Daking Mic Pre/Eq, high-end??

[NIGHT'SCHILD]

I know most people on this forum like the Daking products, but I haven't heard much about this unit.

I heard the EQ is great, true? I really like a fat sounding EQ found on Trident's.

How about the pre section? What is it similiar to?

Lastly is this a unit I will keep or get bored with like my Focusrite ISA430?

[ziegenh5]

I know I will never get rid of my pair. I think they are the best value for money in a mic pre/eq combo out there today. They stack up as equals right up next to a Trident A/B Range. It should wipe your ISA to the floor. I wouldn't say the eq is fat though, more chiseled but powerful. Best of luck.
Sean

[ToddP]

Geoff designed them because he loved the Trident A range and no one was making it. He took the idea to some manufacturers and said "why don't you make this." They said "Why don't YOU." So he did.

If you want the story you can get a dvd from us

www.transaudioelite.com

He tells the whole story on it, and the philosophy of the design.

[drew]

cool, just ordered it.

I too will never get rid of mine. I like the filters a lot. I run dist gtr through it and run the LPF and HPF all the down/up, which tames the low end and warms up the highend. I also like to run mine hot on the input, usually one click past where it "should" be and then back off the output. When I first got them I wasn't thrilled with where the eq points were but once I "learned" the piece it made sense and fell into place.

[lukejs]

Steve Remote AKA Remoteness from Aura Sonic did a mic pre shootout and guess which mic pre got most votes ? The Daking 52270 !!! go search "shootout" and "preamp" and you'll see the thread. I too am in the market for a new preamp... this or maybe the Aurora Audio GTQ2 .... you may want to check out what people are saying about that one too..... One retailer told me it's (GTQ2)one of the best pre's he's ever heard....and may even like it better than the Neve 1073's !! But he also said the Daking has more EQ options...... choices, choices , choices !!!

[NIGHT'SCHILD]

How does the Daking Mic Pre/Eq sound on vocals? My main use would probably be for vocals and maybe a little gtr.

[vudoo]

i do a fair amount of drum tracking at my place and after spending months trying out different pre i settle for 6 Daking...i LOVE them and will never get rid of them.
I also got some API as i needed more pre's but found the API sounding pretty close to the Daking. I really dig the API for bass though. Get some Daking, you won't regret it.

[vudoo]

Hey Todd,

I like to get the Daking and Al and Ed show DVD but your site won't allow Canadian orders. Any ways i can get them ??? Thanks

[thethrillfactor]

Originally posted by NIGHT'SCHILD
How does the Daking Mic Pre/Eq sound on vocals? My main use would probably be for vocals and maybe a little gtr.

I always found the pre's a little gritty.

Great on a snare, but a little too gritty on vocals.

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by thethrillfactor
I always found the pre's a little gritty.

Great on a snare, but a little too gritty on vocals.

Hmm, gritty huh? Not heard that one. I've heard "aggressive" once or twice, but not gritty. I think the comments I get most are like the one from Paul Reed Smith: "These suckers are so much more musical than than any of that other crap I tried. I'm sending the SSL's back." He ended up with a Daking Mic Pre4 for normal work and and a Mercury M72s for "fat". I don't know, maybe ear of the beholder? Could it be sounding gritty due to monitor/room set up perhaps? Its design wise pretty much on the money-direct coupled, Class A etc....

Thrill, I often find your comments pretty consistent with what I know, this time not so sure. Maybe you need to give it another go...or try the new Mic Pre4?

Brad

[toledo3]

Originally posted by Brad Lunde
Hmm, gritty huh? Not heard that one. I've heard "aggressive" once or twice, but not gritty. I think the comments I get most are like the one from Paul Reed Smith: "These suckers are so much more musical than than any of that other crap I tried. I'm sending the SSL's back." He ended up with a Daking Mic Pre4 for normal work and and a Mercury M72s for "fat". I don't know, maybe ear of the beholder? Could it be sounding gritty due to monitor/room set up perhaps? Its design wise pretty much on the money-direct coupled, Class A etc....

Thrill, I often find your comments pretty consistent with what I know, this time not so sure. Maybe you need to give it another go...or try the new Mic Pre4?

Brad

The Paul Reed Smith band kicks ass.... do you know if they still play? And I love that mod he did on jcm 800's.

[toledo3]

One more thing about PRS...

He is one of the nicest guys, great customer service....

I bought a PRS, and the tuning peg (special design on his guitars) wouldn't hold a .56 for the low E. I saw him after he played a show, and asked him about it. He literally took his own guitar apart, and gave me that piece, because he knew his would handle the .56. THAT is customer service.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally posted by Brad Lunde


Thrill, I often find your comments pretty consistent with what I know, this time not so sure. Maybe you need to give it another go...or try the new Mic Pre4?

Brad

One man's gritty is another man's agressive.

I had them in my studio(along with the comps) a couple of years back for a trial and they just didn't do it for me.

I sent them back after a day or two.

