Getting rid of my Wunder PEQ1R preamps... am I missing something?

[MrVelvet]

Hey there,

after testing them I decided to get rid of my new pair of Wunder preamps... I see that they are great and have an audiophile quality, but they were lacking that low end tranny action that I expected from a Neve-ish preamp. Or did I completely miss the picture?

FWIW, I prefer a Cranesong Flamingo because it has way more of that tranny sound to my ears, although it's a different animal...

They sound expensive, for sure, but... I would want them to sound a little bigger. Any experiences with the Wunder?

Due to a GAS attack for a Telecaster guitar I decided to sell them quickly They are currently on Ebay Germany (posted the links in the classifieds), if anyone is interested Hope you don't mind me mentioning that thumbsup

[NathanEldred]

They aren't supposed to be Neves...they are tighter more focused version of that concept. Less phase shift, etc. I think they sound huge, easily on par with the Flamingo (which also doesn't have a ton of coloration either in any mode IMO, I find the Flamingo and Wunders far more similar than the Flamingo and Neve 1073/1290). Maybe your pushing the input too hard on the Wunders, expecting them to do the St.Ives crunch, and it's out of the sweet spot.

[indie]

Nathan is right. They aren't the same -- on purpose. I've loved the PEQ-1 whenever I've had a chance to track with one.
I find it very big and punchy, but it doesn't crunch like the neve does, because it's a TOTALLY different design.
I love those Wunders on Piano -- kick and snare too, on the right song. Oh, and overheads.

[MrVelvet]

Hi,

thanks for the replies. Yes, I didn't think of it as a neve clone but neve-inspired. Seems like I had a different idea. I did pull up the first gain, but tried it on very quiet and intimate stuff, so I shouldn't be pushing the input it hard. Like I said, I notice the quality, but I, too, think it's not that much different from my Flamingo, so I'm already covered on that base... The Flamingo has more of that transformer iron kind of thing going on to my ears, which seems to be more pleasing to me, and just a tad more depth, or "subtle fatness" which I'd expected from the Wunder.

[midnightsun]

hmmmm... have you thought about the GAMA 8?

[ISedlacek]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

Hey there,

after testing them I decided to get rid of my new pair of Wunder preamps... I see that they are great and have an audiophile quality, but they were lacking that low end tranny action that I expected from a Neve-ish preamp. Or did I completely miss the picture?

FWIW, I prefer a Cranesong Flamingo because it has way more of that tranny sound top my ears, although it's a different animal...

What is "tranny" ?

I think if you have Flamingo, you may not miss anything any more

[MrVelvet]

Yeah, I did think about it when it came out... The 8 channel version would be overkill, but otherwise it looked great. I remember someone posting a mix recorded only with the GAMA 8 and it seemed too open-sounding overall... But then again, you can't judge a preamp just by hearing someone else's recording...

What's the favourite Neve clone these days?

[Meriphew]

Originally Posted by ISedlacek

What is "tranny" ?

Transformer.

[in the red]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

What's the favourite Neve clone these days?

chandler ltd-1 (my units even have original neve boards inside!)
vintage design ca73

[MrVelvet]

Ivo,

yeah, the Cranesong kinda taught me about size and width and raised the bar concerning my expectations in that department.

I love it, but would like something in a different vein as well (Neve-ish), but it should have the same amazing depth and size...

So far, my Chandler Germanium is great in that respect, but I'd like a different colour as well. Maybe the LTD-1 will do it, if it sounds a good bit different.

[MrVelvet]

Originally Posted by in the red

chandler ltd-1 (my units even have original neve boards inside!)
vintage design ca73

Thanks! Will look into that.

BTW which would be your favourite album recommendation representing the Neve sound best?

I know everyone has used them but - where can I hear it blossoming?

I'm asking because I read that the latest Audioslave drum recordings would be "the" Neve crunch-y thing. And I hate them, probably mostly due to the brickwall limiting thing, so I'd like to update my mind

[ISedlacek]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

Ivo,

yeah, the Cranesong kinda taught me about size and width and raised the bar concerning my expectations in that department.

I love it, but would like something in a different vein as well (Neve-ish), but it should have the same amazing depth and size...

Well, I feel that with Iron (and maybe Fat) switches involved, the sound becomes kind of Neveish, but with more depth and clarity. I had 1073 here and did not like it much. Erasing lot of subtle details, putting the same cloudy thick cloth on everything

[MrVelvet]

Hi Ivo,

you are right, the Flamingo has some of it... I'll see - maybe I'm fine with that or I might add another variation of that flavour... The original Neve might be a tad too clouded as well for my taste, but a little more thick and cloudy silk might be interesting for some tasks.

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

Hi Ivo,

you are right, the Flamingo has some of it... I'll see - maybe I'm fine with that or I might add another variation of that flavour... The original Neve might be a tad too clouded as well for my taste, but a little more thick and cloudy silk might be interesting for some tasks.

Hi MrVelvet;

I had a Flamingo which I traded for a Spider which is very similar to the Flamingo. So I know the sound that you are working with. May I suggest the Pendulum Quartet II Mercenary Edition. I demoed one last weekend and I think it will be all that you are looking for. Huge sound, great on guitars and vox, can be very colored if you need it to be but still remains focused and 3D. If you need tranny you can switch it in, or not, very flexible piece, a good compliment to the Flamingo IMHO. I'm sold.

