Looking for a 8CH Trasnparent Preamp

[Gilliland]

Originally Posted by David Spearritt

This means that subjectivity is cancelled out, because "your" version of warm or thin is applied to both your listening to the live sound and your listening to the recorded sound, the same subjective filter is applied to both sonic examples.

I suspect that this statement is the core of the difference of opinions here. At the very least, it requires proof - it's certainly not a "given". Personally, I think it is false. Our "subjective filters" aren't that linear.

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Gilliland

I suspect that this statement is the core of the difference of opinions here. At the very least, it requires proof - it's certainly not a "given". Personally, I think it is false. Our "subjective filters" aren't that linear.

Ah, but that is why some of us are better than others!

Regards


Roland

[pkautzsch]

+1 for the Nagra pres.

[Omicron_9]

Originally Posted by henryrobinett

.... I've used an awful lot of mics pres. A lot. I haven't heard DAV but just about everything else: Pendulum, GML, Drawmer, a lot of different Neves and their "clones", Daking, UA. I prefer Millennia. No for verything but as my reference, starting point. To me it does not sound clinical. Not at all. That seems to be a slam some have used against it and I think many who use that description haven't used it that much. ......

(bold font added by me)

I used only Millennia for a few years, and loved them; still have them, still use them, still love them. I didn't think they were clinical. Then I bought a DAV BG-2. THEN and only then did I understand why some folks refer to them as clinical. (I don't think they're clinical, but I can understand why others say that who have used both.)

To my way of hearing, and key words there are "to MY," as this is only one opinion, but to my way of hearing, the DAV sounds richer without losing any detail or adding any color. That probably sounds impossible, but it won't if you've heard and used both. And FWIW, I don't prefer one over the other; both are insanely excellent and both have their place in my racks.

Euphonic regards,
-0.9

[Ming]

Originally Posted by niteflite

At the risk of hijacking this thread, will people share their feelings about the Grace 801?

Once in great favor and considered to have a 'cleaner' sound, Grace seems rarely mentioned in this context lately. I know it's pricier new than the stated budget but occasionally I see them available in the used market.

Cheers,
jeff

Eight years ago I decided on a Grace 201 preamp
after A/B-ing it with several other high end units.

The 201 has functioned flawlessly all this time.

I am presently (like the person who started this thread)
looking to buy an 8-channel preamp.
For me, sticking with Grace seemed a natural choice.

Now, I'd logged in to Gearslutz today
in hopes of learning what others have to say about the model 801
(or Grace's newly released follow-up, the m802).
But I, too, found little mention of these units
or even of Grace in general.

I'm truly curious why there would not be more buzz
on such a quality-oriented company as Grace Designs.
So, I would definitely second Niteflite's request
for comments on Grace preamps.

(Also, has anyone out there used an m802 with the optional A/D converter?)

Ming

[roonsbane]

I use 24 channels of grace 801R and 8 channels of the new 802R every day and can say that they are amazing! I have not directly A/B'ed the old with the new as the new 802R is above our hall and the 3 801R's are in the patching room but they appear to sound identical. We have Millenia/Benchmark/API/Apogee MiniMe/ and I personally have ATI/Pendulum Audio/Summit/Metric Halo ULN-2/ and focusrite. I would say that on classical or jazz, the grace/Millenia are clearly the most natural although the ULN-2 is natural as well and the focusrite is very very clean as well. The Grace's are outstanding preamps! If you want to hear them, listen to the soundtrack to Mystic River. Shawn Murphy recorded it at Symphony Hall Boston and all I could see was several 801's on stage when a friend got me in during the setup. Let me tell you I had never seen that many worker bee's on any stage at one time. I wish I could get a crew like that on my shows. I am fairly certain that the 801's were the only preamp used since every mic cable appeared to go to that rack. Setup was a decca tree of M50's with about 30 schoeps as spots and room mics and 414's in an NOS on piano and I believe some LDC Neumann's on basses if I am remembering correctly. Oh' and complete headphones for a large symphony orchestra. Damn! A lot of cable was involved. I was told it was recorded to 2 seperate 96 track Pro-Tools HD rigs though I have read that he loves analog when possible.

Cameron

[edwinhurwitz]

Originally Posted by roonsbane

Setup was a decca tree of M50's with about 30 schoeps as spots and room mics and 414's in an NOS on piano and I believe some LDC Neumann's on basses if I am remembering correctly.

Cameron

I miss being in Boston and seeing all the great concerts at Symphony Hall! I have never heard of NOS micing, though. What is it?

Edwin

[fifthcircle]

I worked the loadin for the Memoirs of a Geisha session at Royce Hall at UCLA last summer.... I will say that Shawn has probably one of the keenest senses of color of just about any engineer out there. Millennia pres on some, Boulders on others, Forsell on others, AEA on the ribbon mics, etc... Every mic and every preamp had a distinct purpose in the creation of the final sound. Talking with him about why he'd use an M50 versus a Schoeps 222 (with balls) on the tree was amazing.

The recorded to 2 PT rigs. One at 96K (and monitored on a DM2000) and one at 192K (to be used for mixing). Everything clocked by a Big Ben with its multiple clock outputs. Monitoring was Wilson Watt Puppies for LCR, ATC SCM50 (surrounds), and a pile of Carver Sunfire subs.

Never seen anything like it before- a truly amazing sight.

--Ben

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by edwinhurwitz

I miss being in Boston and seeing all the great concerts at Symphony Hall! I have never heard of NOS micing, though. What is it?

Dutch ORTF, if you will... 90° at 30 cm.

[roonsbane]

D Fu said:

Dutch ORTF, if you will... 90° at 30 cm.

I have noticed 90% of the time, when people say they are using ORTF, they are really using NOS. Many mics are a little more difficult to get into NOS in the same plain since the butts of them will need to overlap in order to reach their 17CM 110 degree specifications. Short Neumannns do it a little easier and Schoeps makes a fixed one piece ORTF array.

Cameron

[Jim Easton]

Originally Posted by T.RayBullard

BG-8 is 2200. Im not much of a rock guy, but David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler both use the DAV..actually David Gilmour is the very reason behind the creation of the BG-8. He bought 6 units to take with him on his last world tour.
as for Jazz..the user "2db" here uses it a lot for Jazz and loves the sound.

ill see if he will drop in.

Teddy

Using what I learned from Steve Remote on instrument mic's and "virtual gobos" I recorded the following jazz quartet, on location, using a Dav pre:

http://iacmusic.com/artist.aspx?id=48142