reinvesting that way. I'm not running a studio anymore, and I'm only working on my own music right now, so I just want to get back to that feeling when I know things sound HiFi and amazing right off the bat. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2022 0:29:30 GMT -6
I've only ever heard the GR in a somewhat hilarious ART vs. GR thread on the purple site. Most people preferred the ART but when the results came in people started to back track.
The GR sounded good if I remember correctly, I currently own a couple of RND Shelford Channels (modern rendition of Neve) and I just stopped looking after that. I've had some Neve 1073's and some other clones in the past but they're long gone..
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Post by carymiller on Dec 26, 2022 0:51:24 GMT -6
I've only ever heard the GR in a somewhat hilarious ART vs. GR thread on the purple site. Most people preferred the ART but when the results came in people started to back track. The GR sounded good if I remember correctly, I currently own a couple of RND Shelford Channels (modern rendition of Neve) and I just stopped looking after that. I've had some Neve 1073's and some other clones in the past but they're long gone.. The Shelford stuff sounds great when I listen to examples! I've love to own a pair. But I'd have to work 4-6 months to save up for them. I was debating a Great River MP-2NV next month or February at the latest...and then saving up for a MAQ-2NV after that. I used to own a pair of Great River EQ-2NV's (non-stepped version). And I kept them for EQs for my vintage 1272s. I honestly preferred those EQs to the EQs on my 1064s. I used to mix through one of them all of time too. I'm making a rule that 99% of my knobs have to be stepped for recall this time around...and the Shelford's do have stepped pots at least...but I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait while I save for them. =/ Also my late Partner always preferred the Great River to my Neves for vocals and was even a little upset when I sold it...so I'm kind of "listening" to her a bit now in hindsight since she had a fantastic ear. |
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Post by reddirt on Dec 26, 2022 1:14:20 GMT -6
They are a good thing that work every time and let you get on and make music. - sure , you can second guess yourself and worry that there's something better out there and there will be but it's really a game of
very small increments.
Also Dan Kennedy (G.R.) is tops and supports his products,
Cheers, Ross
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2022 1:26:27 GMT -6
The Shelford stuff sounds great when I listen to examples! I've love to own a pair. But I'd have to work 4-6 months to save up for them. I was debating a Great River MP-2NV next month or February at the latest...and then saving up for a MAQ-2NV after that. I used to own a pair of Great River EQ-2NV's (non-stepped version). And I kept them for EQs for my vintage 1272s. I honestly preferred those EQs to the EQs on my 1064s. I used to mix through one of them all of time too. I'm making a rule that 99% of my knobs have to be stepped for recall this time around...and the Shelford's do have stepped pots at least...but I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait while I save for them. =/ Also my late Partner always preferred the Great River to my Neves for vocals and was even a little upset when I sold it...so I'm kind of "listening" to her a bit now in hindsight since she had a fantastic ear. Yeah, they're expensive and there's no gurantee that they're better than the GR's. It's entirely subjective, although after buying then selling at a loss over past two decades+ I've got into the ethos of buy right, buy once. I think the key to all of this is finding a good retailer willing to offer you demo units (or a good returns policy), if the GR is the one for you IMO get it and never look back. If you're unsure, test a few bits out..
Also, sorry for your loss.
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Post by carymiller on Dec 26, 2022 1:35:30 GMT -6
The Shelford stuff sounds great when I listen to examples! I've love to own a pair. But I'd have to work 4-6 months to save up for them. I was debating a Great River MP-2NV next month or February at the latest...and then saving up for a MAQ-2NV after that. I used to own a pair of Great River EQ-2NV's (non-stepped version). And I kept them for EQs for my vintage 1272s. I honestly preferred those EQs to the EQs on my 1064s. I used to mix through one of them all of time too. I'm making a rule that 99% of my knobs have to be stepped for recall this time around...and the Shelford's do have stepped pots at least...but I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait while I save for them. =/ Also my late Partner always preferred the Great River to my Neves for vocals and was even a little upset when I sold it...so I'm kind of "listening" to her a bit now in hindsight since she had a fantastic ear. Yeah, they're expensive and there's no gurantee that they're better than the GR's. It's entirely subjective, although after buying then selling at a loss over past two decades+ I've got into the ethos of buy right, buy once. I think the key to all of this is finding a good retailer willing to offer you demo units (or a good returns policy), if the GR is the one for you IMO get it and never look back. If you're unsure, test a few bits out..
