8 channels of great all-around, home studio pre-amps

[redddog]

I'm looking to cover all the bases in my home studio. Most of my stuff is Alt/country, folky rock type stuff. I strive for Ethan Johns type sound. The room is currently getting treatment and I'm looking for 8 channels of great pres that will get me great sounding tracks for:

- live drums. never more than 7 or 8 channels tops

- acoustic guitar.

- vocals - same range as Ryan Adams

- guitar cabs. from clean and jangly to '70s rock tones.

I'm pretty set on an API 3124 and I'm basically looking for 4 more channels to compliment that. Of course, if anyone has an alternative, fire away. I like to keep it at around 6 grand for the whole she-bang but would love to hear a sleeper cheep solution as well. Whatever you think.

Thanks boys

Danny

[walth]

GML8304
Daking has a great 4 channel pre.
Millennia
Universal Audio has 4 and 8 channel pres

[jomo1234]

Shadow Hills GAMA 8...it's really a stunning pre, and it's 1K under your top end budget.

[Geoff_T]

Originally Posted by redddog

I'm looking to cover all the bases in my home studio. Most of my stuff is Alt/country, folky rock type stuff. I strive for Ethan Johns type sound. The room is currently getting treatment and I'm looking for 8 channels of great pres that will get me great sounding tracks for:

- live drums. never more than 7 or 8 channels tops

- acoustic guitar.

- vocals - same range as Ryan Adams

- guitar cabs. from clean and jangly to '70s rock tones.

I'm pretty set on an API 3124 and I'm basically looking for 4 more channels to compliment that. Of course, if anyone has an alternative, fire away. I like to keep it at around 6 grand for the whole she-bang but would love to hear a sleeper cheep solution as well. Whatever you think.

Thanks boys

Danny

Hi Danny

Comfortably under your budget by over $1K is our GTP8... that's 8 killer channels of class A, all discrete transistor circuitry with transformer in and out with 8 killer active DI stages.

You can see it and hear it here.... - A focus on our new 8 channel mic preamplifier

[redddog]

Thanks Fellas.

Let me be a little more specific.

I'm looking for 8 channels of different flavors of pres that will cover all the bases.

[Geoff_T]

Originally Posted by redddog

Thanks Fellas.

Let me be a little more specific.

I'm looking for 8 channels of different flavors of pres that will cover all the bases.

Hi

Ah.. you sneaked that one in!

I think that your only choice will be a 500 style rack with a bunch of different pres.

The only probby with the different sounding pre concept is what happens if you want more than two sounding the same?

[gm5k]

Originally Posted by redddog

Thanks Fellas.

Let me be a little more specific.

I'm looking for 8 channels of different flavors of pres that will cover all the bases.

get a 500 series rack and begin the journey!

[markk]

For The style you described, This would be good IMO.

UA Dual M610
Great River 2NV
Chandler LTD-1
SM7B Mic

[kt66]

Have you looked at the Seventh Circle stuff? The chassis is two rack spaces and will house 8 preamps. I have two of the Neve clones (N72's) and four of the API (A12's) in mine and have been real impressed with them. He has two other cleaner versions as well - one similar to a John Hardy M1 and the other a Millennia HV-3 type I believe.

[johnnyjellybean]

Originally Posted by redddog

I'm looking to cover all the bases in my home studio. Most of my stuff is Alt/country, folky rock type stuff. I strive for Ethan Johns type sound. The room is currently getting treatment and I'm looking for 8 channels of great pres that will get me great sounding tracks for:

- live drums. never more than 7 or 8 channels tops

- acoustic guitar.

- vocals - same range as Ryan Adams

- guitar cabs. from clean and jangly to '70s rock tones.

I'm pretty set on an API 3124 and I'm basically looking for 4 more channels to compliment that. Of course, if anyone has an alternative, fire away. I like to keep it at around 6 grand for the whole she-bang but would love to hear a sleeper cheep solution as well. Whatever you think.

Thanks boys

Danny

4 more channels at a reasonable price that are very different from API = Sebatron

[redddog]

Originally Posted by johnnyjellybean

4 more channels at a reasonable price that are very different from API = Sebatron

What type of sound does the Sebatron have and what would you use it on?

