Neve 1073DPA and Uaudio 2-610 - differences in sound (for a rookie!)?

[celebritymusic]

Hi

I'm really a rookie studio geek, and I have never heard what a high end mic pre sounds like.

If I was going to save up to get a dual mic pre, which one would you recommend out of the Neve 1073DPA and Uaudio 2-610?

Please explain your preference, and what the difference is in sound, and also what they are each generally better at recording.

BTW - I am currently using a M-audio Tampa

THANKS!

Shaun

[MarkS]

both preamps will be a step forward and above from your current sound, however, i would rather recomend the neve over the universal audio.

although i like the later one, i tend more and more not to use it because i feel like growing out of it and my personal preference changed since i bought the unit. it was my first "real" good mic preamp, however, after time i learned that it is not as good as you might expect.
in the beginning i like the tubey and mid-crunchy sound, however, this is the only thing i feel it is really good on, but i personally do not need a one trick pony, and othe runits do this sound even better.
above all that, it is a little bit of hassle to get a real clean tone out of it when coupled with hot modern mics, i always felt, that the 2610 is more likely to sound better with old smoother mics.

and since i started to hear other pricey preamps, i feel that the sonic quality is not on par with equal expensive units, what was a big dissapointment.

of course, it all comes down to personal tastes and likes. just my first cent.

[C/G]

Do a search on the 2-610 and you will find lots of opinions on it. I had one and I ditched it. If it were me, I would go for the Neve or for the price of the Neve you could probably get a Great River MP-2NV and a 2 channel eq or.............

[KROK]

I personally would go for the Neve. I have a 2-610 which, for as flexible as it looks, is really limited in uses. I have used the 610 for different things but it just comes up short sonically.

The 610 is great on DI bass. I have had some luck with overheads and vocal cuts, but nothing real mind blowing.

Lots of posts on here. Check them out.

[celebritymusic]

OK Guys - thanks for the info.

OK - please bear with the next questions, because I am a rookie, and I'm not really near anywhere I can have a listen to high-end gear.

What does a Neve 1073 sound like - will my ears go gooey the first time I hear one, and will I think to myself "oh - that's how it's done!!!!".

Someone mentioned a River pre. If I'm going to invest in a high-end pre, could you please recoommned some amps, what they sound like in relation to each other, and what recording situations they are good for.

Are there high-end pres that can be both colorful and transparent if needed? What are they.

Why is a Neve 1073 so expensive compared to a Neve 1073DPA?

THANKS!!!

Best regards

Shaun

[insomnio]

I recommend using the search. You'll find so much you can be reading Neve posts for a week. Is the only way...

Insomnio

[maskedman72]

Originally Posted by celebritymusic

Why is a Neve 1073 so expensive compared to a Neve 1073DPA?

a 1073 has eq and is vintage and there is the supply/demand thing also.


i would pick the dpa over the 2-610 if i had to pick from the 2.

but if i were to spend that kind of cash for a dpa i would save a bit more and go with something with an eq section,like a wonder or a chandler ltd-1.

[insomnio]

What the hell!
Look here!
http://gearslutz.com/board/showthrea...sults+favorite

I

[Jeff19]

Are there high-end pres that can be both colorful and transparent if needed? What are they.

The great river is pretty good for transparent and colorful. Aside of being a great preamp in itself, it's ability to be "flexible" is one of the reasons it is also a great FIRST high end preamp since you are not so much stuck with a one trick box.

[jpupo74]

UA 2610?

1073 DPA!

[celebritymusic]

OK - Thanks for all the info and opinions.

Coupla questions...

1. Does the 1073DPA sound the same as a regular 1073 (aside from the eq?).

2. I like to eq in the box - I get nervous applying eq at the front end. Would I be better off going with the 1073DPA - it seems so much ceaper than the 1073, especially considering you get two pres with it. Does the eq section in the 1073 justify the extra price?

3. 1073 clones. Can they really do it? Do they actually sound just like having a Neve? If so, which clones are worthy of a look?

THANKS!

Shaun

[celebritymusic]

What does 'discrete' and class A or B mean re: preamps?

[maskedman72]

Originally Posted by celebritymusic

OK - Thanks for all the info and opinions.

Coupla questions...

1. Does the 1073DPA sound the same as a regular 1073 (aside from the eq?).

2. I like to eq in the box - I get nervous applying eq at the front end. Would I be better off going with the 1073DPA - it seems so much ceaper than the 1073, especially considering you get two pres with it. Does the eq section in the 1073 justify the extra price?

3. 1073 clones. Can they really do it? Do they actually sound just like having a Neve? If so, which clones are worthy of a look?

THANKS!

Shaun

1. havent heard the dpa yet (i have 2 vintage 1073's though)

2. to me the eq does justify the price

3. the best clones are the chandler ltd-1 and the brent averill 1073 and the aurora gtq-2(this has a lessar eq section though).
i have 2 ltd-1's and they totally kick ass.
i have heard nothing but good things about the wonder units.

4. if you are going to buy a high end pre than go all the way and get a good clone or the real thing.

i would go with a unit with eq. although you may be nervous about eqing to tape you will grow into it in the future and than you will kick yourself in the ass for not having bought it in the first place cause by that time you will have lost money.

[pieter]

As this is such a subjective matter, the best thing to do would be to organise some kind of shootout with preamps from the different camps:

- Colored transistor (e.g. Neve 1073, API 512, Daking)

- Colored Tube (e.g. UA 610, Tab Funkenwerk)

- Transparant transistor (e.g. GML, Millenia, Crane Song)

- Transparant tube (e.g. Pendulum)

- ...

This will give you a broad picture of what to expect.

After that you coudl narrow it down and do another shootout within a camp (e.g. API versus Neve)

I personnaly went for Crane Song and Daking.

[Soldier777c]

Get yourself a 9098.

[insomnio]

Originally Posted by pieter

- Colored transistor (e.g. Neve 1073, API 512, Daking)

- Colored Tube (e.g. UA 610, Tab Funkenwerk)

- Transparant transistor (e.g. GML, Millenia, Crane Song)

- Transparant tube (e.g. Pendulum)

Cool

Insomnio