Which channels strip should I get?

[patob7911]

Hello all.

I'm thinking about buying a channel strip and i can't decide which to go for. I have an ART DPS 2 preamp but want to spice it up a little bit with a nice channel strip around $200. I was thinking about a Joe Meek VC3Q on ebay but i'm not too sure what everyone's opinion on it was. Any ideas?

[FilmNMusicman]

Originally Posted by patob7911

Hello all.

I'm thinking about buying a channel strip and i can't decide which to go for. I have an ART DPS 2 preamp but want to spice it up a little bit with a nice channel strip around $200. I was thinking about a Joe Meek VC3Q on ebay but i'm not too sure what everyone's opinion on it was. Any ideas?

Have you gotten any good results from the DPS 2??? When I owned the TPS 2 it was just horrid. I'd love to own a VC3Q seriously!!!!!

I'd say that maybe a clean preamp would fit nicely...I love colored stuff but sometimes your whole mix sounds really boomy in one frequency range because it all got run through the same pre with the same frequency response.

For you, I suggest a Presonus Eureka!

[patob7911]

Thank you very much! I'll look into it

[FilmNMusicman]

But really have you liked the DPS 2, is it worth it to you, can you get usable tones from it?

[dkelley]

Originally Posted by FilmNMusicman

Have you gotten any good results from the DPS 2??? When I owned the TPS 2 it was just horrid. I'd love to own a VC3Q seriously!!!!!

I'd say that maybe a clean preamp would fit nicely...I love colored stuff but sometimes your whole mix sounds really boomy in one frequency range because it all got run through the same pre with the same frequency response.

For you, I suggest a Presonus Eureka!

ah, but the vc3q hasn't been available for years. the modern replacement for it is quite different (imho not as cool but certainly still a functional product).

eureka is cool too, yea :-)

[patob7911]

The dps 2 is a quality preamp IMHO. You have to tweak it a little bit to get a good sound (the V3 settings and input impedance, and i generally keep the gain very far up). It far out performs the pres on the mbox 3. I especially like it because of the digital outputs allowing me to add 2 extra inputs to my mbox.

And yes i know the VC3Q hasn't been out since 2000 or so. That's back when Ted Fletcher owned the company and they were actually worth something. The one's now i hear are lacking.

[patob7911]

I also have the opprotunity to buy a Presonus studio channel for $100. Should i get this or the VC3Q if it boils down to it? Anybody with experience with either?

[FilmNMusicman]

Originally Posted by patob7911

I also have the opprotunity to buy a Presonus studio channel for $100. Should i get this or the VC3Q if it boils down to it? Anybody with experience with either?

Well I'll put it like this...and let me first say I own lots of Presonus equipment and I'm a fan of the company.

BUT, the Studio Channel offers all the same function (Pre, Compression, EQ) as the Eureka does AND they added a tube circuit...AND it's $200 less than the Eureka......Well, they're definitely cutting corners somewhere.

That said, for $100, I'm positive it's worth it.

[DavieB]

VCQ3, I had one of these. Nice optical compressor, eq is decent and the pre has a shitload of headroom. Sounds very good on most things. I'd buy the meek...

[Salty James]

My pair of (older) VC3Q's sits on the very top of my rack. Above a 2-610, API 3124, and a rack of Neve/BAE's.

I still use it all the time. It is the only other preamp that I feel has that sweet Neve saturation to it. And the opto compressor is sensitive but usable.

Great pre for anything and I can't say that about many preamps. (I even wrote a review about them in the reviews section.)