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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 17, 2023 14:02:41 GMT -6
Talking about clean, straight line mic pres that don't get harmonic distortion when a singer lays into them. Suggestions.
I'm remembering why I sold my 1073s now...
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Post by kcatthedog on Jul 17, 2023 14:22:46 GMT -6
Have you tried a Hardy with the transformers ?
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Post by jmoose on Jul 17, 2023 14:42:32 GMT -6
I've never heard anything more money then a DW Fern.
Super clean. Sounds massive & articulate. Won't collapse on itself when digging in.
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Post by svart on Jul 17, 2023 14:55:55 GMT -6
Can't imagine a 1073 going crazy in any sense. I use mine almost exclusively on vocals and it's amazing. The gain switch is on the front end of the circuit, so turning down the gain automatically reduces the required headroom.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2023 15:01:11 GMT -6
Interface amps, no.. I'm not joking. Look at the spec's, for example the Big Six amps are < 0.0015 % THD & >+ 27dBu headroom. Interfaces have gotten better in general over the years and for a solid state high headroom amp they should never be that expensive. If you need transformers or tubes etc. stick a comp in the path after the amp, at least this way you get the choice.
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Post by EmRR on Jul 17, 2023 15:16:19 GMT -6
Define 'harmonic distortion'. Everything distorts somewhere, depends on the type how it sounds. But yeah something like a Hardy with minimal transformer step-up gain has the most initial headroom, but people hit mine hard sometimes and it distorts too. Maybe true with some transformerless, but not necessarily.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2023 15:47:13 GMT -6
Grace. Millenia has even more headroom. GML. All have some distortion.
Daking not pushed super hard. Keep the output fader up and use just as much gain as necessary.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2023 15:49:06 GMT -6
Interface amps, no.. I'm not joking. Look at the spec's, for example the Big Six amps are < 0.0015 % THD & >+ 27dBu headroom. Interfaces have gotten better in general over the years and for a solid state high headroom amp they should never be that expensive. If you need transformers or tubes etc. stick a comp in the path after the amp, at least this way you get the choice. Most of them have chip amps that can’t be pushed very hard. SSL Super Analogue pres are way better than what’s in a typical interface. So are Apogee but they can’t be pushed too hard. What’s in something like an RME might as well be Behringer. |
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Post by winetree on Jul 17, 2023 16:03:36 GMT -6
Audio Upgrades High Speed Preamp. This preamp is so fast that there is no sibilance, which is high frequency distortion. Clean, natural, not colored. audioupgrades.comOn the rebuild, Jim Williams installed his high speed op amps on the 2 - stereo buss outputs of my Harrison Console. A world of difference over 5534s. The other choice would be my Boulder Jensen Twin Dual Servo 990 Mic Preamp Fast, Clean. |
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Post by sean on Jul 17, 2023 16:25:23 GMT -6
Hardy preamps are really wonderful...they work for everything in my experience. I think having a transformer really helps with vocals...GML...Benchmark...Millennia are all very fast but I find I like my Hardys more for vocals. I've always been interested in trying on of Jim's preamps. I've always been curious in the Radial Twin Servo preamp but never heard one...not sure if they are using 990 op-amps or not. Another option would be the Seventh Circle Audio J99, which is the Jensen Twin Servo circuit, and the T15, which is very similar to the Millennia.
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 17, 2023 16:40:18 GMT -6
Can't imagine a 1073 going crazy in any sense. I use mine almost exclusively on vocals and it's amazing. The gain switch is on the front end of the circuit, so turning down the gain automatically reduces the required headroom. It sounds great on other people…but I sing like a dynamic banshee and I’ll occasionally hear furriness when I’m hitting the hot part of a chorus. Vincent R. you run into this at all? |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jul 17, 2023 16:42:20 GMT -6
Audio Upgrades High Speed Preamp. This preamp is so fast that there is no sibilance, which is high frequency distortion. Clean, natural, not colored. audioupgrades.comOn the rebuild, Jim Williams installed his high speed op amps on the 2 - stereo buss outputs of my Harrison Console. A world of difference over 5534s. The other choice would be my Boulder Jensen Twin Dual Servo 990 Mic Preamp Fast, Clean. Since Jim kind’ve mocked RGO on Gearslutz, I have no interest in anything he’s involved in. |
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Post by notneeson on Jul 17, 2023 16:49:52 GMT -6
I have a rack of 4 Spectra Sonics 110s and they are really clean but not clinical. Little low gain, but I tend to use make up gain on one of my compressors when that’s an issue.
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Post by matt@IAA on Jul 17, 2023 16:53:56 GMT -6
John, we get some pretty intense headroom on the QPP. The +/-24V rails help some, and the output transformer stepping up doubles voltage headroom. Voltage tends to run out of gas before current capacity in the DOA for line level inputs.
