Budget $1200 for Comp. Preamp (again!)

MarathonMan · 19th April 2005

ok guys i appreciate all the feedback i got from my other thread, it was very helpful but now i just increased my budget from 500 to 1200, so now the stakes is high!(for me)

this is what i have-
PC
m-audio 410 firewire
at-4040 mic
sonar 3 producer edition
and various plugins for mixing

i would like to use that 1200 to upgrade, but what would be the best way to spend 1200? btw this is strictly for HipHop/R&B vocals, so please keep away instruments

now i think the best way to go bout this is, to upgrade to a new preamp, a compressor, possibly a triple combo of compressor/preamp/eq, but i'd like to hear what everyone thinks, and what they would do if they were in my shoes(athletefoot fuuck ) i'm open to all comments feedback etc. and i will upload a track i did with just the above set up which i have so far.... maybe that will help. thnx!

feedback on the track would be a plus, i'd be glad to answer any questions!

one love

natpub · 19th April 2005

Not sure if you're gonna take much of a leap and bound going from 500 to 1200. Seems to me the RNP/RNC is still your best bet. I guess there is the Avalon 737SP used in that range. Gets harder from there.

My rule of thumb in gear is that most slutty stuff I want starts at $2000. My wife has gotten sick of saying, "so, how much does it cost," and me answering "oh about $2000."

MarathonMan · 19th April 2005

come on guys, lets spark the conversation fuuck

**DrDeltaM** · 19th April 2005

A nice one channel pre-amp (second hand maybe) and an RNC is prolly your best bet indeed.

TyRip · 19th April 2005

Take this for what it's worth, as I have never used one, but I can make a suggestion for a possible option (once you check it out yourself of course).

Along the lines of the single channel pre/ RNC suggestion, I was going to add that I have never heard anything but great things about the Groove Tubes Brick. It is a single channel tube pre that goes for $400 new. It is probably worth checking into.

tINY · 20th April 2005

You may want to look at and all-in-one, channel-strip sort of unit with a mic pre, EQ and compressor. Focusrite, Toft and Trident have units in you price range.

-tINY

MarathonMan · 20th April 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by tINY

You may want to look at and all-in-one, channel-strip sort of unit with a mic pre, EQ and compressor. Focusrite, Toft and Trident have units in you price range.

-tINY

thats what i'm thinkin about, but what which once would sound best for hiphop vocals, nothing more,

tINY · 20th April 2005

It depends what you like. Go down to Guitar-Mart with your mic and do some auditioning. If it were as easy as "unit A is the best for application B" it wouldn't be fun and there wouldn't be so many choices (and all music would sound the same and a gray haze would cover the land....)

Do you buy clothes because someone on line said they were the bomb threads?

-tINY

MarathonMan · 20th April 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by tINY

It depends what you like. Go down to Guitar-Mart with your mic and do some auditioning. If it were as easy as "unit A is the best for application B" it wouldn't be fun and there wouldn't be so many choices (and all music would sound the same and a gray haze would cover the land....)

Do you buy clothes because someone on line said they were the bomb threads?

-tINY

good point! fuuck

Dr. D. N. · 20th April 2005

Get the single channel unit from Amek (Channel in a box/Pure Path). It "streets" around one two I guess. thumbsup Second choice as people were mentioning earlier could be the GT Brick.
If you are really on a budget and wanna have the greatest bang for the buck soundwise get the MQ3. But never get things from the "prosumer" section, even if it is manufactured by the old veterans. tutt You would pay a lot and pay for the brand and eventually you would get even worse sound than the MQ3. Believe me, I had a blind test recently.

just my .02$

MarathonMan · 21st April 2005

uppin!

UPDATE! i bought the RNC for 150 from this guy in my city. so now a preamp is my next search and find! well lets talk bout PREAMPS!!!!

pz

Teacher · 21st April 2005

Speck 5.0 mic pre? 850 new....clean pre.

