Great River ME-1NV Pre Amp vs. M-Audio Profire 610 stock pre amp

[MadMouth]

so this guy thinks that his M-Audio Profire 610 pre's are just a good as my Great River ME-1NV.

now, i know people on here have said that the Profire is a "decent" buy, but, i find it very hard to believe that the pre amps on it would be better than my Great River, let alone my RME Fireface 800, since both of these are highly recommended on here and just about everywhere on the internet (the other is Apogee).

i just want someone to clarify this situation before i write a 5 page essay explaining why the Great River is better than the Profire 610.

[thearnicasync]

it depends on a person's definition of 'better', but it's in point of fact that the GR is a higher quality piece of gear. it's discrete, meaning the circuit is doesn't use cheap operational amplifiers in its gain stages. it features expensive transformers to balance its I/O. I mean we're talking:

Octane pre: $3 in parts maybe?
GR pre: who knows what sort of breaks manufacturers get, but the transformers alone would retail $2-250? That doesn't include the toroid, more expensive switches, better chassis, likely more expensive caps, etc.

and all that said, he's right as rain, if he simply prefers the sound of his octanes.

consider that the guy probably can't afford the GR stuff yet, and is making due and carrying high opinions of the gear he HAS. no reason to knock him for that, we've all been there! go easy! :-)

[Funkster]

Originally Posted by thearnicasync

and all that said, he's right as rain, if he simply prefers the sound of his octanes.

Many Kudos thearnicasync! This is a great statement.

This mentality seems to be void around here too often. The idea that something can't be better for a task or preferred if its cheaper or newer.

[Roc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by MadMouth

so this guy thinks that his M-Audio Profire 610 pre's are just a good as my Great River ME-1NV.

Who is "this guy"? Sounds like someone with some kind of knowledge.

now, i know people on here have said that the Profire is a "decent" buy, but, i find it very hard to believe that the pre amps on it would be better than my Great River, let alone my RME Fireface 800, since both of these are highly recommended on here and just about everywhere on the internet (the other is Apogee). I just want someone to clarify this situation before i write a 5 page essay explaining why the Great River is better than the Profire 610.

Clarified!

Great River MP-2NV Mercenary Edition

Not even fair.

[Dizzy]

This guy he's talking about is me. I wouldn't call myself incredibly knowledgeable but recording some simple rap vocals in my room with this guy's Great River and my 610's pre's sounded quite similar. The ONLY minimal difference between the two was that the 610 was a tad bit more jumpy, which can easily be fixed with compression [but then again this could also of been because I didn't have my mic area treated when I recorded through the 610], than the Great River but as far as depth and an overall naked vocal - nope, nothing I would dish out an extra grand for.

Great River: $1300
ProFire 610: $400
Good Rapper: Priceless

[thearnicasync]

stop it, you're making too much sense. seriously, who let the smart guy in?!

this is the good stuff.

[drtechno]

remove the phantom power feed resistors and the replace the dc blocking caps with wire and the 50 cent hooker that brings you protools (m-audio) will really shine.

[MadMouth]

No boasting about one's self in this thread "this guy."

Lmfao at you still trying too fuuck




It's not hard to make a certain pre amp work if you know what you're doing. Hell, an M-Audio Mobile Pre can make you sound good.

I just laugh at you trying to make my life a living hell.

The point of the thread was if the Great River is in fact BETTER than the M-Audio Profire (not if you can take the naked vocal and process it to make it sound good).

And obviously it is by default (thanks Mercenary; that MP-2NV looks sweet!). Not just because of price range, but because of what parts are used. Simply put, the GR has "quality" parts compared to the M-Audio's "okay" parts (I can't say cheap b/c of M-Audio's reputation).

But in the long run, the GR will pay for itself time and time again.

[Dizzy]

The point of this thread was to hide from the musical ability comparisons, which you clearly lost in - so you decided to jump to a gear argument, don't front yourself.

Anyways, that's cool that the 'parts in it are more expensive' - the overall quality is comparable between my 'cheap parts preamp'. Nuff said.

"The point of the thread was if the Great River is in fact BETTER than the M-Audio Profire (not if you can take the naked vocal and process it to make it sound good)."

Hey dickhead, read my post above - I stated naked vocals, not processed - dickhead.

[ripple_fx1]

Golly - dickhead squared! Haven't heard language like that since Ethan "plonked" Wavebourn in the THD thread.
There is no such thing as unprocessed rap vocals - they all go through Autotune. You guys are nuts....JR

[Roc Mixwell]

Originally Posted by MadMouth

And obviously it is by default (thanks Mercenary; that MP-2NV looks sweet!). Not just because of price range, but because of what parts are used. Simply put, the GR has "quality" parts compared to the M-Audio's "okay" parts (I can't say cheap b/c of M-Audio's reputation).