[NathanEldred]

Vintech 473 is a nice complement to the API, it's very different but still an excellent preamp.

[redddog]

Originally Posted by kt66

Have you looked at the Seventh Circle stuff? The chassis is two rack spaces and will house 8 preamps. I have two of the Neve clones (N72's) and four of the API (A12's) in mine and have been real impressed with them. He has two other cleaner versions as well - one similar to a John Hardy M1 and the other a Millennia HV-3 type I believe.

Yeah, I've sort of gone back and forth on the Seventh Circle thing. The thing with those is that I just don't have the time to put those things together. I would have to buy them assembled. Assembled, they are actually not that good of a deal and in the end , you still only have a clone. If I had the time, it may be another story but I don't. So for me, it would make more sense just to buy the real deal. Really, the API 3124 is one of the best deals in the preamp world and also definitive drum pre. How's that for value?

[redddog]

Originally Posted by NathanEldred

Vintech 473 is a nice complement to the API, it's very different but still an excellent preamp.

Definitely thought about that, Nat.

[Andrew Kinsey]

Originally Posted by johnnyjellybean

4 more channels at a reasonable price that are very different from API = Sebatron

+1

[tonymite]

Originally Posted by redddog

I'm looking to cover all the bases in my home studio. Most of my stuff is Alt/country, folky rock type stuff. I strive for Ethan Johns type sound. The room is currently getting treatment and I'm looking for 8 channels of great pres that will get me great sounding tracks for:

- live drums. never more than 7 or 8 channels tops

- acoustic guitar.

- vocals - same range as Ryan Adams

- guitar cabs. from clean and jangly to '70s rock tones.

I'm pretty set on an API 3124 and I'm basically looking for 4 more channels to compliment that. Of course, if anyone has an alternative, fire away. I like to keep it at around 6 grand for the whole she-bang but would love to hear a sleeper cheep solution as well. Whatever you think.

Thanks boys

Danny

PM me i havs something u may be interested in

[SUGARCULT666]

Originally Posted by NathanEldred

Vintech 473 is a nice complement to the API, it's very different but still an excellent preamp.

I'd probably recommend this too it's a good deal for 4 pre's, it'd compliment the api's and you get bonus EQ.

[TonyBelmont]

Originally Posted by redddog

Thanks Fellas.

Let me be a little more specific.

I'm looking for 8 channels of different flavors of pres that will cover all the bases.

8 channels of GTQ preamps would cover all the bases. But, I can understand wanting different flavors. I think obviously the API is a no-brainer. That combined with a Wunder PA Four or maybe a couple Brent Averill 1272 pairs would be complimentary...

I personally would get the 8 channels of GTQ preamps, as they are phenomenal!

[u b k]

allow me to add to the small chorus of dissent and suggest that you purposively stay with 8 channels of the same pre. there is a deep and glorious magic in the way a mix gels when everything was recorded thru the same (stellar) pre. api stacks wonderfully.

when listening to individual sources, it might be the case that a dobro recorded thru a fearn sounds richer to you than one recorded thru a 512. but in the mix, in the context of the whole production, you may well find what a lot of old schoolers already swear by: the api dobro will glue better with the other api tracks.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[johnnyjellybean]

Originally Posted by redddog

What type of sound does the Sebatron have and what would you use it on?

The Seb has a nice warm somewhat vintage syle sound but with clarity, great bottom end and a nice open top end. Good on vocals, guitars, bass and keys. You can vary the sound from channel to channel somewhat by using different tubes in the different channels. Mine has a NOS Telefunken 12au7 in channel 4 and 2 different 12ax7a in 1-2-3.

[redddog]

Originally Posted by u b k

allow me to add to the small chorus of dissent and suggest that you purposively stay with 8 channels of the same pre. there is a deep and glorious magic in the way a mix gels when everything was recorded thru the same (stellar) pre. api stacks wonderfully.

when listening to individual sources, it might be the case that a dobro recorded thru a fearn sounds richer to you than one recorded thru a 512. but in the mix, in the context of the whole production, you may well find what a lot of old schoolers already swear by: the api dobro will glue better with the other api tracks.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

Interesting.

