10th May 2005
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#1 | | Gear Head
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 39
Thread Starter  | Best Vocal Mic-pre (RENTAL)
Hi,
My band and I are recording an EP in our rehearsal space. We have done everything through Mackie Pre's but want the final phase (vox) to be as strong as possible. We are going to rent one of the following, keep in mind we are getting the pre amp only. If we need compression we'll probably use our DBX 166 or something in the waves bundle. I would greatly appreciate any insight or opinions on which one we should rent. They are all great pre-amps, we are mainly looking for the best vocal pre-amp on its own, or wondering whether we should explore an all in one like an Avalon. Here is an example of the music we play www.myspace.com/divisible
Neve 1084 - $40
API 312,550a, 550b, 560 - $25
Averill 1073 mono w DI - $40
UA 2-260 - $50
Manley Vox Box - $50
Avalon VT-737sp - $50
Thanks!
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11th May 2005
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#2 | | Gear nut
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 83
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i would use the 1084 on vocals.
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11th May 2005
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#3 | | Gear Guru
Joined: Jul 2002 Location: NYC
Posts: 10,203
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Rent the Neve 1084 (no brainer) and get an LA3a also. You'll thank me.
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It's a journey. Not a destination. Enjoy yours.  | |
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11th May 2005
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#4 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,209
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Can you believe it? A 610 doubles an API.
API, API, API...
I
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11th May 2005
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#5 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,275
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I think I would choose the Averill 1073. The 1084 and the apis are great too.
I'm just partial to 1073s.
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11th May 2005
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#6 | | Gear addict
Joined: Apr 2004 Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 312
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stay with the mackie.
all these pre's are overrated!
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11th May 2005
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#7 | | Gear addict
Joined: Apr 2004 Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 312
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gotcha!!  | |
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11th May 2005
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#8 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2003 Location: Western North Carolina
Posts: 3,667
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by neve1073 I think I would choose the Averill 1073. The 1084 and the apis are great too.
I'm just partial to 1073s. | A 1084 is the same class A mic pre as the 1073 with more frequency choices on the eq section if I'm not mistaken.....
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"I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept even the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have delighted in explaining to colleagues, which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabric of their lives." Tolstoy
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11th May 2005
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#9 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 799
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You forgot to put Behringer in the list.
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11th May 2005
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#10 | | Gear nut
Joined: May 2005 Location: USA
Posts: 124
| Mic Pre Choice
What kind of mic are you going to use on the vocal, what style of music and what kind of voice does the singer have? Male, female, tenor, baritone?
Hard to go wrong with the Averill 1073 or API though.
Best regards,
Audy O
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11th May 2005
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#11 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Lillehammer, Norway
Posts: 697
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Without knowing the voice: 1084. Can't go wrong.
Stein Tore
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11th May 2005
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#12 | | member no 666
Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Suffern, NY
Posts: 10,411
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by vicprobey If we need compression we'll probably use our DBX 166 or something in the waves bundle. | If you're going to use either of those pieces of shit don't waste your money on renting a pre-amp... they won't help the bottle neck caused by the weakest link in your signal chain.
Of the ones on your list I'd probably recommend the 1084 as well... and I'd also recommend you heed Kenny's suggestion of renting an LA-3A to go with it.
I would also suggest you don't engage the EQ on the 1084 on the way to the recorder as the compression will be post EQ at that point which is kind of a drag... however, if you rent two 1084's you can use the second one to EQ post compression which can indeed make you day a very happy one.
This is the "money track" you're talking about... you might want to throw an extra couple of bucks at it...
Best of luck
Peace.
__________________ CN Fletcher Professional Affiliation: R/E/P Professional Recording Engineer and Producer forums mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33
We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid
Roscoe Ambel once said:
Pro-Tools is to audio what fluorescent is to light | |
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11th May 2005
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#13 | | Gear Head
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 39
Thread Starter |
Thanks for the replies, The vox on myspace was actually recorded on 1073's into a 1176 and a U67.
Instrumentally the song is better now and we are actually getting a better sound overall using arrangement and layering then we did using multi thousand dollar kick drums etc. Of course that was a "freebie" demo song at a major studio and not a record.
Everyone seems to swear by 1073's but I wasn't sure about Averill 1073's. Is that like a better vintech/chandler but still not as good as Neve? I will probably take the advice of you guys and go with the 1084.
Our options for vocal mics are an SM7, 58a beta, sm94 condensors, not the greatest but not the worst either. This is for male and female vocals.
Here our are options for compressors, price is an issue but mabye we can get them down 15-20% on a three day rental.
EL8-distressor - 20
Urei 1176ln - 30
la-3a "pair" - 40
la-2a - 40
api 525c - 25
Warmth is great, I know I won't get that from the distressor. The two recommendations for the la-3a make sense is a "pair" 2? I thought those were single channel 2U. What is the "ln" on the back of the 1176. I thought that compressor was the cream of the crop. I know I shouldn't nickle and dime when it comes to quality but then again price really matters. Would the api work somewhat as good as the rest?
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12th May 2005
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#14 | | Moderator
Joined: Feb 2004 Location: Boston,MA Providence,RI
Posts: 16,335
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1084 and LA3a =  | |
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12th May 2005
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#15 | | Gear Head
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 39
Thread Starter |
3 people say 1084+LA-3A vs none against it, I believe that completes the decision making process. Thanks for the help
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12th May 2005
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#16 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Oct 2004 Location: Monroe, NY
Posts: 1,097
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1084 + LA-3A + Samson Q Snare mic  | |
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12th May 2005
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#17 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,275
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The Averill 1073 I have used was literally an original 1073 that Brent had cleaned up. It was all one expects of the real thing because it was the real thing. I'm not sure if that's still the case or not with his stuff...this was some years ago.
Having said that, the 1084 is a fine choice. All the 10 series neves I've used are very nice.
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12th May 2005
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#18 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2002 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
Posts: 1,356
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I think there are better mic choices that you can also rent here in LA. Micworks in Orange County has some classic Neumans and Telefunkens that are at reasonable rates.
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12th May 2005
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#19 | | Gear Head
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 39
Thread Starter |
Thanks for the mic input, its not really an option though. Our budget was about $50 a day after the $750 for the used board,soundcard,mics we can't really afford the pre/compressor combo but we're doing it. We still need to get it mixed, mastered, reproed etc... Our budget started as $1000. Guess we'll see what happens now.
later
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