Also, sorry for your loss.
I appreciate it man. There's a lot of preamps that kind of intrigue me, but I LOVE that GR EQ sound. I think I'm going to start there. |
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Post by soundintheround on Dec 26, 2022 6:35:54 GMT -6
Cant go wrong with Great River. Not only sounds good, but a quality build and reputation.
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Post by M57 on Dec 26, 2022 7:02:02 GMT -6
Has anyone ever compared it with the 500 series version?
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Post by carymiller on Dec 26, 2022 9:46:19 GMT -6
Has anyone ever compared it with the 500 series version? I have not, but Dan Kennedy said it's the exact same preamp only without the insert send and return function the 19" rackmount unit has for the matching EQ designs Great River makes. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 26, 2022 10:42:37 GMT -6
I keep threatening to sell my H2 0011…that completely sounds great and never doesn’t work…but I see dollar dollar bills floating over it…e.g. I could have at least 4 Great River 500 series for the price of one H2 and rack. Not sure if aware, but I’ve been known to sell something that works and then buy it back…
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Post by Martin John Butler on Dec 26, 2022 10:42:57 GMT -6
It's a tricky question. The Great River is by any metric, a very good preamp. A friend had one and used to lend it to me on occasion. It was better than the Warm Neve style pres I had at the time. When I got my Stam SA73 it gave me the same visceral feeling as a vintage Neve. Just before getting the Stam, I had visited Fab Dupont's studios to test a few mics through his vintage Neve console. The Stam really sounded like the Neve console pres.
After using the Great River, and then the Stam, the Stam was the only clone I'd heard that actually felt like the original. The real question here is do you really like the true Neve sound. I know of one very experienced engineer who prefers RTZ pres to actual Neves, (he has both).
So, there's no doubt the Great River is a fine preamp. Is it the best choice at that price range? Well, it depends on your taste and if any new products have come along to supersede the Great River.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Dec 26, 2022 10:43:18 GMT -6
It's a tricky question. The Great River is by any metric, a very good preamp. A friend had one and used to lend it to me on occasion. It was better than the Warm Neve style pres I had at the time. When I got my Stam SA73 it gave me the same visceral feeling as a vintage Neve. Just before getting the Stam, I had visited Fab Dupont's studios to test a few mics through his vintage Neve console. The Stam really sounded like the Neve console pres.
After using the Great River, and then the Stam, the Stam was the only clone I'd heard that actually felt like the original. The real question here is do you really like the true Neve sound. I know of one very experienced engineer who prefers RTZ pres to actual Neves, (he has both).
So, there's no doubt the Great River is a fine preamp. Is it the best choice at that price range? Well, it depends on your taste and if any new products have come along to supersede the Great River.
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Post by notneeson on Dec 26, 2022 11:01:40 GMT -6
I like the Great River a lot, seems like a great all arounder. I have a bunch of time on the Vintechs and they’re great too, if I was choosing it would likely be based on whether I needed EQ or not for the money.
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Post by chessparov on Dec 26, 2022 13:24:52 GMT -6
I've only ever heard the GR in a somewhat hilarious ART vs. GR thread on the purple site. Most people preferred the ART but when the results came in people started to back track. The GR sounded good if I remember correctly, I currently own a couple of RND Shelford Channels (modern rendition of Neve) and I just stopped looking after that. I've had some Neve 1073's and some other clones in the past but they're long gone.. The Shelford stuff sounds great when I listen to examples! I've love to own a pair. But I'd have to work 4-6 months to save up for them. I was debating a Great River MP-2NV next month or February at the latest...and then saving up for a MAQ-2NV after that. I used to own a pair of Great River EQ-2NV's (non-stepped version). And I kept them for EQs for my vintage 1272s. I honestly preferred those EQs to the EQs on my 1064s. I used to mix through one of them all of time too. I'm making a rule that 99% of my knobs have to be stepped for recall this time around...and the Shelford's do have stepped pots at least...but I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait while I save for them. =/ Also my late Partner always preferred the Great River to my Neves for vocals and was even a little upset when I sold it...so I'm kind of "listening" to her a bit now in hindsight since she had a fantastic ear. IMHO get a GR Cary. Dan Kennedy is an incredibly nice guy. It sounds amazing. (Widower here) It reminds you of your Great Love and her wonderful ear for Music. Get it!  Long story sorta short. A close friend who passed away from Cancer... Gave me (back) the AKG D790 I had given as a gift (Jim had a wonderful Lead Barbershop voice). He was hardly using it. Now it reminds me of him, and all the Pre-Pandemic good times, I had with my Barbershop Harmony Buddies. Many compliments on its tone over the years. Both on live performance, from fellow singers/Sound Guys. And from people with deep $$ mic cabinets, was the icing on the cake. (No longer used live-since irreplaceable) Chris |
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Post by ericn on Dec 26, 2022 14:03:14 GMT -6
The thing about the Great River is on its own a great pre, don’t think of the Neve lineage of the design, most sonically classify it as a Neve. Yeah the design falls into the Neve inspired camp, but it just stands on its own.
