| Results are suspect
Well, that's interesting that all these preamps were recorded on different takes.
For multiple reasons, the results of this shootout are suspect.
First, a singer warms up, peaks, and tires out in much less time than it takes to get through all these preamps. During that times the tone of their voice will change. Even if each was only one take apiece.
If the preamps for the guitars and were being changed at the same time the singers were singing, you've skewed the test even more by changing what they were hearing in the headphone from other instruments.
An acoustic guitar(and vocal) is so sensitive to mic placement that moving even a half inch will yield a different tone. It is almost impossible to get the exact same tone on consecutive takes even when using the same gear, with the player nailed down to a chair.
No less important is the fact that the performers are part of the experiment. Their playing and singing is dynamic, and changes on each take based on what they hear in the headphones or speakers. A slight differences in level and tone will make them perform differently.
You could take that last point as an positive, as in, "The singer was more into it with xxx preamp," so the different take and different tone of the preamp might give you a real world look at which preamp will get you a better recording(and performance).
The only accurate way to do this test is to have all preamps multed to their own tracks, all recorded in the same performance. Each instrument should be performed separately. That will give you an accurate comparison between the tone and response of each preamp. Then you can judge the differences.
I've done these same kind of shootouts, sometimes over a period of weeks. I know they are not completely fair, but since I don't have all the equipment there at the same time, and lack the ability to mult into many tracks, I do what I can and take it with a grain of salt. It is all we can do to judge our equipment.
Still, I appreciate the huge amount of time and effort it took to undertake this shootout and post it for us. I'll just say that in most cases, the differences in tone between preamps was much less than the differences in tone created from alternate performances.
John |