Pre amp - for my budget.

[Blenn]

I have, already, the Amek CIB purepaths. Excellent preamp. But a tad neutral and no DI.

My main mics will be the Brauner VMA and Soundelux E251C (any week now for them both to arrive).

Now my budget is £1000 ish £1250 UK pounds. I need something with a great pre-amp, great DI and a different colour to the Amek.

So either the Germanium by Chandler or the Millennia TD-1 with the Mullard tube. (or any other suggestions).

Will the TD-1 with the Mullard be significantly different than the HV-3 fet side of things.

The budget really is my maxium as the VMA and E251C have virtually cleared me out.

Any advice guys would be more than appreciated.

Paul Blenn

[Norman Lindsey]

if you want something with an interesting color take a look at the sebatron valve preamps. with your budget i would recommend a double channel vmp . very nice onboard di too that would compliment the amek.

[Blenn]

Many thanks Norman. I will do some research.

Anyone else?

Paul Blenn

[7om]

Originally Posted by Blenn

Will the TD-1 with the Mullard be significantly different than the HV-3 fet side of things.

Note that, unlike the Origin, the tubes on the TD-1 are only on the DI path, not the mic path. From Millennia's website:

"TD-1's instrument input employs Twin Topology® ~ Millennia's innovative merging of vacuum tube and solid state circuit topologies."

http://www.mil-media.com/docs/products/td1.shtml

You can verify this in the block diagram. That is not to suggest that the TD-1 is a bad option. I love my TD-1's, which get heavy use with my synths, but I also use the HV-3 mic input. It is absolutely clean, which I like, but I know is not suited to everyone's preferences. It is a wonderfully versatile box that is great for my uses, which include a Korby convertible with 251 capsule.

[Blenn]

Thank you 7om.

So it may not be what I need as I already have excellent pre's that lean twoards the neutral.

So Germanium?

Paul

[Jim Easton]

The BEST pre amp maker IMO in the world is an affordable pre from Great Britain.

D.A.V. electronics is a small company based in Twickenham, England, formed in 1997 by an ex Decca Record Co. service & design engineer of 28 years.

Mike Hinton, is IT.



http://www.davelectronics.com/

[Blenn]

I agree with DAV stuff. IT's excellent but it's not opposite enough to my Amek purepaths. It has no DI as well. I need something to be different to the purepaths enough to give me a choice.

The TD-1, now, does not fill that role. The 1073 does but has no DI and is a tad too much by abut £500. My budget is £1250 and it needs to have a DI as well as be sufficently coloured as to be different than the pureaths. I think it's leanig here towards the Germanium.

Paul

[David@MVS]

Originally Posted by Blenn

I agree with DAV stuff. IT's excellent but it's not opposite enough to my Amek purepaths. It has no DI as well. I need something to be different to the purepaths enough to give me a choice.

The TD-1, now, does not fill that role. The 1073 does but has no DI and is a tad too much by abut £500. My budget is £1250 and it needs to have a DI as well as be sufficently coloured as to be different than the pureaths. I think it's leanig here towards the Germanium.

Paul

Simple: Great River MP2-NV.

But since you are across the pond, Phoenix Audio's DRS-2. DI and adjustable amounts of transformer saturation in a classic pre design. Very flexible.

Done.

Good luck,
David

[Blenn]

Now that's much more like it.

Many thanks David.

Paul