500 Series clean option

[Brent]

What would be the cleanest option in a 500 series for something like acoustic guitar?

I'm wondering if a Mono Gama on discrete would suffice?

I will already have a Purple Biz and an Avedis MA5. I have no idea what the 'pants' is suppose to offer yet so I'm not sure if that's an option either. The Lachapell 583 with the Jenson may also be another option. I have about 3 weeks to decide while I wait on backorder... any thoughts?

Thanks

[Chunky But Funky]

A designs recommends their EM-Red for acoustic guitar. Essentially a tweak of the P1, I believe. Anyone have experience with this one? I am not sure of the "cleanliness" of this line.

A Designs Audio

Doug

[lrieves]

from what i've heard, the great river is pretty highly regarded for that application, but i haven't purchased one... yet...

[Brent]

Originally Posted by lrieves

from what i've heard, the great river is pretty highly regarded for that application, but i haven't purchased one... yet...

I own a great river .. I wouldn't call it 'clean'.

[Elof]

Mono GAMA is great and smooth on acoustic, but the discrete output is darker than API 512 c for example, and I wouldn´t call the GAMA a clean pre but is does sound very good...

[Karl J]

Has John Hardy released his 500 pre yet?

[lrieves]

Originally Posted by Brent

I own a great river .. I wouldn't call it 'clean'.

From what i've seen, there aren't a lot of clean 500 series pres, if any, but i might be mistaken as i've not heard all of them yet. i guess i'll just have to wait to hear the results of the shootout on the 12th. However, as far as acoustic guitar recordings go, the great river has been recommended to me by a lot of people, so i thought i would pass that along.

[bdubya]

elixir's pretty clean. well-built snazzy box too

[Brent]

Originally Posted by bdubya

elixir's pretty clean. well-built snazzy box too

Actually this was my first choice. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Vintage King will be 'allowed' to ship it to me because I'm in Canada and they are in the States ( against buzz policies or something). Unfortunately neither of the vendors we trust up here in Canada sell it, so I'm out of luck for now.

Originally Posted by Karl J

Has John Hardy released his 500 pre yet?

Wow I hope he does some day. I'd love to see this in 500 series.

Originally Posted by Elof

Mono GAMA is great and smooth on acoustic, but the discrete output is darker than API 512 c for example, and I wouldn´t call the GAMA a clean pre but is does sound very good...

This may very well become the replacement on the order. I guess it would give me other flavors as well.

I wonder does anyone have the A-Designs Red, Elixir and the Mono Gama that they could chime in on? Probably a tall order.

I also sent Andrew at Purple an email regarding the new 'pants' offering and if this is suppose to be clean colored or what.

[lrieves]

Originally Posted by Brent

I also sent Andrew at Purple an email regarding the new 'pants' offering and if this is suppose to be clean colored or what.

It seems everybody just can't wait to hear what the "pants" has to offer, myself included, and how frustrating it is that nobody has been able to get a good description on what it does! the only thing i've heard is it is "completely different than the bizz" so if anybody has any more insight, please let us know!!!

[NathanEldred]

LaChapell 583s with Jensen and Telefunken tube would be mostly clean.

[MJGreene Audio]

Originally Posted by Karl J

Has John Hardy released his 500 pre yet?

Funny enough. I was wondering the same thing yesterday and emailed him. Its still in progress but he has been working on a few other things and mentioned that he was working on the CAD drawings of the cards.

So not out now but at least its still in the works.

Michael Greene

[matta]

Hey Brent,

The 'Mint Julep' was designed for this application. We wanted to offer a high gain, low noise, colourless mic pre for the 500 series that was in the same league as the offerings from SSL, GML, DAV, Forssell Technologies etc, but ina 500 series form factor and is built to the API Alliance specs.

It uses a monolithic opamp design with a discrete transistor front end, no audio transformers to color the sound and 66dB's of gain, enough for most ribbon mics as well.

There is a thread on it here: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-p...ic-preamp.html

And Pan 60 has had one in his lab for a month and I'd expect one of his in depth reviews and interviews to appear shortly.

We also have the prototype going over to James Lugo for the 500 series shoot-out next month, so hopefully you will be able to compare it to some other units.

It is also one of the most cost effective pres to come out in the 500 series form factor and should be shipping in the next month or 2.

Cheers

Matt

[reflixtinian]

Originally Posted by Brent

What would be the cleanest option in a 500 series for something like acoustic guitar?