[midnightsun]

My go to preamp.

[Jack P]

1084 - Nice thumbsup

[seaneldon]

the wunders are my current "favorite mic pre of all time", and the EQ is pretty much a complete bonus. very general purpose, but not boring in any way as far as I'm concerned. some people think they're noisy, I don't ever have a problem with that.

if you wanna sell it because it's not what you were expecting, okay, but I can tell you that if you do keep them, the powers of that pre will come out eventually and you'll sleep with the fukking thing every night.

[Meriphew]

Originally Posted by seaneldon

the wunders are my current "favorite mic pre of all time", and the EQ is pretty much a complete bonus. very general purpose, but not boring in any way as far as I'm concerned. some people think they're noisy, I don't ever have a problem with that.

if you wanna sell it because it's not what you were expecting, okay, but I can tell you that if you do keep them, the powers of that pre will come out eventually and you'll sleep with the fukking thing every night.

But do you like the Wunder pres?

[tcause]

well... I have a pair PEQ1s and Spider ( which does not have the iron option of the flamingo coincidentally). The Wunders are huge... I have tried them up against a whole lot of things and they are really still way up on top of my favourite list.

My problem at the moment is that I am recording piano (2 omni's) + vocal... and i don't have 3 channels of Wunder... and I am pretty sure that I won't find an option that I like more.... so I'm thinking about another channel of Wunder... but then I only have 2 channels of STC-8 too...

you see my problem?

This recording thing messes with your head.

[Mark Warren]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

What's the favourite Neve clone these days?

Have to concur on the LTD-1. I have one and wish to have two, they're awesome mic preamp, EQ, and DI. This is one of the preamps you simply can't go wrong with, it sounds killer!!

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

Thanks! Will look into that.

BTW which would be your favourite album recommendation representing the Neve sound best?

I know everyone has used them but - where can I hear it blossoming?

I'm asking because I read that the latest Audioslave drum recordings would be "the" Neve crunch-y thing. And I hate them, probably mostly due to the brickwall limiting thing, so I'd like to update my mind

For what it is worth the tones on the last Audioslave CD were AMAZING. The brickwall limiting sucked in a HUGE way but if you can look inside the finished product the raw sounds on that album are unbelievable.

Anyway something else to consider in your search for the "Neve" thing is the Seventh Circle Audio N72. I don't have one but I hear nothing but excelient things about it. The price is not too bad and if, Geoff Tanner is to be belived, SCA did the 1272 thing exactly how it should have been done and unlike how any of the other cloners have tried tackeling the design.

[MrVelvet]

Originally Posted by seaneldon

the wunders are my current "favorite mic pre of all time", and the EQ is pretty much a complete bonus. very general purpose, but not boring in any way as far as I'm concerned. some people think they're noisy, I don't ever have a problem with that.

if you wanna sell it because it's not what you were expecting, okay, but I can tell you that if you do keep them, the powers of that pre will come out eventually and you'll sleep with the fukking thing every night.

Ha Yeah, I'm aware of that phenomenon that I might discover its beauty eventually... That's what happened to me with the Flamingo, BTW. On the other hand, if I keep them right now I can't go with that great Telecaster and fulfill my current GAS attack No, seriously - I think in that case, they're just not what I expected. I'm sure the Wunders got some serious depth (probably especially with many tracks layered), but I need a bigger low end with just a little edge (like the Flamingo has). I'll look into the pendulum as well, as soon as I've got the possibility.

Now please help me selling them without losing too much thumbsup

[seaneldon]

you want bigger bottom end? grab the low shelf. its really, really insanely good.

there's a billion and a half telecasters in the world. way more than there are wunder pres. something to think about.

[MrVelvet]

I hear you... But adding the low-shelf won't do what I mean... It's like saying the POD sounds muddy and adding high end would fix it... If you know what I mean... This comparison is completely senseless in terms of quality but - I think the "deep down" 3D transformer bottom end is just not there in the Wunder like it is in the Flamingo or a traditional Neve.

[ISedlacek]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

I think the "deep down" 3D transformer bottom end is just not there in the Wunder like it is in the Flamingo or a traditional Neve.

The only thing is that Flamingo does not have a transformer (as far as I know)

[blaugruen7]

lol

[theother]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

Hey there,

after testing them I decided to get rid of my new pair of Wunder preamps... I see that they are great and have an audiophile quality, but they were lacking that low end tranny action that I expected from a Neve-ish preamp. Or did I completely miss the picture?

No, it's ok. I had the same experience. Sold my Wunder pres too and bought a pair of Neve 1084's.

[MrVelvet]

That's interesting. Did the 1084 do it for you?

[MrVelvet]

Originally Posted by ISedlacek

The only thing is that Flamingo does not have a transformer (as far as I know)

Ivo,

regarding the Iron switch, I think you're right. Cranesong simulates the behaviour of a transformer with a different signal path...

[ISedlacek]

Originally Posted by MrVelvet

Ivo,

regarding the Iron switch, I think you're right. Cranesong simulates the behaviour of a transformer with a different signal path...

Yes ...

Speaking of CraneSong, cannot resist to show a slightly OT photo -
yesterday with my hero Dave Hill