Trial by Fire. Flame on. I bet I could use the ME1NV after it came out of the fire.

Its not just better components. Its CUSTOM components, designed into the unit with LOVE and CARE, while listening to the unit with microphones and instruments over a long period of time. The Power Supply design, RF shielding and protection, discrete amplifier circuitry, transformer design and implementation AND EVEN THE METAL WORK, are WORLD CLASS. The sound of all Great River product is FAR more musical than ANY consumer equipment I have ever heard. Bottom line, the designer of the product LISTENED carefully to it, and then crafted his soul into it, being a musician, recording engineer and and all around great guy. I hear that in the product.

But in the long run, the GR will pay for itself time and time again.

Yea, when it never breaks, nor fails. In the 3+ years I have worked for Mercenary I have never had to replace or have serviced/repaired any Great River Mic amps. NEVER. They are life long partners in your studio, if you like what they do and the response that they offer for your equipment.

[MadMouth]

so my GR will NEVER break, while the Profire is prone to breaking within let's say, less than a year? hahahahahahahahaha.

point taken.

the SONIC characteristics are different. the build is SOLID, not mass produced, and everything that goes through it sounds like butter.

another point taken.

i just love the fact that "this guy" just wants to talk s*** about me on this website.

seriously bro...get the F*** over yourself.

grow up and learn how to be a mature adult, instead of being the high school undergraduate that you are.

Goodbye! Dickhead.

There is no such thing as unprocessed rap vocals - they all go through Autotune.

that's the funniest thing i've read on this website in a while. thanks ripple fx1.

so "this guy," you gonna get butt hurt at him and start talking crap about him on the internet because he may have dissed YOU (but didn't) by saying rap vocals get processed through Autotune?

lmfao.

Later fellow Gearslutz

[muddy]

another case of the woman bolting out of ikea screaming for her husband to "start the car," because she's just gotten away with buying a $30 pre that sounds as good as what all thoze other phoolz iz payin' $1,200 for!


ml

[marcuspo]

Originally Posted by Dizzy

This guy he's talking about is me. I wouldn't call myself incredibly knowledgeable but recording some simple rap vocals in my room with this guy's Great River and my 610's pre's sounded quite similar. The ONLY minimal difference between the two was that the 610 was a tad bit more jumpy, which can easily be fixed with compression [but then again this could also of been because I didn't have my mic area treated when I recorded through the 610], than the Great River but as far as depth and an overall naked vocal - nope, nothing I would dish out an extra grand for.

Great River: $1300
ProFire 610: $400
Good Rapper: Priceless

Just curious.

Which inputs on the ProFire610 did you use to connect the Great River?

Inputs 1&2 are Mic/Inst inputs which run thru mic pres.

Inputs 3&4 are TRS line level inputs.

If you used 1 or 2 for the GR, then you would have been running a preamp into another preamp and that doesn't sound very good.

Mark

[Dizzy]

Originally Posted by MadMouth

so my GR will NEVER break, while the Profire is prone to breaking within let's say, less than a year? hahahahahahahahaha.

point taken.

the SONIC characteristics are different. the build is SOLID, not mass produced, and everything that goes through it sounds like butter.

another point taken.

i just love the fact that "this guy" just wants to talk s*** about me on this website.

seriously bro...get the F*** over yourself.

grow up and learn how to be a mature adult, instead of being the high school undergraduate that you are.

Goodbye! Dickhead.





that's the funniest thing i've read on this website in a while. thanks ripple fx1.

so "this guy," you gonna get butt hurt at him and start talking crap about him on the internet because he may have dissed YOU (but didn't) by saying rap vocals get processed through Autotune?

lmfao.

Later fellow Gearslutz

Um buddy, he didn't direct that at me - he directed that at rap in general, is that something you don't do all of a sudden? Or is your work all of a sudden some majestic piece of art nobody can rone? (garbage cough)

"less than a year" - Yeahhhh, love how you blow shit out of proportion. I'll have a 5 year life span out of thing in the least, which is a time line way further than I plan on using it. And you don't love the fact that I "talk shit on you on this site" - you just hate the fact that you thought you were buddy buddy with me, I found you slip my name in a negative fashion once so I lit yer ass up on fire and exposed the truth how you've been being played for a year and how garbage you truthfully are when it comes to music - and that's not even speaking from just my voice, if somebody that I've ever talked to actually said you were decent ONCE I would tell you that but no, literally everybody that hears you thinks you are garbage. You're 23 and you bring your dad over to my house...who needs to grow up? Dead it, conversations through - you've been provin' a loss in the musical ability category so you decided to throw in a gear argument, you're at loss with yourself. High end expensive gear doesn't make a good artist.