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Post by yotonic on Jul 17, 2023 17:16:34 GMT -6
I've owned just about every preamp made. I'm pretty much a vintage Neve guy now but as someone who works with singers I would recommend the Wunder PAfour. I own that still after hearing you do a Beatles cover on it. And the other one I like more than everything mentioned for your voice would be the Avalon. Great pre for those Eagles first tenor kind of voices.
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Post by plinker on Jul 17, 2023 18:06:09 GMT -6
Hardy preamps are really wonderful...they work for everything in my experience. I think having a transformer really helps with vocals...GML...Benchmark...Millennia are all very fast but I find I like my Hardys more for vocals. I've always been interested in trying on of Jim's preamps. I've always been curious in the Radial Twin Servo preamp but never heard one...not sure if they are using 990 op-amps or not. Another option would be the Seventh Circle Audio J99, which is the Jensen Twin Servo circuit, and the T15, which is very similar to the Millennia. I haven't looked at the SCA site in a while, but I believe the T15 uses the THAT 1510/12 chip and the Cxx (I forget the numbers) implements the Cohen circuit -- which is what the Millennia preamps are based on. |
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Post by wiz on Jul 17, 2023 18:55:18 GMT -6
Can't imagine a 1073 going crazy in any sense. I use mine almost exclusively on vocals and it's amazing. The gain switch is on the front end of the circuit, so turning down the gain automatically reduces the required headroom. It sounds great on other people…but I sing like a dynamic banshee and I’ll occasionally hear furriness when I’m hitting the hot part of a chorus. Vincent R. you run into this at all? Do you hear this furriness on all microphones going into the 1073? |
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Post by jacobamerritt on Jul 17, 2023 19:51:30 GMT -6
Maybe a Locomotive 86B-2?
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Post by aremos on Jul 17, 2023 20:44:50 GMT -6
Avalon 2022 or Hardy M1
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Post by Vincent R. on Jul 17, 2023 20:50:21 GMT -6
Audio Upgrades High Speed Preamp. This preamp is so fast that there is no sibilance, which is high frequency distortion. Clean, natural, not colored. audioupgrades.comOn the rebuild, Jim Williams installed his high speed op amps on the 2 - stereo buss outputs of my Harrison Console. A world of difference over 5534s. The other choice would be my Boulder Jensen Twin Dual Servo 990 Mic Preamp Fast, Clean. Since Jim kind’ve mocked RGO on Gearslutz, I have no interest in anything he’s involved in. Yes. Especially on Emily. The distortion can make sections nearly unusable. I often record at very low gain, like 20 if we’re recording opera. It’s not as bad on me, but I think that’s the nature of my voice which is a little smoother. Sometimes I'll use my 1272 instead, as it doesn't distort as much, but it is a little beefier and may need a little more EQ if I do. |
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Post by brentbodrug on Jul 17, 2023 21:52:58 GMT -6
I used to record vocals with a Millennia Media Origin STT-1 into my Crane Song Trakker. It was AMAZING with headroom for days. I'm pretty sure Celine Dion would have approved of that signal path! 😉
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Post by Blackdawg on Jul 17, 2023 23:40:44 GMT -6
Grace, Merging Technologies, DAD, Millennia.
High voltage tube pres like the DW.
I've always wanted to try the SPL 120v stuff.
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Post by thehightenor on Jul 18, 2023 2:04:38 GMT -6
Talking about clean, straight line mic pres that don't get harmonic distortion when a singer lays into them. Suggestions. I'm remembering why I sold my 1073s now... The headroom on my Millennia Origin STT-1 goes on for miles. It's very close to straight wire and gain in the solid state mode (even the tube mode is pretty clean) Apparently Peter Gabriel now uses the Millennia with his 47 - but then he has a thick rich tone in his voice that goes on for miles! Mere mortals like me don't sound great on a "straight wire and gain" pre. I reach for my BAE 1073D or Coil CA-70 - I need to get some hair on my bald head (so to speak :-) But yeah, Millennia pre's will get you where you want to go and then some. I use mine for classical guitar and percussion all the time. |
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Post by kcatthedog on Jul 18, 2023 3:29:38 GMT -6
Audio Upgrades High Speed Preamp. This preamp is so fast that there is no sibilance, which is high frequency distortion. Clean, natural, not colored. audioupgrades.comOn the rebuild, Jim Williams installed his high speed op amps on the 2 - stereo buss outputs of my Harrison Console. A world of difference over 5534s. The other choice would be my Boulder Jensen Twin Dual Servo 990 Mic Preamp Fast, Clean. Since Jim kind’ve mocked RGO on Gearslutz, I have no interest in anything he’s involved in. That’s unfortunate. |
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Post by ironinthepath on Jul 18, 2023 7:07:06 GMT -6
Gordon Model 5 preamp
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