I'm wondering if a Mono Gama on discrete would suffice?

I will already have a Purple Biz and an Avedis MA5. I have no idea what the 'pants' is suppose to offer yet so I'm not sure if that's an option either. The Lachapell 583 with the Jenson may also be another option. I have about 3 weeks to decide while I wait on backorder... any thoughts?

Thanks

Have you tried the purple??

[Brent]

Originally Posted by matta

Hey Brent,

The 'Mint Julep' was designed for this application. We wanted to offer a high gain, low noise, colourless mic pre for the 500 series that was in the same league as the offerings from SSL, GML, DAV, Forssell Technologies etc, but ina 500 series form factor and is built to the API Alliance specs.

It uses a monolithic opamp design with a discrete transistor front end, no audio transformers to color the sound and 66dB's of gain, enough for most ribbon mics as well.

There is a thread on it here: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-p...ic-preamp.html

And Pan 60 has had one in his lab for a month and I'd expect one of his in depth reviews and interviews to appear shortly.

We also have the prototype going over to James Lugo for the 500 series shoot-out next month, so hopefully you will be able to compare it to some other units.

It is also one of the most cost effective pres to come out in the 500 series form factor and should be shipping in the next month or 2.

Cheers

Matt

Hmmm... let me go check this out! Hopefully it's got enough gain for ribbons on soft passages? That's what I had liked about the buzz.. very low noise, lots of gain.

Originally Posted by reflixtinian

Have you tried the purple??

No I have not. It's at VK with the other items I have on backorder. I won't get it for about 3 weeks.

[reflixtinian]

Originally Posted by Brent

Hmmm... let me go check this out! Hopefully it's got enough gain for ribbons on soft passages? That's what I had liked about the buzz.. very low noise, lots of gain.




No I have not. It's at VK with the other items I have on backorder. I won't get it for about 3 weeks.

Ok, let me know what you think about it , if you have a chance to test it in a few weeks thumbsup

[pan60]

as always, every one know i love all the A-Designs pres!
i am a fan of the Em-BLUE on acoustics guitars, and / or, the A-Designs MP-2A.

also has matta mentioned above, i have had one of the MINT JULEPS in here, and i love the pre!
a lot!
i will be getting one for myself.
it is clean, and offers very, very, very, little color, this pre kick assssss, with dynamic mics of all kinds, including ribbons.
i felt it let me here my dynamic mic collection the way i want to here them, or the way i remember they should sound.
this is not to say i did not like it on condenser, as i did : )~
it would defiantly be a pre to look at for anyone wanting something with little to no color.

[pan60]

yes i will be posting a cool review / interview any day, maybe later today?

[Brent]

Originally Posted by NathanEldred

LaChapell 583s with Jensen and Telefunken tube would be mostly clean.

I'm strongly considering this.. but it's going to hurt the wallet a bit. I'll have to order a couple of 'good' tubes too.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by reflixtinian

Ok, let me know what you think about it , if you have a chance to test it in a few weeks thumbsup

You bet. Everyone seems to say good things about it.

[barryjohns]

A-designs is not a go-to pre for acoustic for me. It can do strumming, but picking, not good for me. I love my Great River for electric guitar, love it, I can use it for Acoustic, but again, not a go-to for me. I know it's not a 500 per, but the very best Acoustic sounds I've gotten were through a UA LA-610, better than a 6176 for me.

Use a Pearlman TM1 and the LA610 and that's an Acoustic Dream....

[bexarametric]

I actually think the Mono Gama on Discrete is a great option. I tried it. It sounds perfect. That's the first thing that came to my head when I clicked to open the thread. It was also the posters original thought.

[gm5k]

Buzz Elixir and JLM 99v would be my first choices for acoustic.

the JLM seems to do a natural but somehow larger than life thing that is really awesome on everything. not mid forward...just very balanced, tight and natural which is what i personally like for acoustic.

[elcubo]

i love APIs in acoustics...try them...

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by barryjohns

A-designs is not a go-to pre for acoustic for me. It can do strumming, but picking, not good for me. .

When you pick maybe you should pad in and push it a little, it gets smoother.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by NathanEldred

LaChapell 583s with Jensen and Telefunken tube would be mostly clean.

Well, I just bought a demo unit directly off of Scott being, retrofitted with a Jensen.. looks like I'm back to the drawing board on picking a 4th...