[Dizzy]

Originally Posted by marcuspo

Just curious.

Which inputs on the ProFire610 did you use to connect the Great River?

Inputs 1&2 are Mic/Inst inputs which run thru mic pres.

Inputs 3&4 are TRS line level inputs.

If you used 1 or 2 for the GR, then you would have been running a preamp into another preamp and that doesn't sound very good.

Mark

3..

[thearnicasync]

Originally Posted by Roc Mixwell

Its not just better components. Its CUSTOM components, designed into the unit with LOVE and CARE, while listening to the unit with microphones and instruments over a long period of time. The Power Supply design, RF shielding and protection, discrete amplifier circuitry, transformer design and implementation AND EVEN THE METAL WORK, are WORLD CLASS. The sound of all Great River product is FAR more musical than ANY consumer equipment I have ever heard. Bottom line, the designer of the product LISTENED carefully to it, and then crafted his soul into it, being a musician, recording engineer and and all around great guy. I hear that in the product.

I don't get on my soapbox very often, but YOU'RE KILLING ME. Why do you have to go around trying to convince people to share your lust for the majestic history of the finest gear of all time? Why should this guy care if the metal work is "world class"? Why does someone need "custom" components to record?

I've been through nearly every pre in your shop, including the GR (which I love), and as I write this, I'm waiting for UPS to deliver a Bock 151. It's like Christmas. To ME. But whether or not someone decides to ascend the jacob's ladder of GAS isn't something you can argue as right or wrong, it's simply an interest or it isn't. And honestly, coming from Mercenary (a supposed leader in what I thought was sustainable, good pro audio business), it's hard to believe that you wouldn't have the smarts to recognize that the person you're directly addressing doesn't need a great river. He ALREADY SAID IT WASN'T WORTH THE EXTRA GRAND.

But then again, there's that world class metal work. Dude. It's a chassis, and there are far better chassis' for less money, as anyone dumb enough to surf the internet and think about it knows. Like me.

I love the people who make these products. I now officially loathe the people that sell them.

Here you go, Roc...you owe it to yourself!

[thearnicasync]

Originally Posted by marcuspo

Just curious.
Mark

Is it impossible to imagine that the guy...actually. doesn't. give. a. shiit?

[MadMouth]

You know how many people crave Avalons? At $2000, if I had the money, I would buy one. But i broke down and bought the GR because I didn't need the compressor, nor the eq. I needed a pre amp that would last a long time for less money (only cost me $1115). Plus, if that money would've come out of my own pocket, than I probably would have went with the Groove Tubes the Brick.

And I really don't need my Fireface either, but, when I test these things out before I buy them, I obviously want to get my moneys worth, that way I don't have to upgrade in the future.

And I don't just record music. My pops and I are going to do voice over work as well. So the GR would also be better in regards to this.

And, if i had no musical skills whatsoever (according to "this guy"), then why the hell would I be trying to find a loan for the MUSICIANS INSTITUTE if I didn't plan on going there in the near future? Especially when my college professors personally tell me that they will sign a letter of recommendation for me (before i took a year off from school). Get your facts straightfuuck

One fact that is true..."this guy" pretended to be the rapper DZK (SoundClick - Free MP3 music download and much, much more.dzk <-- the REAL DZK is here) for like 2 years (NO B/S).

Who does that? (no Milli Vanilli comments, lol)

[Senor Jaime]

both of you need to go your separate ways.




The GR and the M-Audio are geared towards different markets (GR - semi-professional/professional; M-Audio - amateur/semi-professional)

One will last, the other will be replaced down the line.

But, no matter what, you MUST have the ability to USE your gear.

If you can't even make a $25 pre amp sound at least 4x better than what it should, then you're not doing something right.

All in all, work with the gear you have but don't compare it to another piece of gear. They may "sound" similar, but in actuality, they are completely different.

In fact, I'm gearing up to purchase either the ART MPA Gold or the Grace m101.

Would anyone like to elaborate on which I should get?

- Senor Jaime

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by ripple_fx1

There is no such thing as unprocessed rap vocals - they all go through Autotune. You guys are nuts....JR

Is that really true? (Haven't done rap since 1992). I though auto tune was for a pitched track? How does it work if you're not singing? Just curious.

Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades

[ripple_fx1]

Not true...my kids can't stand the station I listen to in the van, so I'll tune it to the urban station they prefer with the caveat that if I hear the "robot voice" I thought was dead and over with, we're going back to my music. If they're lucky, they'll get a song or two in....
Cheers! JR