Tube preamp test | D.W Fearn, Redd.47, AT-3 & WT-72

If you cannot hear the effect of front end loading interaction of preamps when connected though a multi-way mic splitter. Fair enough.

But please, don’t try to tell me I can’t. Which I think is equally fair enough.

It was a simple comment I made about my experience with passive mic splitters.

That’s the nature of audio forums, sharing our own personal experiences.

You might like to try this - connect a preamp with a variable impedance to the passive splitter. While listening to the other connected preamps, change the impedance of the variable impedance pre-amp in real time - I can hear the sound of the other preamps change as the change in load is presented to all the other connected preamps.

im really sorry you took my comment that way, I don’t know how much cleared I could be. Was definitely not trying to tell you what you can and cannot hear. I was legitimately asking for some direction as far as testing goes, which you actually provided. Thank you, that’s an interesting point about the impedance load from one preamp effecting everything. I’ve still got some Undertone Preamps here with a lot of load options, so I’ll try it.

At one point, I tried my best to simulate a direct comparison of splitter vs no splitter. I had two of the same mono mics side by side, one going strait into an API preamp and one going to the radial splitter sending to an API and my AEA TRP. I kind of had the same idea you mentioned, compare strait to the API with a splitter handling a signal with a super high impedance preamp in there to see if that changed the overall load relationship and sound of the API preamp. Comparing the two API signals, I couldn’t tell a difference. I didn’t consider hooking into a variable impedance preamp and changing in real time. Maybe it will be more apparent? 

There's definitely something about the center image in the AT3 - and maybe I'm imagining things...I do think it's a tad brighter...but I hear like the center image become more separated from the sides if that makes any sense. Not sure it's any better or worse - I'd lean towards better...

I'm fortunate enough to have one at my disposal on a regular basis. If you want crunchy, "vintage" tones, it will break up like nothing else and is worth every penny for when you need that. If you are just using it rather conservatively, its not really worth the $$$ over another pre.

The studio has also has a bunch of 1073s, 1064s, APIs, Great River, etc... and they are every bit as good as the Fearn for general purpose stuff.

Unless there was a phase issue lol

Also, the Trinnov should be correcting any phase issues...

A fix in one part of the chain can cause or expose an issue elsewhere. Since my main live venue has closed I have been playing around with the BSS Soundweb boxes at home, I devoted 2 boxes just to phase corrections, switching them in and out has shown some very very interesting issues depending on source material. I might even try one after a mic preamp to correct the mic pre. Remember a mic is basically a speaker in reverse so same issues.

I've done this type of test before, and heard only a change in level.  It was a long time ago, and my ears are better now.  However, I still have to ask if the non-level differences (if there are any) are even worth the extra cost/hassle/blahblahblah -- at least for me, probably not.

A rolling stone gathers no moss...

Not to get off topic, but you would be surprised how different things can sound in headphones if you flip the phase while tracking. Especially when you’re the singer, flipping the phase of the whole headphone send can sound drastically different reacting with your head voice. I’ve only worked in one studio where they had a phase switch rigged into the headphone system. The engineer swore by it and had me test it out while singing through a mic. I keep meaning to set it up somehow in my system and have been too lazy to do it.

Off topic, I digress…

Hear ( pun intended) is another one that I have noticed effects phones more than monitors, ever notice if you run a speaker for a period of time that the sound changes especially the dynamics? In a lot of cases we think it’s ear fatigue. Well it might be a bit but it’s also power compression as the driver motor gets hot it seams like someone put a compressor in the chain. You really notice a multi way speaker because each driver is effected differently. If you have a correction system try making 2 profiles one with cold drivers one hot and compare the differences cold and hot. While most quality drivers are designed with some cooling in mind most headphones don’t.
Interestingly Meyers on the system they designed for Candle stick park had an active liquid cooling system to try to compensate for it. Cooler yes practical no.
It effects every speaker I have always wondered if it effects mics as well.

Wow, thanks for this. I've never been able to get a Fearn to check out, and that's the winner for me by far. It sounds much deeper, and dare I say "dimensional", than the others...on the first couple of passes, that seems most evident on the snare. All the but the Fearn sound good, but the fearn just adds a thickness and ambience the others don't IMO.

I wasn't expecting the REDD to sound that bright. Again, thanks for this test!

This is a comment very personal to my own light tenor voice.

Whenever I use a mic or pre-amp that is based around an EF86 tube it’s always too bright and strident for my voice.

It appears by natural selection, though I have a very wide range of tube gear - mics, pres, comps, EQ’s, guitar amps etc non of it is EF86 based (to the best of my knowledge)

Therefore, tubes and their type really do make a significant difference, more than I initially imagined when first getting into tube gear.

I literally meant with my voice.

I record a fair number of other people here and sometimes they turn up with mic’s and pre’s based on EF86 tubes and sound great!

The point I was making - sometimes when a piece of gear isn’t working out and doesn’t float your boat then it might be down to the valve topology, I never considered it as that significant a factor until I noticed a pattern forming in my equipment choice.