Peavey VMP 2

As you probably already, prosumer frienndly giant Peavey partnered some time back (was it in the '90s?) with the company AMR and during that time produced some big and medium sized consoles, a nice tube compressor and this two excellent channel two pre, which is really quite nice and has a deserved reputation as a good used value. I see them going for anywhere between 600 and 800, seldom on the lower end of that range anymore.

It is made in the USA. Build quality seems excellent. A well known Sound-on-sound review on the '90s question some of the internal wiring and was a tad lukewarm about the unit but primarily because of its original list price. the review also has lots of favorable things to say.

let's take a look at the features: there's a power switch and light all the way on the right of the unit. Each channel has a direct instrument input (works great! A/B'd it recently with the Countryman, my favorite for bass, and the Peavey fared quite well). Gain control, of course, a 20 db pad, a two band tube EQ circuit with a high knob, a low knob, and a bypass. The EQ which is subtle until abused. There is a phantom power switch, and a three way select switch in which center is off, up is 80 z low cut and down is a 40 Hz low cut.

Around back, there are XLR inputs and XLR and quarter inch outs.

I don't have the most experience with high end pres. Well, I have used a lot in studios where I have recorded, but in my own composing and overdub studio, I have had few of the units that we hear so much about on GS. I had the Sytek four channel. I had the Presonus ADL 600 (grew up with AD himself and borrowed one of his for a couple of months...).

I love the Peavey, love it love love it. I would describe it as on the warm, full side, but subtly so--it is pretty clean, too. Love it on vocals and acoustic guitars, and cabs. And that's all I pretty much record here, so it is my go to guy for my modest purposes.