[dillweed]

Wunder Pa4 = awesome, huge and thick.

[johnnyjellybean]

Originally Posted by redddog

Interesting.

Ya there is something to be said about that train of thought. Some friends of mine bought a Neve console a few months ago and one of them is telling me that the pres in the racks don't get used much anymore.

[johnmarkpainter]

Reddog,

There is an eBay seller that is listing assembled Seventh Circle at VERY reasonable prices. I haven't bought from him yet, but I plan to.

I have 3 channels of Seventh Circle so far...the A12 (API) and two C84 (Millienia).
They are EXCELLENT.
And yes, I have used API preamps extensively.

I could happily record everything with API though I like having a Tube Pre for Bass and the occasional Vocal or room mic.

jmp

[1979]

I'm a huge Ryan Adams head. I Know this a common answer that you probably don't want to hear, but an old 1073 nails his vocal sound on Cold Roses, Jacksonville city lights, and Love is Hell. Using them with an m149 or a u87, and even a 57. If your into his Whiskeytown vocal sound, I could n't tell what to use.
,a vintage 1073 is likely not a viable solution for yourself, nor is it for me either. but I would definitely hunt down someting in the ballpark- GT Aurora, Wunder, Vintage design, Seventh Circle Audio, Averill.

I'm probably in the same ballpark you are gear wise ( I use, but don't own any of the gear I mentioned above) Pre's I v'e been considering are the wunder PAfour, Daking IV, ATI 8mx2(for something super functional), or a 500 series mix of pre's. However, I'm most sold on the Seventh Circle stuff, mainly because I not worried about building them myself, I can load the modules up as I have the time and money, and I can put together 8 channels for the price of most boutique four channel units.

Cheers

[digibird]

API 3124
Great River MP2NV
A Designs Pacifica

2400+2150+1995= 6545. You might could get closer to your 6000 mark on a package deal. That's a beautiful 8 channels. When can I come over?

[redddog]

Originally Posted by digibird

API 3124
Great River MP2NV
A Designs Pacifica

2400+2150+1995= 6545. You might could get closer to your 6000 mark on a package deal. That's a beautiful 8 channels. When can I come over?

That's pretty close to what I was thinking.

[redddog]

Originally Posted by 1979

I'm a huge Ryan Adams head. I Know this a common answer that you probably don't want to hear, but an old 1073 nails his vocal sound on Cold Roses, Jacksonville city lights, and Love is Hell. Using them with an m149 or a u87, and even a 57. If your into his Whiskeytown vocal sound, I could n't tell what to use.
,a vintage 1073 is likely not a viable solution for yourself, nor is it for me either. but I would definitely hunt down someting in the ballpark- GT Aurora, Wunder, Vintage design, Seventh Circle Audio, Averill.

I'm probably in the same ballpark you are gear wise ( I use, but don't own any of the gear I mentioned above) Pre's I v'e been considering are the wunder PAfour, Daking IV, ATI 8mx2(for something super functional), or a 500 series mix of pre's. However, I'm most sold on the Seventh Circle stuff, mainly because I not worried about building them myself, I can load the modules up as I have the time and money, and I can put together 8 channels for the price of most boutique four channel units.

Cheers

What about "Gold?" It's not the most popular favorite Ryan album but I love that modern 70s sound.

[Sounds Great]

Gotta have 2 channels of Hardy M1, maybe 4?

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by redddog

Yeah, I've sort of gone back and forth on the Seventh Circle thing. The thing with those is that I just don't have the time to put those things together. I would have to buy them assembled. Assembled, they are actually not that good of a deal and in the end , you still only have a clone. If I had the time, it may be another story but I don't. So for me, it would make more sense just to buy the real deal. Really, the API 3124 is one of the best deals in the preamp world and also definitive drum pre. How's that for value?

I have 6 channels of pres from Seventh Circle and I haven't assembled a single one myself. I found someone who does excellent quality work and paid him $100 a pre which put my A12s and N72s around $425 each and my C84s at $250. Not a bad deal at all. I probably could have paid someone even $75 a channel, but the guy I got was totally worth it. Something to consider.