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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 8, 2017 9:32:40 GMT -6
M57. I prefer the P1. If you're interested in shooting mine again, I'll let you borrow a few and take them to your place. I have the Tonelux MP5A and Sound Skulptor MP573 that you tried before and a BAE Dual DMP that I could lend you for a week or 2 if you're interested in checking them out.
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Post by M57 on Aug 8, 2017 10:17:09 GMT -6
M57 . I prefer the P1. If you're interested in shooting mine again, I'll let you borrow a few and take them to your place. I have the Tonelux MP5A and Sound Skulptor MP573 that you tried before and a BAE Dual DMP that I could lend you for a week or 2 if you're interested in checking them out. I seem to remember we liked the Tonelux when we were shooting out the pre's and -2A's at your place. I don't remember, did you have the Sound Skulptor at the time? Hmm.. the BAE is probably a bit too pricey, but I'd be curious to see how it compares to the MP-500NV.. They're roughly the same species, right?
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Post by jcoutu1 on Aug 8, 2017 10:30:53 GMT -6
Yep, Tonelux was the favorite at the time. I had the Skulptor then too. The Great River is semi-Neve inspired, the Skulptor is a closer clone, and the BAE is about as close as any clone (that's my understanding anyway). I think the P1 and Tonelux are both more API influenced.
Either way, if you're interested in grabbing them, let me know when you want to swing through Prov and I'll bring them in.
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Post by jakeharris on Aug 8, 2017 10:45:14 GMT -6
P1/Pacifica are based on the Quad Eight Pacifica console (that's where the colour scheme comes from too)
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Post by guitfiddler on Aug 8, 2017 12:44:43 GMT -6
The P1 and Great River both work. I'd like to hear the P1 turned up more in the mix.
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Post by ChaseUTB on Aug 8, 2017 18:10:12 GMT -6
M57Yes I listened to the original and I didn't mean to say grainy idk why I did ... I had read winetree feedback and regurgitated ... I meant strident on the D4 and P1.. The P1 is cool and you can tweak but I feel the great river has the SSS/ TTT tamed nicely and doesn't sound as sibilant to me today as last night guess my ears were used up and sensitive lol... sell the d4 and the p1 I really think the great river track sounds fine without a de esser as is and your mixing is getting a lot better from when we first started out dialogue on touchdown and back to Monterey!
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Post by matt on Aug 8, 2017 18:40:16 GMT -6
I prefer the P1 by a healthy amount. But I am very settled on my Ventura (I want another some day) and the tonality of the P1 reminds me of it. I love the Quad 8 sound - it's very full-bodied and immediate to my ears, with a clean top.
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Post by M57 on Aug 8, 2017 19:04:51 GMT -6
ChaseUTB NP - When "grainy" was mentioned earlier - I felt a little lump in my throat. Then, I thought, NO they must be mistaken and talking about the D4. These pres are incredible, and I'm starting to really like the UM-4X. Now, I can see why someone could call the D4 grainy. I've said it before. The D4 is actually a cool little tool, but it's fickle and easily turns into a distortion box. I'm thinking about selling one and keeping the other just because. It does have a vibe that has value to me. For instance, I like the way it lets a DI bass sit in the mix with depth, but not too forward, which is really nice for the singer-songwriter type of things I write. I'm finding it reassuring that people are not unanimous about these pre's because I'm torn myself. I like them both and for different reasons. When I A/B them going from one to the other with the mute buttons, I prefer the P1 about 75% of the time, but when I listen to the each track in thier entirety one at a time, I prefer the Great River, and I'm pretty sure it's not my performance. the GR's mojo just settles in nicely. The good news is, I know that whichever I go with, I'll be happy. This is definitely not a case of the lesser of two evils. Speaking of evil plans, I could consider keeping them both and hoping my wife isn't watching the credit card balances all that closely . I can easily see needing them both when recording other instruments.
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Post by drsax on Aug 8, 2017 20:49:40 GMT -6
I've owned both and love both. Each have their own thing going on, but both work well on most any source. In the end, I love Neve-ish pres and the features on the GR500 are killer, so I have a pair of them.
On your voice I'm torn. I like the less sibilant result of the P1 on you, but I like the vibe and character of the GR500. I think you could easily go either way and not stress about it.
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Post by M57 on Aug 9, 2017 8:36:37 GMT -6
First off. Thanks to everyone who's chimed in on this, both publicly and privately. Your collective input and comments have really helped to guide my listening. Here's where my thinking stands right now..
Great River MP-500NV: This preamp simply flatters my voice, though I think its mojo overcooks things at times at the expense of clarity. But then I don't think I'm maximizing its potential, and in fact I'm tempted to say I would probably do better to take the load off to open it up but push the input more in an attempt to get the best of both worlds.
A Designs P1: While it may not be as flattering as the MP-500NV, this preamp sounds like me to me. It imparts a sense of intimacy, even when the orchestra is firing away. I don't know how it's equalized, but compared to the Great River, I hear a bump in the lower-mids and air on top that effortlessly pushes my voice up in the mix. The esses may be a bit present, but they're not unpleasantly strident, in fact I think they're true and even pleasing at times, and I'm convinced that some tweaks both in the way I record and mix can easily manage them.
Summarizing: It's kind of fortuitous that I happen to be working on an orchestrally oriented song with different dynamics and textures. I started to notice that I liked the GR in exposed sections where my voice had little to compete with and was enhanced by a little flattering. I can see preferring the GR pre when I'm singing a 1+1 or perhaps with a small ensemble, but the A Designs excelled when the the mix was dense. It's clear to me that I wouldn't have to float a take with the P1 over the top of a mix to get it to be present and retain its intimacy.
TL;DNR: I want both, damn it!
Anyways, If anyone is still interested I've been updating the SoundCloud files, bringing the vocal up just a tad in the mix - and scooping out a lot of the strident jangly problems with the piano.
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Post by guitfiddler on Aug 9, 2017 17:00:49 GMT -6
I really want to vote they're all crap...lol. I'm fond of the GR, but that P1 would be something I would like to try.
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Post by M57 on Aug 9, 2017 18:10:36 GMT -6
I really want to vote they're all crap... Then it's a good thing I closed the voting! I have to say that if I could only have one of them on a desert island, I'd probably have to go with the P1, but I think I'm going to keep both. Believe it or not, the public file is a 'best of' comp between the two, and I actually made a few mid-phrase comps. I'm going to say that about 75% of it is P1, but some of the best moments are GR, and I'll bet you can't tell which is which much better than 50% of the time. https%3A//soundcloud.com/m57/the-end-of-the-skyline
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