At the time i just felt there were things out that did the "grit(or agressive) better.

What i thought they would be great on are snare,certain guitars and toms.

Everything else i threw at them had a "hi-mid push"that i didn't like.

Now there is gear that has the "hi-mid push" but is a tad more musical(the Blue 230 comp comes to mind).

Maybe if i listened again now a few years later maybe i would change its sonic imprint on my mind but that's rare.

Just one man's opinion.

[NathanEldred]

Well, happy Birthday to Geoff Daking today regardless....

[Musiclab]

I Love the 52270b on snare, and on electric guitars. It has a mid-rangey quality which I don't care for on vocals. I prefer API for most singers.
BTW I did a couple of guitar sessions at Geoff's when Geoff owned a studio
He had a Trident series 80 , alot of API and Neve outboard. He also bought the first API console when API went back into the console business.

[drew]

speaking of Dakings, are they cool with Ribbon mics? with phantom being on all the time is there any danger while plugging and unplugging?

[DrDeltaM]

Tracked drums today with the Dakings on kick and snare. Recommended

[studjo]

I track kick and snare almost exclusively with the Dakings. They have a "forwardness" that is very musical IMNSHO - this tends to be very good for the snare. I like it on kick because the low end is very solid.
The eq isn't what I would call the fatest thing in town - but I like it because it treats the low end like no other EQ I know. I can dial in a lot of 50Hz without getting too muddy at 100Hz - that's something I find problematic with other eqs (at least the ones I got - and I need more EQs).

btw the compressor kicks ass to - on kick and snare and bass and ...



Jo

[Chad]

Originally posted by drew
speaking of Dakings, are they cool with Ribbon mics? with phantom being on all the time is there any danger while plugging and unplugging?

Drew,
Phantom is always on? that seems crazy for this price range. The problem with phantom and ribbons is only going to affect things in the properly terminated cable if the mic points are on the patchbay, as when inserting a cable, the pins are crossed, and phantom can be sent along the wrong lines for a breif second as the patch cable is being inserted. But in your setup with the dakings going right to the plate, you are technicaly fine. Mentaly? I dont know, peace of mind outweighs what is technicaly correct. If i recall, there were plans somewhere for making an inline box that blocks phantom power in this situation. Ill see if i can dig it up. A few bucks to build or buy the "phantom block" would definately make me feel a lot better.

[drew]

I guess it's old school to have it on all the time, old Neve's are like that. I knew it could only happen with a bad cable or when you're plugging or unplugging mic lines but was wondering if plugging and unplugging the mic itself could cause it.

[studjo]

Boys - there's a switch in front of that unit that reads something like 48v

With all your ribbons just un-push that lovely buton and your phantom disapears

[drew]

not on mine.

[ToddP]

The older versions- with the concentric knobs- didn't have the phantom power switch. That was a characteristic of the Trident, I believe, that he kept. There is a mod you can do with the power supply that will turn it off.

All the newer versions have a phantom power switch on the front panel.

As for using with ribbons, that isn't a problem. They have tons of gain.

Todd,
What are the differences between the old units and the new?
They sure got a lot cheaper?????

hmmmm?

D

[ToddP]

Originally posted by dpasch
Todd,
What are the differences between the old units and the new?
They sure got a lot cheaper?????

hmmmm?

D

Everything is the same except the layout and the addition of the phantom on/off switch. All the circuitry is identical. It is still all through-hole, discrete, Class A, Steel chassis etc... The latest change is that a power supply is now included with each unit. The PS 4 power supply is no longer in production.

Got a lot cheaper? More correctly: Less expensive.
We are just trying to give some love...

[ziegenh5]

Also, the new ones added a couple frequency points in the mid bands and got rid of some low pass/high pass filter points.
Sean

[Musiclab]

Originally posted by ToddP
Everything is the same except the layout and the addition of the phantom on/off switch. All the circuitry is identical. It is still all through-hole, discrete, Class A, Steel chassis etc... The latest change is that a power supply is now included with each unit. The PS 4 power supply is no longer in production.

Got a lot cheaper? More correctly: Less expensive.
We are just trying to give some love...

Weren't the concentric pots and switches more expensive on the early
52270. They sure were cooler looking. That aside, I'd rather have the extra bands on the eq that come with the 52270b. BTW thanks for the lower price.
I'm definetly getting another one and that helps

[drew]

I have the original ones and I paid $1200 ea. direct from Geoff plus $200 for the PS.

[Brad Lunde]

Originally posted by drew
I have the original ones and I paid $1200 ea. direct from Geoff plus $200 for the PS.

Now both mic pre and comp are available for just about what dealer cost (1299) was. Geoff has a new "line wart" power supply that's included for free in that price. We are trying to make Daking the best damn bargain on the planet......and to lower prices instead of raising them. Hope you approve.

Brad

[pgk]

He literally took his own guitar apart, and gave me that piece, because he knew his would handle the .56. THAT is customer service

yep, that's paul for you! great guy with a heart of gold