Daking Pres Describe sound

[NoEgo]

Can anyone give me a short descrip of the sound of the stand alone Daking pre? Like on a Mic Pre IV unit?
It is transformer I know so is it closer to a Neve or more like a Grace, DACS clear sound?

Curious
Thanks
Lou

[jbuntz]

It's somewhere in between Neve and Grace type stuff. Not quite sterile, but quite clean and open. The low end doesn't hang with Neve but the top end of a Neve doesn't hang with the Daking unless you want to blur the edges a bit.

[RoundBadge]

Yeah..Fairly aggresive and up front..nice thick tranny sound..
cleaner tad more open /upper mid brighter than a Neve.sometimes amazing on vocals..acoustic guitars
Love them on bass cabs..[especially the EQ]
great for making any guitars really cut through a dense mix..
sometimes I use them on kick and snare just to mix things up..also on overheads quite a bit..
usually some love with the eqs as well ..for final shaping.

[robmix]

What everyone else said is true - more open than the classic Neve's but not sterile like the Grace stuff. Not as forward as API (less pushed in the mids maybe). Obviously modeled after the Trident A range. The mud won't build up if you use them for tracking an entire band. Using the Dakings for tracking I find I need to EQ things less in the mix stage . . . . . .

[superburtm]

so the micpre/eq is a good buy? I'm thinking of going for one.

[robmix]

I think it's the best buy on the market.

[RoundBadge]

Originally Posted by superburtm

so the micpre/eq is a good buy? I'm thinking of going for one.

Yesthumbsup
..What Rob said

[jaffa]

Originally Posted by robmix

I think it's the best buy on the market.

Bought the pre IV a month ago and it sounds fantastic. DI'd some guitar through it as well and the guitarist wanted one straight away. Great, warm sound.

Steve

[Rufuss Sewell]

I have a 32ch Daking console and pretty much use it on everything. Whether or not something will sound good through it doesn't even cross my mind anymore. Everything sounds amazing through it. Now I just focus on the room, mic placement, stuff like that. Occasionally if I want a different kind of sound I turn to my Chameleon Labs 7602's or UA 610. Mostly I just stick with the Dakings though.

[themaidsroom]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

I have a 32ch Daking console and pretty much use it on everything. Whether or not something will sound good through it doesn't even cross my mind anymore. Everything sounds amazing through it. Now I just focus on the room, mic placement, stuff like that. Occasionally if I want a different kind of sound I turn to my Chameleon Labs 7602's or UA 610. Mostly I just stick with the Dakings though.

i also have a 32 channel daking board - sounds great on everything.....
many prefer to mix here over a neve room, stating that nothing is missing
in the bottom, but the top is way more hi-fi, open.......


be well


- jack

[Ollie]

Great sounding desk. The EQ's sound great. The Eq's are different than an API and at first might seem a bit odd, but once you get to know them, then they are extremely musical sounding. I had mostly vintage API pres and eq's and yes, I love them. I bought a couple of daking eq/pres. I since had sell pretty much most of my other pres to by this desk. These pres and eq's stand up to anything out there. The pres are punchy, the top end is nicely extended. Everything is warm, but with definition.

Note: this board does not have a Neve vibe nor does it have an VINTAGE API vibe. The API will have lots more goo in the low mids. The Neve has this very nice cloudy sound(sorry, no better description at the moment) that is fabulous also.

The Daking has a punchy, warm, but clear sound with a great low end and an extended top. Some of the eq points are broad and sweet, some are more narrow.

[u b k]

in addition to agreeing with everyone else here, i'll add that few things open up the top like geoff's eq.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[Kenny Gioia]

I prefer the Daking EQ's well above the API and sometimes above the Neve (more Hi Fi)

If I were to build the perfect tracking board, it would have 8 Neve, 8 API and 8 TG2 Preamps.

The Eq section would have selectable Neve or Daking EQ.

I find the Daking Pre to be of very high sonic quality but not as interesting as my other pres.

[NoEgo]

Thanks all of above.
I have one on order. I have the UA for warm,. the Grace for clean and some in between as well. I wanted a xformer style pre and assumed the Mic PRE IV would do it. I have eq and compression already. I like to track with just the pre. That is why it is very important the pre sound.
So I can say beefy like a tranny then? Not tubey buy tranny warm and clear?

Thanks again guys
Lou
It's brand new Ebay.....has color switches? Any comments?
Geoff Daking said there is no real difference.

[beats workin']

took me a while to get used to the eq- at first i thought it was unusable- too hi-fi sounding. then i figured it out and find them very helpful. especially cutting out mud.
the pres are clean but have character. knobs got scratchy really fast, though.
have fun,
david

[Slipperman]

Originally Posted by NoEgo

Can anyone give me a short descrip of the sound of the stand alone Daking pre?

Good.

They sound good.

Buy some.

SM.