looking for an new "hybrid" mic preamp

[ThomasB]

Hello Everybody
I'm new to the forum but I'm a little gearslut since years....................
Now I'm looking for a new preamp. The thing is the following:
I do classical recordings as well as Vocal things. For the vocals I wish I had a more sounding pre than the ordinary presonus digimax I use.
What i'm looking for is an pre I can use for both. That meens a clean circuit for classical things and a "colored" ciruit (mabey with tubes?) for the vocals. Is there a such stereo-piece on the market? I was looking for a while in the net but no success so far.(Chandler, millenia, Avalon .....)

I would like to see opinions from you outthere.
ThomasB

[andychamp]

Maybe take another, closer look at Millennia's STT-1 and TD-1.
They have both systems (tube and solid state) in 1 unit. link

And: welcome to GS!

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by ThomasB

What i'm looking for is an pre I can use for both. That meens a clean circuit for classical things and a "colored" ciruit (mabey with tubes?) for the vocals. Is there a such stereo-piece on the market?

well if you need one "clean" channel and one "tube" channel there is always the new Manley TNT ("Tubes-No-Tubes") which has one channel of solid-state preamp labeled "cool channel" and one channel of the tube preamp found in Manley's SLAM! unit.

if you are looking for something with tube AND solid state design i can think of the Millenia STT-1 but then you would need a pair for stereo; they are single-channel.

i think perhaps the Pendulum Audio MDP-1 would suit your needs well. it is a tube-based design but very clean and transparent, and very "musical" (not sterile). it's a stereo unit and you can get one for $2350 USD through Mercenary or VK in the US.

JMHOs of course!


cheers
~j.d.

[thearnicasync]

redundant post...

[Dan]

The STT-1 is pretty hard to beat for that kind of set-up, but why not just get 2 preamps? Or, get a colored eq, (or comp) that you can add in for the more colored sound.

[mr.gefell]

Originally Posted by ThomasB

Hello Everybody
I'm new to the forum but I'm a little gearslut since years....................
Now I'm looking for a new preamp. The thing is the following:
I do classical recordings as well as Vocal things. For the vocals I wish I had a more sounding pre than the ordinary presonus digimax I use.
What i'm looking for is an pre I can use for both. That meens a clean circuit for classical things and a "colored" ciruit (mabey with tubes?) for the vocals. Is there a such stereo-piece on the market? I was looking for a while in the net but no success so far.(Chandler, millenia, Avalon .....)

I would like to see opinions from you outthere.
ThomasB

have you tried finding a studer d19?

[uncle duncan]

Sebatron makes a unit like that - solid state circuit and tube circuit.

[jdjustice]

also check out the hybrid Summit Audio TPA-200B: solid state and tube.

[AllAboutTone]

I think a Avalon 2022 is what you are looking for and maybe a tube compressor when needed. The right compressor chasing a pre can work wonders, also the 2022 has a very open sound but yet gives you a full spectrum eq.

[Andrew Kinsey]

Originally Posted by uncle duncan

Sebatron makes a unit like that - solid state circuit and tube circuit.

The Sebatron Maximus, its got a seperate gain stages, valve and solid state. You can change them at the flick of a switch and you can also control the amount of colour on the valve stage.

[robot gigante]

I don't think of good tube designs as being all that colored per se.

I think you should just get something that sounds good no matter what you put through it. I mean think about it, classical recordings of the past were all tracked through tube preamps and there are some really stellar recordings from that time. A lot of today's good tube designs are probably a lot cleaner and more hifi sounding than those too.

An A Designs MP-2a, is a good example of what I mean. It sounds great on almost anything, especially vocals and acoustic instruments. It's just big, open, musical and yes, very transparent. I imagine the Pendulum has similar qualities, though I haven't tried it.

I just don't think it's worth getting caught up in the whole tube/solid state thing when the sound depends more on the implementation of the design than whether or not tubes are used. Just get something that works on most everything, and there's plenty that will.

[Tim Farrant]

Manley TNT, 1 channel tube, 1 channel transistor. Perfect.

[the russian]

Originally Posted by Tim Farrant

Manley TNT, 1 channel tube, 1 channel transistor. Perfect.

I'm waiting for someone to test drive one of these!

[Berolzheimer]

The LaChappelle 992 is a super clean tube pre, it sounds great on vocals and orchestral stuff.

[RoundBadge]

I'll second the Manley TNTthumbsup

[gainreduction]

Originally Posted by the russian

I'm waiting for someone to test drive one of these!

read the manley SLAM! review by L. Fuston, it's the same preamp as in the TNT.

You can find the review on the Manley site.

[ThomasB]

To all of you!
What a response!

I will try to try the Avalon 2022, (loved by one of my customers)

Also the hybrid Summit Audio TPA-200B: solid state and tube. That one sounds very interessting to my needs.

Also the Pendulum Audio MDP-1

The TNT ist to far by bucks, because I need two of them................

The Millenia stuff is also not my case because of financial things.........

What you think about the Presonus ADL 600 designed by Anthony DeMaria? Semms to be a nice unit as well..

I enjoy it very much to be here and to profit from you folks. Hope I can give some input as well
ThomasB

[Steamy Williams]

Crane Song Flamingo does clean and coloured using various switches to put euphonic amplifier stages, and iron (i.e. transformers), in and out of the signal path. Plus you can do stereo with this one, unlike the Manley TNT.