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Post by thehightenor on Dec 26, 2022 14:29:00 GMT -6
There used to be a mad craze for A-Design Pacifica pre's as well back in the days when Great River Pre's were one of the few games in town for SS Neve-like pre's.
Than came all the clones and I ended up with a BAE 1073D.
But I still hear really good things about the GR and the Pacifica.
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Post by carymiller on Dec 26, 2022 14:43:39 GMT -6
The Shelford stuff sounds great when I listen to examples! I've love to own a pair. But I'd have to work 4-6 months to save up for them. I was debating a Great River MP-2NV next month or February at the latest...and then saving up for a MAQ-2NV after that. I used to own a pair of Great River EQ-2NV's (non-stepped version). And I kept them for EQs for my vintage 1272s. I honestly preferred those EQs to the EQs on my 1064s. I used to mix through one of them all of time too. I'm making a rule that 99% of my knobs have to be stepped for recall this time around...and the Shelford's do have stepped pots at least...but I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait while I save for them. =/ Also my late Partner always preferred the Great River to my Neves for vocals and was even a little upset when I sold it...so I'm kind of "listening" to her a bit now in hindsight since she had a fantastic ear. IMHO get a GR Cary. Dan Kennedy is an incredibly nice guy. It sounds amazing. (Widower here) It reminds you of your Great Love and her wonderful ear for Music. Get it! Long story sorta short. A close friend who passed away from Cancer... Gave me (back) the AKG D790 I had given as a gift (Jim had a wonderful Lead Barbershop voice). He was hardly using it. Now it reminds me of him, and all the Pre-Pandemic good times, I had with my Barbershop Harmony Buddies. Many compliments on its tone over the years. Both on live performance, from fellow singers/Sound Guys. And from people with deep $$ mic cabinets, was the icing on the cake. (No longer used live-since irreplaceable) Chris Aww man, I'm sorry for your losses...but you really get me! I think the GR is the way to go. And you're right about Dan, he is seriously the nicest dude. |
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Post by chessparov on Dec 26, 2022 16:16:26 GMT -6
Thanks! BTW meeting Rupert Neve, shaking his hand and having a nice chat... Was a highlight, to say the least! Chris |
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Post by smashlord on Dec 26, 2022 17:16:40 GMT -6
The real question here is do you really like the true Neve sound. This is a good point. I spent three years working on an 8068 and then simultaneously started working at another spot that had all racked Brent Averills and BAEs. I thought the Brent Averills sounded better! Similar sound obviously, but without as much of the low mid haze and more air up top. |
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Post by ericn on Dec 26, 2022 17:33:29 GMT -6
Thanks! BTW meeting Rupert Neve, shaking his hand and having a nice chat... Was a highlight, to say the least! Chris How about meeting him and the first words out of his mouth “ you know you gave us quite a scare a couple of years ago”. Yeah Rupert knew who I was. Talk about an ego boost! |
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Post by drumsound on Dec 26, 2022 18:41:51 GMT -6
Thanks! BTW meeting Rupert Neve, shaking his hand and having a nice chat... Was a highlight, to say the least! Chris How about meeting him and the first words out of his mouth “ you know you gave us quite a scare a couple of years ago”. Yeah Rupert knew who I was. Talk about an ego boost! Whereas my friend Jonathan worked for him for years before Mr Neve actually remembered why he was around a lot. |
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Post by ericn on Dec 26, 2022 18:52:14 GMT -6
How about meeting him and the first words out of his mouth “ you know you gave us quite a scare a couple of years ago”. Yeah Rupert knew who I was. Talk about an ego boost! Whereas my friend Jonathan worked for him for years before Mr Neve actually remembered why he was around a lot. Well in Rupert’s defense I am a tiny bit memorable 😎 |
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