MarathonMan · 21st April 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teacher

Speck 5.0 mic pre? 850 new....clean pre.

sounds good, anybody else have an opinion on this pre? maybe i can talk bout what i'm lookin for if that helps u guys come up with ideas...

its for hiphop, i have a mic thats bright in the midranges, which isnt really what i want in a mic, so a pre that will 'warm it up' would defintely work better i think. something in ur 'face' or 'upfront' would also sound better for hiphop... btw i posted a track up there, maybe that will help u guys understand how i sound etc....

one love

warhead · 22nd April 2005

The Speck is indeed a good preamp, but for any vocal tracking I recommend a Safe Sound Audio P1. Very good preamp that plays well with all my mics, and the compressor and limiter section were just made to track vocals. Easiest to setup and roll with also, unless you like twisting knobs all night while people stare at you.

But I am biased.

War

Oats · 23rd April 2005

I am a rock guy, but I have used my Brent Averill 1272 for hip hop vox lately with interesting results.. I just love the thing-- I use it all the time...

scoob · 14th August 2005

grace 101 mic pre might do it too

e-cue · 14th August 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarathonMan

at-4040 mic

I'd check the new A Design's MP-1. It's got several tone controls and a rad d.i. to boot. This will give you more sonic options, and ones that I think pair nicely with the AT line. It's my start point when tracking R&B vocals.

johnnyrock · 16th August 2005

I'd go with the speck.

MSR74 · 5th December 2005

Spl Track One or SPL Channel One.

opentune · 5th December 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSR74

Spl Track One or SPL Channel One.

Yeah, SPL...SPL...SPL...!!!

I love the Channel One!

(but what do you think of spending the 1200 bucks on TWO pieces of gear??)

lance135 · 5th December 2005

Gee, you're almost in the neighbourhood of the LA-610 from Universal Audio, pricewise. You may want to check out the best deal in high end channel strips.

MSR74 · 6th December 2005

I think the Channel One is a great deal...Tube Pre, Compressor, Gate, Limiter, Eq...all in the same box for just under $1200.

Beauarts · 6th December 2005

I think the Great River makes a 1 channel NV pre.

hopeless_opus · 6th December 2005

Beauarts beat me to it.... The Great River is a great match with the RNC as it has unbalaced insert points. (not that you need them, but It makes it easy) and It seems to be the most popular High End pre on this board.

Pheonix and John Hardy also make single channel units around $1000. I bet you can't go wrong with any of these...

I have an RNC and I use it with a Hamptone HJFP2, I love it.

19th April 2005	#4
DrDeltaM Moderator Joined: Sep 2003 Location: Belgium Posts: 4,347	A nice one channel pre-amp (second hand maybe) and an RNC is prolly your best bet indeed. __________________ Mathijs Indesteege aka Mathew Lane mixing - mastering - audio restoration - plugins http://www.mathewlane.com DrMS. Focus on your stereo field. - NEW v3.2 OUT NOW! DrMS spatial processor - native RTAS/AU/VST plugin » Digital Audio Product Support Joystick Audio - Benelux High End Distributor http://www.joystick.be

22nd April 2005	#14
warhead Jai guru deva om Joined: Feb 2003 Location: South Carolina Posts: 12,253	The Speck is indeed a good preamp, but for any vocal tracking I recommend a Safe Sound Audio P1. Very good preamp that plays well with all my mics, and the compressor and limiter section were just made to track vocals. Easiest to setup and roll with also, unless you like twisting knobs all night while people stare at you. But I am biased. War __________________ Warren Dent, Owner - ZenPro Audio: Gear Now & Zen

23rd April 2005	#15
Oats Gear interested Joined: Apr 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 16	hey I am a rock guy, but I have used my Brent Averill 1272 for hip hop vox lately with interesting results.. I just love the thing-- I use it all the time...

5th December 2005	#21
lance135 Gear Head Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 43	LA-610 Gee, you're almost in the neighbourhood of the LA-610 from Universal Audio, pricewise. You may want to check out the best deal in high end channel strips. __________________ Home Recording Rebel

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

19th April 2005	#2
natpub More cowbell! Joined: Nov 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 2,171 2 Reviews written	Not sure if you're gonna take much of a leap and bound going from 500 to 1200. Seems to me the RNP/RNC is still your best bet. I guess there is the Avalon 737SP used in that range. Gets harder from there. My rule of thumb in gear is that most slutty stuff I want starts at $2000. My wife has gotten sick of saying, "so, how much does it cost," and me answering "oh about $2000."

19th April 2005	#3
MarathonMan Gear nut Joined: Mar 2005 Location: seattle Posts: 136 Thread Starter	come on guys, lets spark the conversation fuuck

19th April 2005	#5
TyRip Gear addict Joined: Jan 2005 Location: Canton, OH Posts: 320	Take this for what it's worth, as I have never used one, but I can make a suggestion for a possible option (once you check it out yourself of course). Along the lines of the single channel pre/ RNC suggestion, I was going to add that I have never heard anything but great things about the Groove Tubes Brick. It is a single channel tube pre that goes for $400 new. It is probably worth checking into.

20th April 2005	#6
tINY Gear Guru Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 10,233	You may want to look at and all-in-one, channel-strip sort of unit with a mic pre, EQ and compressor. Focusrite, Toft and Trident have units in you price range. -tINY

20th April 2005	#10
Dr. D. N. Gear interested Joined: Apr 2005 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 2	Get the single channel unit from Amek (Channel in a box/Pure Path). It "streets" around one two I guess. thumbsup Second choice as people were mentioning earlier could be the GT Brick. If you are really on a budget and wanna have the greatest bang for the buck soundwise get the MQ3. But never get things from the "prosumer" section, even if it is manufactured by the old veterans. tutt You would pay a lot and pay for the brand and eventually you would get even worse sound than the MQ3. Believe me, I had a blind test recently. just my .02$

21st April 2005	#11
MarathonMan Gear nut Joined: Mar 2005 Location: seattle Posts: 136 Thread Starter	uppin! UPDATE! i bought the RNC for 150 from this guy in my city. so now a preamp is my next search and find! well lets talk bout PREAMPS!!!! pz

21st April 2005	#12
Teacher Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2002 Location: NY Posts: 1,913	Speck 5.0 mic pre? 850 new....clean pre.

14th August 2005	#16
scoob Gear maniac Joined: Jun 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 245	grace 101 mic pre might do it too

16th August 2005	#18
johnnyrock Gear nut Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 108	I'd go with the speck.

5th December 2005	#19
MSR74 Gear addict Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 330	Spl Track One or SPL Channel One.

6th December 2005	#22
MSR74 Gear addict Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 330	I think the Channel One is a great deal...Tube Pre, Compressor, Gate, Limiter, Eq...all in the same box for just under $1200.

6th December 2005	#23
Beauarts Gear addict Joined: Jan 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 380	I think the Great River makes a 1 channel NV pre.

6th December 2005	#24
hopeless_opus Gear addict Joined: May 2005 Posts: 429	Beauarts beat me to it.... The Great River is a great match with the RNC as it has unbalaced insert points. (not that you need them, but It makes it easy) and It seems to be the most popular High End pre on this board. Pheonix and John Hardy also make single channel units around $1000. I bet you can't go wrong with any of these... I have an RNC and I use it with a Hamptone HJFP2, I love it.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Best Dual Chanel Pre & Comp on a decent budget ?	dreamsongs	So much gear, so little time!	36	26th January 2006 02:46 AM
$1200 budget, what to buy ?	SLy_drums	High end	1	3rd January 2006 11:21 AM
Help me choose preamp/DI... on a budget	guibara	So much gear, so little time!	0	29th July 2005 08:00 PM